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ell_jay_em7's review against another edition
5.0
This book is an excellent excoriation of capitalism and I was thoroughly engaged.
“The horror of the disaster, the worst ever seen in the US, was making its painful losses and thrilling rescues front-page news anyway, but the story of the industrialists’ heedlessness, in their pursuit of fun, leisure, and the restoration of their souls, wiping out the lives of people who worked below in the very industries that made the millionaires’ millions, was so genuinely outrageous, so truly stark, that outrage flowed freely from the pens and banged hard from the typewriter keys” (p. 251 of hardcover)
This book bridges genres between history and human interest. If you are purely interested in history, the human interest might frustrate you. If you’re not much of a history person, you may find certain parts a little dense. The only part of this book I really didn’t like was the opening, which I found to be very manipulative. There was one part during the history of the steel industry where I skipped a couple of paragraphs because it was too dense for me (I am not a history person in general). And if you’re super into capitalism, I doubt you’ll like this book :).
Overall, I found this book completely fascinating. The actual account of the flood was gripping and terrifying. He really drives home the measure of the disaster and where the blame for it lies: it is an “unnatural disaster,” and if you are like me you will be thoroughly and appropriately outraged at the degree of criminal negligence that caused the flood to happen. The book is also a very critical examination of capitalism in general. It’s a story of how the richest among us get rich off of conditions which destroy the planet and create horrible living conditions for workers, and then use their money to escape into nature that hasn’t been destroyed yet—in this case, at the cost of thousands of lives.
If you are reading the reviews of this book you will see an accusation of inaccuracy regarding when the dam was first built. However, the inaccuracy referenced is addressed in the book in detail. Roker KNOWS there was a dam at the site previously, and that it was built over (pgs. 68-70 of the hardcover edition). I resent this false accusation not only because it’s wrong but also because this book is THOROUGHLY researched to a degree that I find awe-inspiring. I have so much respect for Roker for telling this story so well.
“The horror of the disaster, the worst ever seen in the US, was making its painful losses and thrilling rescues front-page news anyway, but the story of the industrialists’ heedlessness, in their pursuit of fun, leisure, and the restoration of their souls, wiping out the lives of people who worked below in the very industries that made the millionaires’ millions, was so genuinely outrageous, so truly stark, that outrage flowed freely from the pens and banged hard from the typewriter keys” (p. 251 of hardcover)
This book bridges genres between history and human interest. If you are purely interested in history, the human interest might frustrate you. If you’re not much of a history person, you may find certain parts a little dense. The only part of this book I really didn’t like was the opening, which I found to be very manipulative. There was one part during the history of the steel industry where I skipped a couple of paragraphs because it was too dense for me (I am not a history person in general). And if you’re super into capitalism, I doubt you’ll like this book :).
Overall, I found this book completely fascinating. The actual account of the flood was gripping and terrifying. He really drives home the measure of the disaster and where the blame for it lies: it is an “unnatural disaster,” and if you are like me you will be thoroughly and appropriately outraged at the degree of criminal negligence that caused the flood to happen. The book is also a very critical examination of capitalism in general. It’s a story of how the richest among us get rich off of conditions which destroy the planet and create horrible living conditions for workers, and then use their money to escape into nature that hasn’t been destroyed yet—in this case, at the cost of thousands of lives.
If you are reading the reviews of this book you will see an accusation of inaccuracy regarding when the dam was first built. However, the inaccuracy referenced is addressed in the book in detail. Roker KNOWS there was a dam at the site previously, and that it was built over (pgs. 68-70 of the hardcover edition). I resent this false accusation not only because it’s wrong but also because this book is THOROUGHLY researched to a degree that I find awe-inspiring. I have so much respect for Roker for telling this story so well.
nderiley's review against another edition
4.0
An informative and readable account of one of the most forgotten tragedies in America. A bit repetitive for those who have read McCullough's book, but Roker does have an interesting end chapter about how the disaster effected fault liability.
duchessofreadin's review against another edition
4.0
I wasn't sure I was going to like this book, but as I got more into it, I found that I could not put it down. The history of this flood, and the amount of devestation that is discussed is just mind-boggling.
Now there are going to be aspects of this book that are not easy to read, and others that just don't seem to be well put together. But as you navigate the pages and start piecing together the history, it starts to come together.
Now there are going to be aspects of this book that are not easy to read, and others that just don't seem to be well put together. But as you navigate the pages and start piecing together the history, it starts to come together.
kanejim57's review against another edition
5.0
One of the most powerful books I have read in a while.
I listened to the audio version of this book and it was well narrated.
A gripping tale, one that left me, at times, stunned as I listened to the harrowing experiences of those who survived the flood of 1889 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
It is a different take on what has been called the Gilded Age of America and yet as the book comes to a conclusion, Roker, in my opinion, links this tragic disaster with the downside of the age and an important event in the progressive impulse in the late 19th and early 20th century for reform and regulation.
A worthy read
I listened to the audio version of this book and it was well narrated.
A gripping tale, one that left me, at times, stunned as I listened to the harrowing experiences of those who survived the flood of 1889 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
It is a different take on what has been called the Gilded Age of America and yet as the book comes to a conclusion, Roker, in my opinion, links this tragic disaster with the downside of the age and an important event in the progressive impulse in the late 19th and early 20th century for reform and regulation.
A worthy read
hokiehi23's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
lakecake's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of this book for free from Goodreads Giveaways.
I knew nothing about the Johnstown Flood coming into this book, and in that regard this is a very good primer on the subject. Interweaving personal stories of victims and perpetrators, it moves at a brisk pace full of just enough intrigue to keep even casual readers intrigued, with enough facts to back up assertions to tantalize history buffs. I think if you know anything about the tragedy already, this might be a little too light of a read for you, but as an introduction it’s very good. I’m inspired now to pick up some of the works cited here to get more in depth about this corporate tragedy.
I knew nothing about the Johnstown Flood coming into this book, and in that regard this is a very good primer on the subject. Interweaving personal stories of victims and perpetrators, it moves at a brisk pace full of just enough intrigue to keep even casual readers intrigued, with enough facts to back up assertions to tantalize history buffs. I think if you know anything about the tragedy already, this might be a little too light of a read for you, but as an introduction it’s very good. I’m inspired now to pick up some of the works cited here to get more in depth about this corporate tragedy.
angelfireeast24's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Xenophobia, Gore, Racism, Child death, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death, and Grief