A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism kindle edition by bacon, john u download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The great halifax explosion national bestseller the riveting, ticktock 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, from acclaimed new york times bestselling author john u. The halifax explosion remembrance book, an official database compiled in 2002 by the nova scotia archives and records management, identified 1,950 victims. Jan 23, 2020 the halifax explosion occurred when a belgian relief vessel and a french munitions carrier collided in halifax harbour during world war i. Burden of desire centres on the love triangle between bohemian halifax. Photographs portray halifax after the catastrophe, as well as the beginnings of the recovery efforts. The story of the 1917 halifax explosion and the boston tree. Bacon about a ship collision and explosion during world war i thats been called the world. The canonical novel barometer rising 1941 by the canadian writer hugh.
This is a riveting, wellwritten and researched world war i book. Few living people recall that the largest manmade explosion in history prior to the advent of the nuclear age took place in halifax, nova scotia. Dec 06, 2009 there are numerous factual accounts of the halifax explosion including shattered city. Assiduous research, beautiful writing, and a great talent for historical reconstruction make laura macdonalds curse of the narrows the definitive account of the. Books on the disaster proliferate, and while nonfiction resurrects. World war i raged in europe, and the port city was busy with the movement of war ships carrying troops, relief supplies and munitions.
A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism. I had read another account of the halifax explosion years ago, but this book out a human outlook on this tragedy. Why alison watt wrote a novel inspired by the halifax explosion. Halifax explosion diary of charlotte blackburn, part of a ya history series. It killed over 2000 people and flattened much of halifax and the town of dartmouth across the bay. One hundred years ago, in the midst of one of the bloodiest and calamitous wars in human history, some 2,000 people in halifax, nova scotia, were obliterated by one of the largest manmade explosions ever created. Historical fiction of the halifax explosion the reader. The munitions ship drifted towards the pier and after twenty minutes blew sky high.
The halifax explosion and the road to recovery by janet kitz, and the recent curse of the narrows. The book will also be available in selected bookstores throughout atlantic canada at bookmark and chaptersindigo, and online at amazon. A newly discovered diary tells the harrowing story of the deadly halifax explosion on the eve of the disasters centennial, a sailors 1917 journal details a rare eyewitness account of the. Robert macneils first novel is a book about heroism, halifax and hotblooded love.
The author relates the circumstances of the accident that caused the explosion, as well as the recovery efforts and subsequent inquiry into the event. The halifax explosion was a disaster that occurred in halifax, nova scotia, canada, on the morning of 6 december 1917. The halifax explosion a hundred years ago, a disaster in canada killed thousandsand shocked the world. A hundred years ago, a disaster in canada killed thousandsand shocked the world. Jul 14, 2017 a newly discovered diary tells the harrowing story of the deadly halifax explosion on the eve of the disasters centennial, a sailors 1917 journal details a rare eyewitness account of the. Learn more about what caused it, how the city responded, and get your dose of historical fiction in these books about this singular event. On december 6, 1917, a cargo ship called the mont blanc collided with a second ship, the imo, in the narrows of halifax harbor. In december 1917, a cargo ship carrying explosives detonated near the port city of halifax, nova scotia. Bacon, a superbly talented historian and story teller, has rescued from obscurity an astonishing episode of horror and heroism.
A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism by john u. The halifax explosion has frequently been the subject of works of popular culture. The most destructive moment of world war i occurred far from the. Bacon in this definitive account, bestselling author john u. What followed was one of the largest humanmade explosions prior to the detonation of the first atomic bombs in 1945. After listening to so much barely relevant history for so many chapters, it was only enjoyable once it finally wound around to the actual halifax explosion, beginning at chapter 18. Kitz 4 times halifax explosion by graham metson 3 times too many to mourn by james mahar 3 times burden of desire harvest book by robert macneil 3 times miracles and mysteries. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Betrayal of trust joel zemel author halifax explosion. Thursday, december 6, 1917, dawned bright and clear in halifax. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the great halifax explosion.
Nov 07, 2017 a history of the destruction of a canadian city by an explosion as powerful as a nuclear weapon. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism hardcover nov 7 2017 by john u. The halifax explosion still reverberates the globe and mail. After reading about this shocking and littleknown disaster, your students will no doubt be eager to learn more. Fiction brings halifax explosion to heart atlantic books. Halifax explosion books tagged halifax explosion librarything. The blast dominated global headlines, transformed canada and. This young adult book is about the close bonds of a sister and brother as they face prejudice over their their germanborn father in the midst of world war i. Crowds gathered around to watch the fire from the initial collision. The explosion of a munitions ship in the harbour of halifax, nova scotia in 1917 was the largest manmade explosion until the detonation of the atomic bomb in 1945. New books remember the great halifax explosion the star. Fiction about the halifax explosion disaster that occurred in 1917 and killed 2,000 people. The event has fascinated everyone, from scholars to history buffs. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy and extraordinary heroism, by john u.
