The great halifax explosion a world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism book. 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 montblanc approached the lively port city of halifax. 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 montblanc fought its way up the atlantic coast, through waters prowled by enemy uboats. A double take at the halifax explosion, canadas greatest. New book details the halifax, nova scotia, explosion of 1917. I had read another account of the halifax explosion years ago, but this book out a human outlook on. Katie ingram the rumble got louder, the walls quaked as if in fear, and the classrooms windows started to pulse and shake before they completely shattered, showering everyone inside with glass. The halifax explosion tells the gripping, asyet untold story of canadas worst disastera haunting tale of survival, incredible courage and, ultimately, the triumph of the human spirit.
Bacons thoughtful and detailed approach in his new book the great halifax explosion. The halifax explosion and the persecution of pilot francis mackey 2016. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism hardcover november 7, 2017. Dan soucoups book, explosion in halifax harbour 1917 nimbus begins with a history of halifax. Bacons book, called the great halifax explosion, reconstructs what happened on december 6. On the 100th anniversary of the halifax explosion, two new books.
The resulting blast killed around 2,000 people and devastated the city of halifax, nova scotia. 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. On the 100th anniversary of the halifax explosion, two new books examine the disasters place in canadas mythology ken cuthbertsons the halifax explosion and john u. 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. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extr. This is a riveting, wellwritten and researched world war i book. Nov 30, 2017 a centurys worth of historical accounts, novels and documentaries, plus a tv miniseries, have told and retold the story. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy and extraordinary heroism, by john u. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. That accident sparked a fire and an apocalyptic explosion that was the largest manmade blast prior to the 1945 dropping of the atomic bomb on hiroshima. Halifax, canada, halifax explosion remembrance book, 19171918. New book details 1917 halifax, nova scotia, explosion.
The halifax explosion was a disaster that occurred in halifax, nova scotia, canada, on the morning of 6 december 1917. Century after halifaxs great explosion, city marks. The authors approach is based on empathy and what appears to be a. The online version features a searchable database with detailed information for 1952 casualties more than 300 of whom are newlyconfirmed and identified victims. As some of you may know, i have been working on a little project the last couple of years. The montblanc tried to steam through a narrow channel into the. Cuthbertsons take is a touch more academic than bacons riveting account, but does better probe the explosions. December 6, 2017, marks the 100 anniversary of the halifax explosion. The result was a fire on ss mont blanc which led to the largest nonnuclear explosion in history. Find great deals on ebay for halifax explosion and halifax explosion newspaper. Collison of 2 ships ignited 3,000 tons of explosives that left 2,000 dead and 25,000 citizens homeless.
The halifax explosion and the road to recovery 1989. But you dont have to be historically inclined to be curious about the tragedy or. Why alison watt wrote a novel inspired by the halifax. The great halifax explosion smithsonian libraries unbound. Published november 30, 2017 updated december 7, 2017. December 6, 2017, marks the centennial of the great halifax explosion. Dec 05, 2017 december 6, 2017, marks the 100 anniversary of the halifax explosion. It was a devastating moment in canadian history, the impact of which still resonates today. Dec 06, 2017 today marks the 100th anniversary of the halifax explosion, which took place when a french cargo ship laden with explosives collided with another ship in halifax harbour. While i was in halifax this week to write about the massive explosion there 100 years ago that killed 2,000 people and injured 10,000, i went to a screening of.
The event has fascinated everyone, from scholars to history buffs. The crash sparked the largest manmade explosion until the atomic. An e book is an electronic book, one you read digitally on your computer. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism. The great halifax explosion a world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism. Blast cloud right photo noted by historian janet kitz in her book, survivors children of the halifax explosion, as having been taken by a soldier stationed at york redoubt from a slightly closer and straighton vantage point. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism hardcover nov. Dec 02, 2017 this is a terrific onestop overview of the devastating human cost that was the halifax explosion. Nov 30, 2017 the maritime museum of the atlantic, the halifax explosion halifax explosion 100 years 100 stories corrected 4320. The halifax explosion goodreads meet your next favorite book.
Dec 06, 2017 100 years after the great halifax explosion steve inskeep talks with author john u. The halifax explosion book halifax public libraries. After due consideration and more research of archival photographs and in the field, i have updated the origin probabilities of the series of cropped five blast cloud images shown in the french publication january 1918 le miroir below. The crash sparked the largest manmade explosion until the atomic bomb. Halifaxs harbor after the explosion in december 1917. The halifax explosion remembrance book is the first really definitive listing for those killed in the disaster of 6 december 1917. 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. Nov 09, 2017 a double take at the halifax explosion, canadas greatest disaster terra arnone. Sixty symbols regular dr meghan gray on an infamous event that occurred in her home town the halifax explosion of december 6, 1917. On the morning of december 6, 1917 two ships, one fully loaded with explosives, collided in halifax harbour.
