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BEST NON-TECHNICAL BOOKS:

• Hurricanes: Their Nature and Impacts on Society
  An excellent introductory text into hurricanes (and tropical cyclones in general), this book by R.A. Pielke, Jr. and R.A. Pielke, Sr. provides the basics on the physical mechanisms of hurricanes without getting into any mathematical rigor. The book also discusses hurricane policy, vulnerability and societal responses and ends with an in-depth look at Hurricane Andrew's forecast, impact and response. Roger A. Pielke, Jr. is a Sociologist at the Environmental and Societal Impacts Group at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, USA. Roger A. Pielke, Sr. is a Professor of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University (USA). The book's 1997 edition is available through John Wiley & Sons, Chichester.
• Meteorology Today for Scientists and Engineers
  For a concise mathematical description of hurricanes that has NO calculus and NO differential equations, then I would suggest obtaining a copy of this book by Rolland B. Stull (West Publ. Co., Minneapolis/St. Paul, 385 pp - Chapter 16 Hurricanes p289-304). This paperback book is designed to accompany C. Donald Ahrens' introductory book Meteorology Today.

  BEST TECHNICAL BOOK:

• Global Perspectives on Tropical Cyclones
  This is the revised version of A Global View of Tropical Cyclones and is the most current, detailed book available on the subject. This book provides the state of the science as of 1994. Improvements over the previous version include a chapter on the ocean response to tropical cyclones. This paperback book is written in 1995 by G.R. Foley, H.E. Willoughby, J.L. McBride, R.L. Elsberry, I. Ginis, and L. Chen with Elsberry serving as Editor and is available from the World Meteorological Organization as Report No. TCP-38. Their address is:

  
       World Meteorological Organization
       Publications Sales Unit
       Case Postale 2300
       CH-1211 Geneva 2
       Switzerland
  

  BEST FORECASTING MANUAL:

• Global Guide to Tropical Cyclone Forecasting
  For the tropical cyclone forecaster and also of general interest for anyone in the field and those with a non-technical interest in the field, the loose-leaf book - Global Guide to Tropical Cyclone Forecasting (1993) by G.J. Holland (ed.), World Meteorological Organization, WMO/TD-No. 560, Report No. TCP-31 is a must get. Again, the address of the WMO :a

  
       World Meteorological Organization
       Publications Sales Unit
       Case Postale 2300
       CH-1211 Geneva 2
       Switzerland
  

  BEST HISTORICAL BOOK:

• North Carolina's Hurricane History
  
• Florida's Hurricane History
  These two books are an amazing documentaries of the hurricanes which have struck the states of North Carolina and Florida from 1526 until 1996 and 1546-1995, respectively. The author Jay Barnes - Director of the North Carolina Aquarium - tells the stories of the hurricanes and their effects upon the people of the state in an easily readable style with numerous photographs. These 1998 books are available through the University of North Carolina Press.

  OTHER BOOKS AVAILABLE:

