Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens
Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens book cover

Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens

Paperback – March 7, 2017

by
Price
$12.89
Format
Paperback
Pages
336
Publisher
W. W. Norton & Company
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0393353587
Dimensions
5.5 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
Weight
9.3 ounces

Description

"In Mr. Olson’s telling, [the survivors’] stories read like urgent fiction…These vignettes lend a human face to an event that has become associated largely with geology." ― Michael O'Donnell, Wall Street Journal "As Steve Olson reminds us in his vividly reported new history…what happened on May 18, 1980, in the primordial thickets of the Pacific Northwest, was an enormous, multi-faceted event…This engaging book maneuvers deftly along the way toward impact." ― Mark Damsker, USA Today "In recreating the history of the region and the social, economic and political moment in which the volcano erupted, Olson also reaches for a deeper, existential meaning in describing the many lives lost to the eruption. In the mundane quality of their activities at 8:31, we see ourselves." ― Kim Tingley, New York Times Book Review "Olson intercuts stories of victims including David Johnston, the volcanologist who was monitoring the explosion, with an account of its impact on science?such as popularizing the use of lidar. With 1,500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, this is an urgent reminder of the need for advances in the field." ― Barbara Kiser, Nature "Vividly retells the story of the May 1980 disaster and questions whether more might have been done to keep the 57 people who died out of harm's way." ― John B. Saul, Seattle Times "In his evocative and convincing new book, author Steve Olson reveals that the eruption―the most powerful natural disaster to ever strike the US―is much more than a horror show…He has a bigger picture in mind, one of the eruption’s role as a touchstone for an evolving society and natural world." ― Randy Dotinga, Christian Science Monitor "A first-class, meticulously crafted piece of reportage that is as exciting as it is informative―and will long stand as a classic of descriptive narrative of the biggest American volcanic eruption of all our lifetimes―or so we all hope!" ― Simon Winchester, author of Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded "Olson and his truly groundbreaking Eruption join a rarefied pantheon, where readers can come to understand the most dramatic geological event of our time. This book, as welcome as it is amazing in the depth of its background and the strength of its storytelling, will stand as a stirring and stilling accomplishment." ― Robert Michael Pyle, author of Wintergreen: Rambles in a Ravaged Land and Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide "Steve Olson has brought new dimensions to my experience of the mountain. [He] masterfully delineates the personal histories, cultural assumptions, values, visions, and preconceptions that were brought to bear on the mountain that day. He has the gift of clarity and an enviable ability to find and make drama, present the human narrative, and engage his readers on multiple levels." ― David Guterson, author of Snow Falling on Cedars "In Eruption , science writer Steve Olson goes well beyond recounting Mount St. Helens’ geologic awakening, deadly explosion and aftermath. This fascinating book also chronicles the economic and cultural tensions gripping this part of the nation in the run-up to the May 18, 1980, catastrophe." ― Sid Perkins, Science News "A gripping moment-by-moment account of what happened on the day the volcano blew." ― Michael Upchurch, Oregonian Steve Olson is the author of Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens (winner of a Washington State Book Award), Mapping Human History (a finalist for the National Book Award), and other books. He has written for the Atlantic , Science , Smithsonian , and more. He lives in Seattle, Washington.

Features & Highlights

  • A riveting history of the Mount St. Helens eruption that will "long stand as a classic of descriptive narrative" (Simon Winchester).
  • For months in early 1980, scientists, journalists, and nearby residents listened anxiously to rumblings from Mount St. Helens in southwestern Washington State. Still, no one was prepared when a cataclysmic eruption blew the top off of the mountain, laying waste to hundreds of square miles of land and killing fifty-seven people. Steve Olson interweaves vivid personal stories with the history, science, and economic forces that influenced the fates and futures of those around the volcano.
  • Eruption
  • delivers a spellbinding narrative of an event that changed the course of volcanic science, and an epic tale of our fraught relationship with the natural world.
  • 8 pages of illustrations; 8 maps

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(391)
★★★★
25%
(326)
★★★
15%
(195)
★★
7%
(91)
★
23%
(299)

Most Helpful Reviews

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As far as disaster stories go, it's hard to ...

