Hurricane Season

A Coach, His Team, and Their Triumph in the Time of Katrina

By: Neal Thompson

Narrated by: David Drummond

On Saturday, August 27, 2005, the John Curtis Patriots met for a grueling practice in the late summer New Orleans sun, the air a visible fog of humidity. They had pulled off a 19-0 shutout in their preseason game the night before, but it was a game full of dumb mistakes. Head coach J. T. Curtis was determined to drill those mistakes out of them before their highly anticipated next game, which sportswriters had dubbed "the Battle of the Bayou", against a big team coming in all the way from Utah. As fate played out, that afternoon was the last time the Patriots would see one another for weeks; some teammates they'd never see again. Hurricane Katrina was about to tear their lives apart.

The Patriots are a most unlikely football dynasty. Theirs is a small, nondescript, family-run school, the buildings constructed by hand by the school's founding patriarch, John Curtis, Sr. In this era of high-school football as big business, with 20,000-seat stadiums, John Curtis has no stadium of its own. The team plays an old-school offense, and Coach Curtis insists on a no-cut policy, giving every kid who wants to play a chance.

As of 2005, they'd won 19 state championships in Curtis' 35 years of coaching, making him the second most winning high-school coach ever. Curtis has honed to a fine art the skill of teaching players how to transcend their natural talents. No screamer, he strives to teach kids about playing with purpose, the power of respect, dignity, poise, patience, trust in teamwork, and the payoff of perseverance, showing them how to be winners not only on the gridiron but in life, and making boys into men. Hurricane Katrina would put those lessons to the test of a lifetime.

Hurricane Season is the story of a great coach, his team, his family, and their school - and a remarkable fight back from shocking tragedy.

©2007 Neal Thompson (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

Critic reviews

"A truly extraordinary example of boys and men facing raw trauma and striking back with both passion and purpose." (Jeffrey Marx, author of A Season of Life)
"A rousing, well-told tale that is poignant and inspirational. With grace and beauty, Neal Thompson shows us that the human spirit cannot be conquered, even in the ashes of Katrina." (Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights)

A Breathtaking 'Cover-to-Cover' Listen!

For me, this comes right in time for the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's horrific devastation... in August at any rate. I know, I know. America's moved on. But this is a wonderful book. Because, ya know? These kids, the coaches, their parents were heroes. Just full of heart, soul and an unfathomable courage. I went to New Orleans to help out with animal rescue (the trapped animals left behind are kinda mentioned in the book--nobody thought they'd be gone long, or forever for that matter), so I got to see what it was like. But I got to leave. And I got PTSD. I'm sure all these families did also, but what endurance: extraordinary.
If you love football. Get this.
If you love survival stories. Get this.
If you love belief without preachiness, but living your faith. Get this.
If you want one of the most hardcore descriptions of Katrina's formation, arrival, destruction. Get this.
And trust me when I tell you. The description of what happened to homes? Mold that reminded me of tribbles living off a dead person? This book covers it.
I almost cried when "Hurricane Season" ended, it was so well-written, the individuals and their stories, their struggles, so well told. But the Epilogue brought a measure of a closure.
Hell, who am I kidding?
I did cry...

Great Book

I really enjoyed this book, one of the best audiobooks I have listened to. The story was really split in 2:
1. Football - how the team wins
2. The Hurricane and how it affects the team
I do not give this 5 star ranking lightly. I am normally very picky and will stop listening to top rated audiobooks if they are boring, even if I am not done.

Outstanding work

As someone who has a unique perspective of Louisiana high school football I throughly enjoyed this book. I am a native Louisiana resident and I cover high school football for several sources. It is authenic in every way possible and very well written. If you enjoy football download it. If you wanted to know what La. was truely like the days after the hurricane download it. If you love kids download it.

A Very Good Listen

What made the experience of listening to Hurricane Season the most enjoyable?

I too survived Hurricane Katrina and really enjoyed the detail given to the damage of the outlining areas of not just New Orleans. It also includes a really great story of a outstanding Coach and his great players. Very Heartwarmin and shows what Love can Conquer. I really respect Coach Curtis. If you guys just knew how small sthis School is, and what this coach is able to do is a inspiration. With all the HUGE schools in the New Orleans area and Coach JT still roles out State Championships. Year after year.Great Great listen.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hurricane Season?

The way Coach JT was able to get a Football Team to remain focused after all they were dealing with. Not one but two major Hurricanes.

Have you listened to any of David Drummond’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No But I will. I am a fan. He had his facts dead on. I spent 23 years as a Police Chief in Louisiana and Know too well the life changing events that cane from that time. U too am now living far from that area on a Mountain. I never want to deal with that again. I'm happily retired enjoying Audible and fishing.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was. I didn't want to stop.

Any additional comments?

Very Good book. Well written and very well read.

poor narration

I devour stories; believing their oral form to be their most primal and pleasurable way to be experienced, yet this monotone narrator has caused me to cease the drugery of endurance needed after the first chapter which is a first in my Audible history. I believe the storyline to be one of merit, but will have to update later once I have had a chance to read a Kindle version...UNTIL THEN...