The Man Who Caught the Storm

The Life of Legendary Tornado Chaser Tim Samaras

By: Brantley Hargrove

Narrated by: Jacques Roy

The saga of the greatest tornado chaser who ever lived: a tale of obsession and daring and an extraordinary account of humanity’s high-stakes race to understand nature’s fiercest phenomenon from Brantley Hargrove, “one of today’s great science writers” (The Washington Post).

At the turn of the twenty-first century, the tornado was one of the last true mysteries of the modern world. It was a monster that ravaged the American heartland a thousand times each year, yet science’s every effort to divine its inner workings had ended in failure. Researchers all but gave up, until the arrival of an outsider.

In a field of PhDs, Tim Samaras didn’t attend a day of college in his life. He chased storms with brilliant tools of his own invention and pushed closer to the tornado than anyone else ever dared. When he achieved what meteorologists had deemed impossible, it was as if he had snatched the fire of the gods. Yet even as he transformed the field, Samaras kept on pushing. As his ambitions grew, so did the risks. And when he finally met his match—in a faceoff against the largest tornado ever recorded—it upended everything he thought he knew.

Brantley Hargrove delivers a “cinematically thrilling and scientifically wonky” (Outside) tale, chronicling the life of Tim Samaras in all its triumph and tragedy. Hargrove takes readers inside the thrill of the chase, the captivating science of tornadoes, and the remarkable character of a man who walked the line between life and death in pursuit of knowledge. The Man Who Caught the Storm is an “adrenaline rush of a tornado chase…Readers from all across the spectrum will enjoy this” (Library Journal, starred review) unforgettable exploration of obsession and the extremes of the natural world.

excellent for weather enthusiasts!

listened to this on a cross country road trip, with a stop at el reno ok. the descriptions in the book put you right underneath the storms, nearly making you glance in the rearview, expecting a mesocyclone to swallow you up in rain curtains. you can also visualize tim, his life and incredible work, and devastating loss to the weather community. hes an ultimate expression of a self made man, passionate and steadfast.

Close To The Heart

Being a storm chaser myself this book is special to me. Tim Samaras was a blessing to this world and NOTHING will ever replace his legacy.

Storm Chasing the unknown

we don't know a lot about the weather on the planet, and sometimes to get that info, risks are taken.

The narrator seems a bit soft-spoken.

Fascinating Man, Well Told Story

I was captivated with every chapter of this book. I was shocked at how recent these large breakthroughs in tornado science happened. Amazing book with incredible detail.

Recommended Read

Although the author never met Tim Samaras, he paints a wonderful portrait of the man - his genius, obsessions, strengths, and flaws. For that matter, every "character" in the book is portrayed sympathetically with their own strengths and weaknesses. The science of meteorology is intense, but as a reader, you never feel intimidated by the science. It's a short book and definitely worth the time. Bonus - I was surprised to find mention of the tornados that threatened my hometown in the book and its importance in the research. I well remember the day the storm chasers descended about 1 pm on our town. You knew just by looking at the crowd it was going to be a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day.