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Rising Tide (Abridged): The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America Audiobook
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(4.00) - 1,573 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In 1927, the Mississippi River swept across an area roughly equal in size to Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont combined, leaving water as deep as thirty feet on the land stretching from Illinois and Missouri south to the Gulf of Mexico. Close to a million people -- in a nation of 120 million -- were forced out of their homes. Some estimates place the death toll in the thousands. The Red Cross fed nearly 700,000 refugees for months.
Rising Tide is the story of this forgotten event, the greatest natural disaster this country has ever known. But it is not simply a tale of disaster. The flood transformed part of the nation and had a major cultural and political impact on the rest. Rising Tide is an American epic about science, race, honor, politics, and society.
Rising Tide begins in the 19th century, when the first serious attempts to control the river began. From the engineers and the dominant families in the Delta to the New Orleans elite, Rising Tide tells how the flood changed the face of American and laid the groundwork for the New Deal.
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"One of the more mesmerizing pieces of modern non-fiction, this story of the great Mississippi flood of 1927 (one of the worst natural disasters in American history) is a captivating social history in its own right; when examined against the recent tragedy of Katrina, it is a sobering reminder that natural disasters are frequently only exacerbated by human actions."
— Ayne (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“This is the kind of history I love—the brilliantly told story of the great Mississippi flood of 1927, a disaster for millions but the making of a future president and a turning point for the nation.”
— Tom Wicker, New York Times bestselling author -
“Extraordinary…Rising Tide stands not only as a powerful story of disaster but as an accomplished and important social history, magisterial in its scope and fiercely dedicated to unearthing truth.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“An important contribution to history and literature.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“An absorbing account of a little-known, yet monumental event in American history, Rising Tide reveals how human behavior proved more destructive than the swollen river itself.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“A fascinating social history of the effects of the massive flood…Recommended.”
— Library Journal -
“Barry has fashioned an epic from this dramatic historic incident…An informative work, interestingly told.”
— Booklist -
“[A] brilliantly narrated epic story of the misuse of engineering in thrall to politics…A fascinating, cautionary tale of humans versus nature.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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Winner of the 1998 Parkman Prize
Rising Tide Listener Reviews
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" So far, this book is awesome! Very informative. It contains very detailed describtion of the 1927 Mississippi Flood.... I now know more wbout the Mississippi River than ever before. "
— Amanda, 2/15/2014 -
" Just finished this book - which came highly reccomended by Lois A- a great read...fascinating to see where the KKK sprung from and the background of New Orlenes and the politics of the day. "
— Debby, 2/2/2014 -
" Fascinating! I can't drive over the bridge to Memphis without thinking of this story. "
— Chris, 1/16/2014 -
" I wouldn't have chosen to read this (required reading for a class), but I'm glad I did. I loved the history of engineering on the Mississippi, and the accounts of the river's power are fascinating. Not all fun and games: The stories of racism in the '20's are simply chilling, and the sections about Hoover make me want to jump off a bridge. "
— Lisa, 1/16/2014 -
" Excellent history of the greatest flood in American history on the Mississippi River that changed American policy and politics. "
— Diana, 1/10/2014 -
" Excellent history book. Reminds us humans that we cannot stop the rain, or make it rain. Sometimes we need to just get out of the way and either fix it after, or decide not to fix it. I personally think we should give some of New Orleans back to the River. "
— Mary, 1/8/2014 -
" I read this book only because I enjoyed The Great Influenza so much. I find John Barry to be an excellent story teller as well as a skilled historian. It's a GREAT read! "
— misn0mer, 1/7/2014 -
" I loved this book about the great Mississippi River flood of 1927. It describes the dissolution of the old South in the Mississippi Delta region. It is an event that is central to understanding the stratification of race relations in the U.S. "
— Richard, 12/31/2013 -
" Very interesting piece of history. Excellent research however I felt too much detail was presented at times. The story does highlight absolute power corrupts and money has had far too much influence for way too long. "
— Dave, 12/30/2013 -
" Simply a fascinating fascinating book- a peak into the world of management and administration before computers, the making of a president, and all made so very interesting. A good look at the society of the times. A real natural disaster and a real page turner. I Loved IT. "
— Tim, 11/30/2013 -
" A very interesting and educational book. One of my favorites! "
— Teri, 9/7/2013 -
" Best read while traveling along the Mississippi.... "
— doug, 5/9/2013 -
" power and influence overrides those who have the right answers. "
— Nathan, 6/28/2012 -
" Brilliant. Reasons for the devastation of New Orleans by Katrina. "
— Rosemary, 6/4/2012 -
" This book delves deeply into race and politics in the south. It is also interesting how those decisions made in 1927 and since are still affecting us. "
— Farfoff, 4/27/2012 -
" i learned so much. Not an easy read, but info that I reference quite a bit. "
— Tory, 1/27/2012 -
" Fascinating. Well written and informative. "
— Garret, 9/24/2011 -
" I enjoyed the parallel stories of evolving technology against the backdrop of stagnant and oppressive social conditions. "
— John, 8/5/2011 -
" this is required reading for anyone from Missouri! "
— Harriett, 7/20/2011 -
" i learned so much. Not an easy read, but info that I reference quite a bit. "
— Tory, 4/27/2011 -
" NOLA has not changed. Very sad. Intense read. "
— Richard, 4/4/2011 -
" Fascinating and great context for understanding the many failures of the post-Katrina response. "
— Khmindeed, 3/30/2011 -
" I was a little disappointed in this book because the author seemed more interested in the race relations of the lower Mississippi River then he was with the flood itself. I finished the book thinking I had read a social history rather than the story of a historic flood. "
— John, 3/2/2011 -
" One of the great non-fiction/history books I've ever read and it resonates today with discussions of how far the government should go to help/protect the general welfare "
— James, 1/24/2011 -
" I read this book only because I enjoyed The Great Influenza so much. I find John Barry to be an excellent story teller as well as a skilled historian. It's a GREAT read! "
— misn0mer, 12/7/2010 -
" Dry in some places, but still fascinating study of how the US turned the corner into a government that is expected to protect, rather than just defend, its people, and the Hoover and Coolidge administrations differences on the question. "
— Steven, 11/28/2010 -
" Really fantastic explanation of the racial implications of the flooding of the Mississippi. "
— Jasmine, 10/25/2010 -
" Definitely a page-turner. Berry seems to be fascinated by people with exceptionally big egos, and the intrigue is not misplaced in this account. "
— Wlwarner, 10/18/2010 -
" I loved this book about the great Mississippi River flood of 1927. It describes the dissolution of the old South in the Mississippi Delta region. It is an event that is central to understanding the stratification of race relations in the U.S. "
— Richard, 9/2/2010 -
" Brilliant. Reasons for the devastation of New Orleans by Katrina. "
— Rosemary, 8/24/2010
About John M. Barry
John M. Barry is a prize-winning and New York Times bestselling author whose books have won several dozen awards. In 2005 the National Academies of Science named The Great Influenza as the year’s outstanding book on science or medicine. His other books have won the Francis Parkman Prize of the Society of American Historians and have been named a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. He has had considerable influence on both pandemic policy and flood protection. Both the Bush and Obama administrations sought his advice on influenza preparedness and response, and he was a member of the original team which developed plans for non-pharmaceutical interventions to mitigate a pandemic. The National Academies of Science asked him to give the keynote speech at its first international scientific meeting on pandemic influenza, and he was the only non-scientist on a federal government Infectious Disease Board of Experts.
About George Grizzard
George Grizzard (1928–2007) was an American actor who appeared in more than forty films, dozens of television programs, and a number of Broadway plays. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2002.