Product Details
- Title: Catastrophes and Heroes: True Stories of Man-Made Disasters by Jerry Borrowman
- Author: Jerry Borrowman
- Hardcover: 208 pages
- Publisher: Shadow Mountain (May 5, 2020)
- Genre: Historical Non-Fiction
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1629727393
Book Synopsis
A century of the industrial age saw unprecedented leaps in technology and engineering, from the first flight of an airplane to the first flight of humans to the moon. But alongside these awe-inspiring achievements were horrible disasters caused by faulty engineering or careless judgement. Catastrophes and Heroes explores eight such disasters and recognizes the unheralded heroes who stepped up to save others in times of great danger.
Included in this collection are the stories of female phone operators who, despite being in the path of destruction after the Los Angeles St. Francis Dam collapsed in 1928, stayed on the job to warn others to evacuate, Ernest Hemingway, who assisted survivors in his own boat after a hurricane destroyed the Florida East Coast Railway in 1935, and Ernest Betts who, though knowing little first aid, saved thirty people after the streamliner train, The City of San Francisco crashed in the Nevada mountains in 1939.
Filled with little-known stories and historical insights, this book explores the rich history of the marvels of engineering and technological advances in the span of a century and reveals how the perils, though disastrous, gave rise to heroism and compassion at a time when machines were supposed to do it all.
My Review
Historical Fiction is something this author knows well. Catastrophes and Heroes: True Stories of Man-Made Disasters, is another prime example of how well Jerry Borrowman does his research and brings stories to life for readers.
This book explores Man-Made Disasters that could have been avoided, but for various reasons such as selfishness, dishonesty, lack of concern and follow-through, including lack of knowledge of how something works. I'd not heard of most of these incidences because, in the past, the Titanic had always been at the forefront of man-made disasters. I liked hearing new stories, even though some were harder to read than others when so many people died as a result of the disasters. The beauty in these stories were the heroes who came to the rescue trying to save lives. I especially loved the actual stories quoted by the people involved. It drew me in making me invested in the lives of these real people.
This truly is more than a history book as the eight disasters are explored into the why's and what should have beens. Catastrophes and Heroes: True Stories of Man-Made Disasters can be enjoyed by all, but I highly recommend it to history buffs like me who love to see history come to life through great writing.
Meet Author: Jerry Borrowman
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