Hour Before The Dawn

On the afternoon of September 8, 1900, two-hundred-mile-per-hour winds and fifteen-foot waves slammed into Galveston, Texas. By dawn the next day, when the storm had passed, the city that existed just hours before was gone. Grief-stricken survivors emerged to witness a level of destruction never before seen: eight thousand corpses littered the streets and were buried under the massive wreckage. Rushing water had lifted buildings from their foundations, while intense winds had upended girders and trestles, driving them through walls and into sidewalks. In less than twenty-four hours, one storm destroyed a major American metropolis– and awakened a nation to the terrifying power of nature. Al Roker brings this legendary disaster and its aftermath into brilliant focus.

The story of Africa is the oldest and most event-filled chronicle of human activity on the planet. These 36 half-hour lectures cover this great historical drama, tracing the story of the sub-Saharan region of the continent from the earliest evidence of human habitation to the latest challenges facing African nations in the 21 st century.

Blues Ain't Nothin' album by Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown was released July 1, 2002 on the Black And Blue label. Recording information: Barclay Studio, Paris, France (12/30/1971-08/01/1973); Decca Studio, Paris, France (12/30/1971-08/01/1973).