Possibly the best single volume available on disasters. Only good up to the mid 1970s, but still a good buy for any disaster buff. ( )

I cannot say enough about this book. We picked it up in a used bookstore in Eureka a few weeks ago. It's the best coffee table book ever written: gruesome and engrossing accounts of major disasters! Photos! It's even cross indexed by type of disaster and geological location. Too bad it only covers up to the mid-80s/its publication date. If I were an author I would hunt this down immediately - it contains the making of 192 great novels. ( )

THE book on disasters. Some of the narratives are brief, but others go into a good amount of depth. The human element is always foremost in these stories. If you want to learn about disasters, start here. (If you can find it--it is out of print, unfortunately.) - Updated info: Several copies are available at Abebooks at a very low price. Go for it! ( )