Mariner Books
The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism
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NATIONAL BESTSELLER
The "riveting" (National Post) tick-tock account of the largest manmade explosion in history prior to the atomic bomb, and the equally astonishing tales of survival and heroism that emerged from the ashes
"Enthralling. ... Gripping. ... A captivating and emotionally investing journey." --Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
After steaming out of New York City on December 1, 1917, laden with a staggering three thousand tons of TNT and other explosives, the munitions ship Mont-Blanc fought its way up the Atlantic coast, through waters prowled by enemy U-boats. As it approached the lively port city of Halifax, Mont-Blanc's deadly cargo erupted with the force of 2.9 kilotons of TNT--the most powerful explosion ever visited on a human population, save for HIroshima and Nagasaki. Mont-Blanc was vaporized in one fifteenth of a second; a shockwave leveled the surrounding city. Next came a thirty-five-foot tsunami. Most astounding of all, however, were the incredible tales of survival and heroism that soon emerged from the rubble.
This is the unforgettable story told in John U. Bacon's The Great Halifax Explosion: a ticktock account of fateful decisions that led to doom, the human faces of the blast's 11,000 casualties, and the equally moving individual stories of those who lived and selflessly threw themselves into urgent rescue work that saved thousands.
The shocking scale of the disaster stunned the world, dominating global headlines even amid the calamity of the First World War. Hours after the blast, Boston sent trains and ships filled with doctors, medicine, and money. The explosion would revolutionize pediatric medicine; transform U.S.-Canadian relations; and provide physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who studied the Halifax explosion closely when developing the atomic bomb, with history's only real-world case study demonstrating the lethal power of a weapon of mass destruction.
Mesmerizing and inspiring, Bacon's deeply-researched narrative brings to life the tragedy, bravery, and surprising afterlife of one of the most dramatic events of modern times.
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Book Details
ISBN:
9780062666543
EAN:
9780062666543
Binding:
Paperback
Pages:
432
Authors:
John U Bacon
Publisher:
Mariner Books
Published Date: 2018-06-11
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I had visited Halifax 50 years ago and was told about the great Halifax explosion of 1917. This book tops anything I have read or learned about this tragedy. The author recounts the stories of many of those who witnessed, survived, and died in that event. Bacon describes the courage and bravery of responders near and far and the kindness of people from all over. Boston played a pivotal role in the direct aftermath of the explosion and the people of Halifax still show their gratitude today.... A must read if you like history and stories of the human condition.
I found this book to be quite interesting, I couldn’t put it down. However, I took off one star because there were so many awkward and seemingly unfinished sentences. It really threw me.I am 57, have been an avid reader my whole life, and proofread/edit part-time, so I am pretty sure the issue is not my English skills.Otherwise, the book seems to be well-researched and I liked the way the author tried to flesh out the characters from so long ago. That really helped the reader understand the magnitude of the disaster, and couldn’t have been easy with so much time having elapsed.
Fantastic true account of a tragic event in 1917 when two ships collided in Halifax and over 2,000 people were killed as well as the town being completely destroyed.Very few of us have ever heard of this terrible event. The incredible bravery and sacrifices and courage of the people who struggled to survive just makes me weep. Even more inspiring is the story of the City of Boston, Mass. who came to the aid of Halifax and sent thousands of people and millions of dollars to save and comfort the survivors.An amazing and almost unknown piece of history. John U. Bacon did an outstanding job of reporting this tragedy, beautifully written. A really amazing story and great book.
I found The Great Halifax Explosion by John U Bacon to be extremely interesting. This is the second book I have read about the Halifax explosion.J. Bacon did an excellent job of researching and writing about the disaster. I appreciated that Bacon provided the costs in both 1917 and 2017 dollars. It is hard to imagine the impact this disaster had upon Halifax in terms of loss of life, disrupted life, destruction of buildings, infrastructure and emotional stability. It was very uplifting to see the aid that poured into Halifax - money, medical personnel & supplies, building materials and the list goes on.I would highly recommend The Great Halifax Explosion to readers who like: well written & researched non-fiction, disaster stories, stories that show the humanity of mankind and for many a story that is not known at all.
When I first started this amazing book, I hoped to finish it before the December 6th anniversary of this horrific explosion but this story captures your attention from the beginning and never lets go of its grip on you. The writer introduces us to the people who lived in Halifax before the disaster but continues with these families throughout their entire lives. The connection between Canada and the United States - Halifax and Boston - are great examples of human beings and their willingness to help others in extraordinary ways even though they have no connection other that the empathy and love that is felt when tragedy strikes. John Bacon introduces us to the characters, the circumstances and the conclusions that are reached in so many areas while giving us beautiful,poignant portraits of the lives of those who died and those who survived. Bacon is here to stay and aren't we glad!!