The author relates the circumstances of the accident that caused the explosion, as well as the recovery efforts and. Bacon recreates the recklessness that caused the tragedy, the selfless rescue efforts that saved thousands, and the inspiring resilience that rebuilt the town. Alison watt has a personal connection to that history, and it inspired her debut novel. I enjoyed this book, but my god, the author spends 16 chapters droning on about everything from the american civil war to the sinking of the titanic. The halifax explosion occurred when a belgian relief vessel and a french munitions carrier collided in halifax harbour during world war i. Betrayal of trust, commander wyatt and the halifax explosion will debut at word on the street, 16 september 2017, can be obtained from nwp through its website. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. There are numerous factual accounts of the halifax explosion including shattered city.
And, in an excerpt from his new book, the halifax explosion. Canadas worst disaster, ken cuthbertson explains the devastation that occurred in the minutes immediately following the explosion. Cuthbertsons take is a touch more academic than bacons riveting account, but. In 1917, the thriving seaport of halifax, nova scotia, was leveled by a munitions explosion of unprecedented force when two ships collided in the citys harbor. Those familiar with joel zemels magisterial study of the extraordinary legal proceedings following the 1917 halifax explosion will recognize the scapegoat of the title of his earlier book as evan wyatt, chief examining officer for the port of halifax at the time of the disaster.
Mustread books about the halifax explosion halifax magazine. Dec 05, 2017 burden of desire explores the repression and expression of sexual desire at the time of the first world war. The astonishing true story of historys largest manmade explosion before the. Bacons the great halifax explosion is the seminal account of one of the bloodiest manmade disasters in world history, which killed some 2,000 people. This chapter book is set in the months before and after the explosion. Halifax explosion history thursday, december 6, 1917, dawned bright and clear in halifax. It also focuses on the halifax explosion and its aftermath for livy and her family. New book details the halifax, nova scotia, explosion of 1917. A double take at the halifax explosion, canadas greatest disaster terra arnone. Bacon about a ship collision and explosion during world war i thats been called the world s first weapon of. The halifax explosion of 6 december 1917, the biggest humanmade blast before the atomic bomb, holds a poignant place in my family history. The halifax explosion diary of charlotte blackburn by julie lawson. Oct 11, 2019 halifax was devastated on 6 december 1917 when two ships collided in the citys harbour, one of them a munitions ship loaded with explosives bound for the battlefields of the first world war.
The illustrated account of a disaster that shook the world. Walker has brought back to life the people and events who collided in a deadly way during the halifax explosion of 1917. Nov 21, 2017 this is the unforgettable story told in john u. A history of the destruction of a canadian city by an explosion as powerful as a nuclear weapon. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism in new york journal of books. As many as 1,600 people died immediately in the blast, tsunami, and collapse of buildings. Walker sets up the time and place perfectly so that the reader understands both local and world events in the timeline leading up to this stunning misfortune. It tells the riveting story of two world war i ships that collided in halifax harbor in 1917, causing one of the most powerful explosions in historya devastating blast that ripped through the canadian towns of halifax and dartmouth.
The halifax explosion and the road to recovery by janet f. Plot is straightforward, not pedantical which ruins so much historical fiction. Dec 05, 2017 even after a century, with most of its survivors deceased, the 1917 halifax explosion continues to grip writers imaginations. Bacon s the great halifax explosion is the seminal account of one of the bloodiest manmade disasters in world history, which killed some 2,000 people. The massive explosion killed more than 1,800 people, injured another 9,000including blinding 200and destroyed almost the entire north end of the city of halifax, including more than 1,600 homes. Fiction brings halifax explosion to heart atlantic books today. The halifax explosion in books for children no safe harbour. Dec 06, 2017 100 years after the great halifax explosion steve inskeep talks with author john u. Zemels biography of the halifax explosion scapegoat. The halifax explosion diary of charlotte blackburn by julie lawson, whos a scaredy cat by.
While my maternal grandfather and two of his brothers were fighting in the trenches of europe, their father, my great grandfather, and a brotherinlaw, were working as stevedores on the halifax waterfront. Books on the disaster proliferate, and while nonfiction resurrects and reexamines its facts from various angles, it cant go where fiction does, reenvisioning the event and exploring its impact on the human heart. A double take at the halifax explosion, canadas greatest. Cuthbertsons take is a touch more academic than bacons riveting account, but does better probe the explosion s. Mac donald but it is often through historical fiction that writers and readers are able to experience both the facts of an event and the emotions of the people involved. Nov 09, 2017 a double take at the halifax explosion, canadas greatest disaster terra arnone. Sep 27, 2017 those familiar with joel zemels magisterial study of the extraordinary legal proceedings following the 1917 halifax explosion will recognize the scapegoat of the title of his earlier book as evan wyatt, chief examining officer for the port of halifax at the time of the disaster. Ss montblanc, a french cargo ship laden with high explosives, collided with the norwegian vessel ss imo in the narrows, a strait connecting the upper halifax harbour to bedford basin. Africville, campbell road, halifax, nova scotia 45 19171206. The halifax explosion was the greatest nonnuclear detonation in history, killing 2,000 people and obliterating homes and businesses over a large swath of the city. This unique book is a nottobemissed piece of history that leaves readers with a lasting impression. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy and extraordinary heroism harperluxe, ann arbor author john u. Dec 02, 2017 new books remember the great halifax explosion. Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the halifax explosion, and its effects.
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