The Great Halifax Explosion

Bacon has crafted a marvelous story about this huge tragedy. ... Ultimately, it is a book about the power of the human spirit and how ordinary people overcome unimaginable horror to rebuild their lives and help others. It is indeed a story for our times. --Providence Journal Definitive. ... Bacon recreates the recklessness that caused the tragedy, the selfless rescue efforts that saved thousands, and the inspiring resilience that rebuilt the town. ... Brings to light one of the most dramatic events of the twentieth century.' --Book Riot Well-documented. ... Details the lapses in procedure and judgment that led up to the catastrophe, describing both the victims' accounts and the enormous outpouring of aid from both Canada and America. ... An accessible narrative useful to all World War I collections. --Library Journal The most destructive moment of World War I occurred far from the Western Front, in Canada, where an explosion blew a city apart but propelled two nations together. John U. Bacon, a superbly talented historian and story teller, has rescued from obscurity an astonishing episode of horror and heroism. --GEORGE F. WILL Bacon does an excellent job of bringing the century-old events to life. He has immersed himself in old letters and journalistic accounts, finding the human stories that allow readers to connect with stories of men, women and children whose lives were ended or altered by the terrible explosion. --Chicago Tribune Bacon documents the terrifying incident in vivid detail. ... An absorbing history of disaster and survival. --Kirkus Reviews Bacon's discovery of a trove of Barss's letters... injects his book with a fresh and compelling storyline. --Toronto Globe and Mail Bacon is a fine storyteller, who brings all of his skills as a historian to bear on the tragedy. ... Anyone who wants to know more about a remarkable story should not miss this book. --CBC Radio Very compelling. --Brooklyn Digest The Halifax Explosion of 1917 has been virtually forgotten, at least until this excellent book. ... Reads like an exciting novel. ... Once you start reading, it will be hard to put down. Highly recommended. --Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg) Engrossing and enthralling. ... Gripping and deeply relatable. ... A captivating and emotionally investing journey into a community's great sadness and how it builds strength in times of unfathomable devastation. ... A striking, poignant reminder that what is forgotten should be remembered once more. --Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Riveting. ... Gripping. ... Bacon applies something like a play-by-play strategy to his non-fiction that makes it nearly bingeable. ... A pleasure to read. --National Post A story of the triumph of the human spirit in the face of tragedy. Told convincingly and powerfully. --John Baldoni, Forbes Many Americans are unaware of the terrible tragedy so ably described in this book. The author's inclusion of many personal accounts greatly enlivens the narrative. ... The Great Halifax Explosion sheds new light on this sad but fascinating event. --The Journal of America's Military Past Fans of Ken Burns, Daniel James Brown's The Boys in the Boat, and John Hersey's Hiroshima will find in John Bacon's meticulous reporting a story that literally rocked the world. This is a story with an enormous heart; this is an author with astounding range. --DOUG STANTON, New York Times bestselling author of The Odyssey of Echo Company John U. Bacon's The Great Halifax Explosion is the seminal account of one of the bloodiest man-made disasters in world history, which killed some 2,000 people. This is a riveting, well-written and researched World War I book. Highly recommended! --DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, author of Cronkite An eternal story worth knowing. ... Well-researched and told in an engaging style. --San Antonio Express-News [A] prodigiously researched and gripping account. ... [A] vivid narrative that make[s] extensive use of archive material, family histories and newspaper accounts. --Toronto Star The Great Halifax Explosion is absorbing from first page to last. With deep research and evocative writing, John U. Bacon has brought back to life this devastating wartime event and illuminated its lasting meaning. --DAVID MARANISS, Pulitzer Prize winner, and author of Once in a Great City