Only months before, the first shot of what would become the American Revolution had been fired. But not everyone was committed to battle. The people were caught between a patriotic fervor for the cause of liberty and deep concern about the righteousness of, and the danger in, rebelling against the world's largest empire. And unbeknowst to them, as September 1775 opened, a powerful hurricane was making its way across the Atlantic, one that would test the colonists' strength, resolve, and faith in the rebellion.

Hurricane of Independence is the untold story of a violent storm and the violent birth of a nation. On September 2, 1775, the 8th deadliest Atlantic hurricane of all time landed on American shores. Over the coming days, it would race up the East Coast, striking all of the important colonial capitals and eventually killing more than four thousand people. In an era where hurricanes were viewed as omens from God, what this storm meant to the colonists about the justness of their cause would yield unexpected results.

Hurricane of Independence is the story of the individual people in the eye of the storm and how they saved the American Revolution. From well-known founders like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin to ordinary individuals such as sailors, escaped slaves, farmers, and fishermen, Tony Williams paints a stunning picture of what it meant to live at the opening of the American Revolution and the incredible weight of the choice the people were facing at that deciding moment.

Hurricane of Independence brings to life an incredible moment when the forces of nature and the forces of history came together, and the courageous stories of sacrifice, survival, and strength amidst the fight for freedom.

(20080615)

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 5 reviews)

a slog

This was a difficult, and not particularly enjoyable, read. The entire contents of the book could have been communicated in a concise 5-page article.
November 21, 2008

A whole new POV about storms

In September 1775, just a few months after the battles of Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill, an Atlantic hurricane made landfall in New Bern, North Carolina and proceeded to pummel Norfolk, Williamsburg, Annapolis, Philadelphia, Newport, New York and Boston. Williams posits that a second storm barreled through Newfoundland, crippled the cod fishing industry and devastated the community. It is an open question if this was indeed a second storm or the tail end of the first.

In the 18th century, natural disasters were viewed by the scions of the Enlightenment movement as natural (and scientific) phenomena. The more pious viewed natural disasters as divine signs from the heavens. Most people were somewhere in between. If the "Hurricane of Independence" (as it was aptly called) was indeed religious symbolism, its message was not clear. It struck both sides in Virginia, drenched Philadelphia just as the Continental Congress was convening, and pinned confronting armies amassed in Boston. In Newfoundland, the storm indiscriminately claimed thousands of lives, deposited cadavers far inland or swept them out to sea.

At the time, Americans viewed themselves as God's chosen people, protected by God in their fight against British tyranny (which was on the side of the devil). Was the storm to punish the rebels for their insolence against British monarchy? Was it meant to remind Americans to be virtuous? Perhaps God was truly on the American side as the storm prevented the British from attacking Dorchester Heights and Lord Cornwallis was unable to escape from Yorktown.

Williams extends the storm analogy to the political events brewing at that time. Through this window, he explores the colonists' worldviews. While the narrative does cover the roles played by those famous such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton, it also covers the views of average people such as sailors, escaped slaves, farmers, and fishermen. What stands out is the charming narrative and fluid prose. In the aftermath of Katrina and Ike, it does catch the contemporary American imagination.

Armchair Interviews says: Interesting relationship between storms and "being punished."
October 14, 2008

a great christmas gift for history lovers

I have to admit that I'm not much of a history book reader. I disliked history in high school and don't know much about it. I usually read spy stories and mysteries. I found the book in a bookstore one day and thought the cover was very cool. I flipped through the pages and liked the flow of the writing. With all the news about hurricanes I thought I would give it a try. I was not disappointed.

The book is about a hurricane that hit during the American Revolution in 1775. The author described it hitting the shores of North Carolina and Virginia. It killed hundreds of people there. The author then follows the hurricane hitting the capitals of Annapolis, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston and talks about the damage it caused. Actually it didn't hit New York but the author talks about another hurricane out in the ocean almost at the same time. Almost like a perfect storm. Very cool and dramatic.

The author tells a lot of stories about the American Revolution that I didn't know much about. He told them in an interesting way that I could understand. George Washington became the general of the army, Paul Revere went on his famous ride and a general brought guns all the way from New York to Boston to use against the British army.

The big ending that the author nicely built up to was the storm hitting Newfoundland and killing 4,000 fishermen. I didn't know anyone fished for cod there back then but the author made me feel as if I was there. No one I am telling the book about has ever heard of this hurricane even though it was the second deadliest after the Galveston one.

I learned a lot about the hurricane and history by reading this book. I really enjoyed it and think it would be a good book for anyone who is not really a history buff but likes a really good story. I am going to buy a copy for my family members who do like history for Christmas.

September 21, 2008

A new lens for viewing a critical period of American history

Tony Williams's "Hurricane of Independence" provides a new and very readable approach to the early years of the American Revolution, viewed through a lens that, to this reviewer's knowledge, has never been done before. Williams takes a fresh look at the precipitating events of the revolution, focusing particularly on 1775. The freshness of his approach derives not only from the fine readability of his prose. It also comes from the new and insightful material that he leverages and the analytical framework he employs.

In a nutshell, Williams examines 1775, especially the summer months of that year, when the American colonies were steadily moving toward a violent break with Great Britain. Others have examined this period, of course, but Williams does so by pacing his narrative according to a clearly significant but not well recorded or appreciated meteorological event: a hurricane - or actually two - that battered the colonies and Canada during this charged time. Williams uses the hurricane as a metaphor for the tumult that was sweeping the colonies, but the hurricane also serves other functions. For one, it allows Williams to explore some of the religious underpinnings of the American colonists and revolutionaries, which is important to understand most anything about 18th century America, if one is to understand it fully. Beyond that, the hurricane also allows Williams to make full use of the primary materials he has canvassed to provide a man-in-the-street human dimension to revolutionary-era America. To be sure, Williams is interested in the roles played in 1775 by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin, among others, but, in significant ways, it is his glimpse into the minds and travails of average Americans that helps Williams's book stand out in a fairly impressive crowd.

This book deserves a wide readership. Plainly, anyone who is interested in a new approach to the early revolutionary period will find much to like. Those interested in a people's view of history will also not be disappointed. With Hurricanes Katrina and Ike fresh on the minds of Americans, "Hurricane of Independence" should also appeal to those who wish to see how Americans have historically coped with natural disaster - such readers will find significant differences in the 18th and 21st century approaches. Finally, this book is simply a good tale told in an imminently readable fashion. Anyone looking to pass a pleasant weekend in an easy chair will find "Hurricane of Independence" worth their while.

September 17, 2008

Fantastic Read!!!!

Hurricane of Independence by Tony Williams is a fantastic history lesson for all. The book is highly readable, with excellent word choice and character development. What's not to like- Natural Disasters and the Revolution!!!!! I highly recommend this book for everyone that enjoys being lost in a story that will stay with you long after you finish it!
August 15, 2008

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