As far as disaster stories go, it's hard to get much more awe-inspiring than volcanic eruptions, yet I found myself skimming whole sections of "Eruption" despite the subject matter. Instead of delving deeper into the human tragedy, or the science of volcanic eruptions, nearly a third of the book is given to dry, vaguely interesting histories of the forest service and the Weyerhaeuser logging corporation. Having just finished "A Wall of White" (the account of a contemporaneous avalanche disaster in the Sierras, and an absolute page-turner) I expected such a slim volume about an even more dramatic cataclysm to hold me fast from start to finish. It did not, despite the cinematic heights of hubris, ignorance, and bravery its cast of characters display. A missed opportunity.
20 people found this helpful
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This book is personal to me

Overall a very good read. Some material about the deforestation and company material before and after the eruption was a little boring, but the personal accounts about those involved in the eruption and the eruption detail itself was EXTREMELY interesting. Enjoyed it thoroughly. I hiked the perimeter trail to Spirit Lake in 2005 and I climbed the volcano to the rim with three Mt St Helens Institute Group Guides on Sep 15, 2018 giving this ol' 66 yr old South Carolina boy special memories forever.
6 people found this helpful
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The most comprehensive cover of thevent

I was there near Mt St Helen’s eruption. Since then I was looking for a full covering description. This book is the one.
1 people found this helpful
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Half the book is about the Eruption....

I really wanted to like this book, and for the most part, I did. Unfortunately, I have to agree with many of the reviews that complain of the author's frequent references to the logging industry. Specifically, his almost constant mention of Weyerhaeuser. Weyerhaeuser's influence and WA state politics certainly played a large role in how the threat of the eruption was managed (ie delineating the threat zones). But there is honestly an undue amount of focus and irrelevant detail on the history of the logging and rail industries that could have been covered adequately in a third of the space. I actually found myself scanning pages to see how many times Weyerhaeuser was mentioned, which made for frustrating reading. I'm a Washingtonian and was 20 when St. Helens blew. Personally, I was much more interested in the "human story" and the geophysics behind the eruption. Lahar's for example are not even mentioned in the book. Olson does cover these aspects of the eruption reasonably well (especially the human saga) and the book is well researched. The historical context is important, but I would like to have read more on The Eruption itself than toiling through pages about Weyerhaeuser, Jim Hill and Gifford Pinchot, all of which can be found in other places.
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use

Immensely meritorious quality. Swift to send. Enhancing packaging. Wish all sellers were this solid.
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Great Read! Examines the eruption of Mt. St. Helens from all angles

Great story, excellent retelling of the events before, during and after the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. I especially appreciated the perspectives from different stakeholders with interests in the Mt. St. Helens area - locals, nature enthusiasts, loggers, tourism industries, conservationists, scientists, geologists, hikers and other outdoor lovers of all ages.
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Full consideration given to backstory and context

As a fan of Erik Larson in particular and narrative historical nonfiction in general, I was riveted by this book. I'm from Washington state and grew up on stories of the Mt. St. Helens eruption that happened shortly before my birth. Olson weaves in important PNW context that I think is lost on some of the negative review here. Weyerhauser's influence and political heft in Washington cannot be understated and is important to understanding the full context of why so many head-scratching decisions were made shortly before the eruption.

I also appreciated the space given to the beauty and magic of pre-eruption Mt. St. Helens. My older family members talk about that time with the mountain in an almost reverential tone. It was truly a gem of the Cascades, from the perfect Fuji-esque peak to the endless summers enjoyed on Spirit Lake. Olson guides the reader into recognizing the current transitional beauty of the mountain and how its growing life and post-eruption healing are a magical experience on its own. Olson did right by longtime Pacific Northwesterners. Highly recommend.
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(Mostly) Not About the Eruption

I came to this book expecting little known stories about the eruption of Mount St. Helens, with a geological and human interest story line. What I found was a very detailed history of Weyerhaeuser, Gifford Pinchot and other historical information. The eruption seemed to be an excuse to write about all this other stuff.

If you want to understand all these political, economic and social issues surrounding the mountain, this is your book. It wasn't mine.

Cheers.
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Excellent work, but uneven

All Northwesterners of a certain age remember "Vancouver, Vancouver, this is it!!!!"
Mr. Olson's research is exhaustive and sometimes--maybe even often--contradicts the stories that have been handed down about the eruption. His central contention is that no sane politician, from the county sheriff to the governor, in Washington State in the spring of 1980 was going to order Weyerhaeuser Timber's logging crews off the mountain. Which, in turn, he argues, greatly affected the locations of the "red zones" that people weren't allowed to enter--far more than the arguments of the geologists and volcanologists. For that contention alone, this is an important book.
It has some significant flaws, though. Chiefly, he spends far too much time giving us biographies of Frederick Weyerhaeuser and Gifford Pinchot. Second, he spends quite a bit of time tracking some of the people who died in the eruption, includes a list of all the dead including a few "missing, presumed dead," but then gives a few of the dead cameo appearances in the narrative without ever naming them. In an otherwise exhaustive book, that seems strange to me.
Altogether, if you are interested in Mount St Helens, the beginning of the end of the old timber industry, or the intersections between disasters and public safety, this is a worthwhile book.
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Moving and informative

Incredible book! I could not put it down and was unable to talk about anything else to my very sweet and patient family for days during and after devouring this remarkable account.

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