Corpses, many dismembered or burned beyond recognition, were scattered everywhere. The halifax explosion, historys largest explosion before. Dec 01, 2017 on december 6, 1917 in halifax, nova scotia, two ships collided in the harbor. It is not what any place on earth would want to be famous for, but until 1945 and hiroshima, the explosion that occurred in halifax harbour on december 6. A fire on board the french ship ignited her cargo, causing a massive explosion that. The condition of this soft cover book is good, with exception previous owners name on inside front cover. Explosion in halifax harbour 1917 2017, paperback by dan soucoup canada oop. Halifax explosion the anatomy of a disaster page 5. The accidental collision of a munitions ship with another vessel in halifax harbour in 1917 was the largest manmade explosion prior to hiroshima.
Dec 08, 2017 while i was in halifax this week to write about the massive explosion there 100 years ago that killed 2,000 people and injured 10,000, i went to a screening of a documentary film without a soundtrack. Published on dec 2, 2017 a century has passed since halifax was shattered by the worst disaster in canadian history. New books remember the great halifax explosion the star. Reviewed in the united states on november 27, 2017. Students will identify the key details in this narrative nonfiction feature about the 1917 explosion of a cargo ship in halifax harbor. Book explores halifax explosion, one of worth north. A norwegian ship, the ss imo, had slammed into the ss montblanc, a french ship filled to the brim with tnt, picric acid, benezole, and guncotton. Post previously asserted that africville was completely destroyed. See racism and relief distribution in the aftermath of the halifax explosion 2019 by mark culligan and katrin macphee for more information. The great halifax explosion book petoskey district. Nov 07, 2017 the explosion, bacon writes, destroyed 6,000 buildings, rendering 25,000 peoplealmost half the population of halifaxhomeless in oneearsplitting whoosh and killed 1,600 instantly.
The term halifax pop explosion also came to be adopted in the 1990s as the name of the halifax alternative rock music scene as a whole, which at that time was dominated by power pop acts such as sloan, jale, the super friendz and. On december 6, 1917 in halifax, nova scotia, two ships collided in the harbor. A goodreads search for halifax explosion returns more than 40 titles. The centennial year has added more books to the list, including halifax journalist katie ingrams breaking disaster pottersfield press, a fascinating exploration of the international news. Africville, campbell road, halifax, nova scotia 45 19171206. Reviewed in the united states on november 25, 2017. The great halifax explosion is absorbing from first page to last. On december 6th of this year, 2017, it will be the 100th anniversary of the halifax explosion one of the things i find compelling about reading these books is comparing them. On the 100th anniversary of the halifax explosion, two new.
In his new book, the great halifax explosion, author john u. After steaming out of new york city on december 1, 1917. Excerpt from the great halifax explosion book details collision of 2 ships and the explosion that altered a city, residents and relations between canada and u. Bacon about a ship collision and explosion during world war i thats been called the worlds first weapon of. Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the halifax explosion, and its effects are not lost on us today, even after all these years. The accidental collision of a munitions ship with another vessel in. The great halifax explosion book columbus metropolitan. A whole section of halifax was destroyed, almost 2,000 people died and thousands were left. The halifax pop explosion is a music festival and conference that takes place every fall, typically two weeks after thanksgiving, in halifax, nova scotia, canada. 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. Dec 06, 2017 published on dec 6, 2017 a century ago today the ss mont blanc exploded after colliding with the ss imo may she, her crew, victims and survivors all rest in peace. Fans of ken burns, daniel james browns the boys in the boat, and john herseys hiroshima will find in john bacons meticulous reporting a story that literally rocked the world. Today marks the 100th anniversary of the halifax explosion, which took place when a french cargo ship laden with explosives collided with another ship in halifax harbour.
The halifax explosion ss stella maris and the cape island connections book. The halifax explosion of 6 december 1917, the biggest humanmade blast before the atomic bomb, holds a poignant place in my family history. The great halifax explosion is a narrative a gripping narrative, to borrow from the book s blurb itself and reads more like maclennan than kitz, active and well paced for a nearly 500. Book explores halifax explosion, one of worth north american. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism results in one of the best disaster monographs in recent memory. Dec 06, 2017 century after halifaxs great explosion, city marks anniversary. The online version features a searchable database with detailed information for 1946 casualties more than 300 of whom are recentlyconfirmed and identified victims. Bacons new book, the great halifax explosion, recounts the catastrophe that unfolded when two ships collided in halifax harbor on dec. The location of hmcs acadia in bedford basin at the eastern head of the narrows on 6 december 1917 is conducive to the notion that. Sep, 2017 the halifax explosion started when two ships collided in the harbor of the nova scotian capital of halifax. Jefferson, rearadmiral bertram chambers, garry shutlak.