The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl (Edition 001)

I was just a kid and I enjoyed those dust storms because they let school out

This is an excellent read, full of great detail. There were many things I had no idea about the dust bowl, such as the dust pneumonia and the dramatic examples of static electricity (could it really have killed a rooster?!) It was heart breaking to read about these hard working people devastated by the havoc of the depression and the environmental problems. I found the account of the individuals quite moving. I could not help but think of the parallels to global warming in the descriptions of the man made nature of the dust storms, arising as an effect of the removal of native grasses. I loved the individuals whose stories the author followed.

Puts this era in perspective with the Great Depression and the growth of America. A few weeks of $4 gas is no match for real hard times.

I ordered this book and found the first few chapters fascinating, history wise. Then the vulgarity and profanity turned me off. Has Mr. Egan ever heard of TMI (too much information?) We can all assume that many of the cowboys around Dalhart looked for loose women, but who wants to read about the baser nature when they think they're picking up a good history book? I don't necessarily believe in censorship, but I do believe in MY right to censor what I read and, sadly, I personally censored this book.

It's one thing to have heard about the dust bowl through obscure references. It's another thing to hear the pain and suffering it caused to the people who lived through it. Incredible book and I wish I hadn't given it away...I would read it again.