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The Johnstown Flood

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 At the end of the last century, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was a booming coal-and-steel town filled with hardworking families striving for a piece of the nation's burgeoning industrial prosperity. In the mountains above Johnstown, an old earth dam had been hastily rebuilt to create a lake for an exclusive summer resort patronized by the tycoons of that same industrial prosperity, among them Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and Andrew Mellon. Despite repeated warnings of possible danger, nothing was done about the dam. Then came May 31, 1889, when the dam burst, sending a wall of water thundering down the mountain, smashing through Johnstown, and killing more than 2,000 people. It was a tragedy that became a national scandal.

Graced by David McCullough's remarkable gift for writing richly textured, sympathetic social history, The Johnstown Flood is an absorbing portrait of life in 19th-century America, of overweening confidence, of energy, and of tragedy. This is a powerful historical lesson for our century and all times: the danger of assuming that because people are in positions of responsibility they are behaving responsibly.

©1968 David McCullough (P)2005 Simon & Schuster Inc. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc. Disaster Relief Engineering State & Local United States Natural Disaster
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An horrific and sad tragedy

I listened to this book over some weeks. So compelling was it, I hated having to stop it but actually so overwhelming I think it was probably better to do it this way. This event is skillfully brought to life by the author, thoroughly researched and very balanced. It would have been easy to apportion blame but he doesn’t seek to do this, just telling the build up to these events, the tragedy itself and the aftermath in a way that seeks to look at every aspect. This is a book that is so powerful it will stay with me.

For those who like history this is a must. It builds a picture of living in Johnstown before the flood and the appalling consequences of a major disaster.

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