Overview
“The sea had turned black as a dutch oven, the sky the color of gangrene, and between sea and sky there appeared to be something rising out of the water, something huge and oddly shaped, like a horrible sea god, and then Simmons realized what it was.”
Galveston, Texas. September 4, 1900. A giant hurricane—destined to be remembered as the storm of the century—is brewing offshore. Fighter John McBride has arrived from Chicago to challenge the local heavyweight champion, a 22 year-old Jack Johnson, as-yet unknown to the broader boxing world. Problem is, Johnson is black and the local Sporting Club doesn’t want him to leave the ring alive. Around this central story, Lansdale weaves a compelling historical tale, filled with prostitutes and gamblers, storm-tossed sailors and everyday citizens. His unflinching dialog recreates a time when racism and violence were facts of life.