• Hurricanes, Their Nature and History
  Before Dunn and Miller's book, Ivan Ray Tannehill came out with an authoritative reference on the history, structure, climatology, historical tracks, and forecasting techniques of Atlantic hurricanes as was known by the mid-1930s. This is one of the first compilations of yearly tracks of Atlantic storms - he provides tracks of memorable tropical cyclones all the way back to the 1700s and shows all the storm tracks yearly from 1901 onward. The first edition came out in 1938 and the book went through at least nine editions (my book was published in 1956). Mr. Tannehill was engaged in hurricane forecasting for over 20 years and also lead the Division of Synoptic Reports and Forecasts of the U.S. Weather Bureau. Princeton University Press, 308 pp (in 1956 version).
• Atlantic Hurricanes
  A classic book describing tropical cyclones primarily of the Atlantic basin, but also covering the physical understanding of tropical cyclone genesis, motion, and intensity change at the time is Atlantic Hurricanes by Gordon E. Dunn and Banner I. Miller. Written in 1960, published by the Louisiana State Press, this book gives provides good insight into the knowledge of tropical cyclones as of the late 1950s. It is interesting to observe that much of what we know was well understood at this pre- satellite era. Gordon E. Dunn was the Director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center and Banner I. Miller was a research meteorologist also at the National Hurricane Center.
• A Global View of Tropical Cyclones
  A very thorough book dealing with the technical issues of tropical cyclones for the state of the science in the mid-1980s: A Global View of Tropical Cyclones (1987) by Elsberry, Holland, Frank, Jarrell, and Southern; University of Chicago Press, 195 pp. A revised version of this book has recently become available, see Global Perspectives on Tropical Cyclones below.
• The Hurricane
  A very good introductory text into hurricanes (and tropical cyclones in general), this book by R.A. Pielke provides the basics on the physical mechanisms of hurricanes without getting into any mathematical rigor. This first version is just 100 pages of text with another 120 pages devoted toward all of the tracks of Atlantic hurricanes from 1871-1989. Roger A. Pielke is a professor of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University (USA). The book's 1990 edition is available through Routledge Publishing, New York. An updated version of this book is available in 1997 as Hurricanes: Their Nature and Impacts on Society by Pielke and Pielke.
• Tropical Cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean, 1871-1992
  Researchers and those who follow Atlantic hurricanes should all have a copy of the atlas: Tropical Cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean, 1871-1992, by C.J. Neumann, B.R. Jarvinen, C.J. McAdie, J.D. Elms; Asheville, NC, (1993), Prepared by the National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC, in cooperation with the National Hurricane Center, Coral Gables, FL, 193 pp. (This is the previous edition of Neumann et al. 1999.)
• Hurricanes
  An introductory text book for young readers on hurricanes by Sally Lee, Franklin Watts Publishing, New York, 63 pp (1993).
• Cyclone Tracy, Picking up the Pieces
  Twenty years after Cyclone Tracy, this book recreates, by interviews with survivors, the events during and after the cyclone that nearly destroyed Darwin, Australia: Cyclone Tracy, Picking up the pieces, B. Bunbury, (1994), Fremantle Arts Centre Press, South Fremantle, Australia, 148 pp.
• Beware the Hurricane!
  This book tells "the story of the cyclonic tropical storms that have struck Bermuda and the Islanders' folk-lore regarding them" by Terry Tucker. It is published by The Island Press Limited, Bermuda in 1995, 180 pp.
• Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, Revised Edition
  This recent book provides a historical perspective of Florida Hurricanes extending from 1871 to 1996 by J.M. Williams and I. W. Duedall, (1997), Florida Sea Grant College Program, University of Florida Press, Gainesville, Florida, USA, 146 pp.
• Hurricanes of the North Atlantic
  This book by J. B. Elsner and A. B. Kara focuses on the statistics and variability of Atlantic hurricanes as well as detailed discussions on how hurricanes impact the insurance industry and how integrated assessments can be made regarding these storms. The book provides very valuable information on hurricane frequencies, intensities and return periods that are not easily available elsewhere. Also sections are devoted on the development of seasonal (and longer) hurricane forecast models and their performance. This 1999 book is available through Oxford University Press, New York/Oxford, 488 pp.
• Natural Disasters - Hurricanes
  This reference book by P. J. Fitzpatrick provides a very useful compilation of a wide range of topics on Atlantic hurricanes. Of particular interest is the chronology of advances in the science and forecasting of hurricanes along with biographcial sketches of researchers and forecasters prominent in the field. This book is an excellent resource in answering questions on many issues in the field. This 1999 book is available through ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, California, 286 pp.
• Tropical Cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean, 1871-1998
  Researchers and those who follow Atlantic hurricanes should all have a copy of the atlas: Tropical Cyclones of the North Atlantic Ocean, 1871-1998, by C.J. Neumann, B.R. Jarvinen, C.J. McAdie, and G. R. Hammer, Asheville, NC, (1999), Prepared by the National Climatic Data Center, Asheville, NC, in cooperation with the Tropical Prediction Center/National Hurricane Center, Miami, FL, 206 pp.
• Hurricanes and Florida Agriculture
  Hurricanes and Florida Agriculture by Dr. John A. Attaway, former Scientific Research Director of the Florida Department of Citrus, is a well researched history and litany of the impacts that hurricanes have had upon agriculture in Florida. This 1999 book is available from Florida Science Source, Inc., Lake Alfred, Florida, 444 pp.