The Worst Hard Time

In a tour de force of historical reportage, Timothy Egan’s National Book Award–winning story of the Dust Bowl rescues an iconic chapter of American history from the shadows.

The dust storms that terrorized America’s High Plains during the Great Depression were like nothing ever seen before or since. Following a dozen families and their communities through the rise and fall of the region, Timothy Egan tells of their desperate attempts to carry on through blinding black dust blizzards, crop failure, and the death of loved ones. Brilliantly capturing the terrifying drama of this American environmental disaster, he does equal justice to the human characters who become his heroes, "the stoic, long-suffering men and women whose lives he opens up with urgency and respect" (New York Times). In an era that promises ever-greater natural disasters, The Worst Hard Time is "arguably the best nonfiction book yet" (Austin Statesman Journal) on the greatest environmental disaster ever to be visited upon our land and a powerful reminder about the dangers of trifling with nature.

This e-book includes a sample chapter of THE IMMORTAL IRISHMAN.

Egan’s masterful storytelling brings the harrowing reality of the Dirty Thirties to life, exploring:
Personal Stories of Survival: Experience the terrifying drama through the eyes of a dozen families who fought to endure blinding blizzards, crop failure, and devastating loss.An Epic Catastrophe on the Plains: Follow the decade-long dust storms that terrorized the High Plains, turning the nation’s breadbasket into a black desert.National Book Award-Winning History: Discover why this tour de force of historical reportage is considered one of the best nonfiction books ever written about this iconic chapter of American history.A Sobering Historical Lesson: Uncover a powerful and timely reminder about the dangers of trifling with nature, woven from the accounts of the stoic men and women who survived.