Johnstown Flood
by David McCullough
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Book Summary Information
Author: David McCulloughEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1987-06
ISBN: 0844662925
Publisher: Peter Smith Pub Inc
Book Reviews of Johnstown Flood
Book Review: A good introduction to a great historian
Summary: 4 Stars
On May 31 1889 the Pennsylvania mining community of Johnstown was suffering a heavy rain, which was not unusual: the area had often been hit by floods in the past. But what happened on that particular day was one of the most devastating tragedies in American history. Johnstown was at the valley confluence of two currents, the Conemaugh River and Stony Creek. Fifteen miles upland was a large dam holding back a reservoir called Conemaugh Lake. On this lake a group of wealthy Pittsburgh industrialists (including Andrew Carnegie) had built a vacation resort, the lake itself being used primarily for sailing. (The site was a Sunday excursion for Johnstown citizens.) The safety of the earthwork dam had long been questioned by both the owners of the resort and the Johnstown Tribune. The danger signals had been tolerated. But on that Friday afternoon, as the heavy rains continued, the dam "simply moved away"; and 20 million tons of water were released, pouring down into the valley below. After several miles, the water had become a forty-foot high wave, filled with the debris of smashed houses, boxcars, and uprooted trees. When this inland tsunami crashed into Johnstown it created almost total destruction (which took roughly ten minutes), causing $17 million in property damage and a death toll of 2,200. (I was surprised to learn that this potential for a blockbuster has been fictionalized on the screen only once, as a silent film in 1926.) The American historian David G McCullough used this story for his first published book "The Johnstown Flood" in 1968. Though not on a scale with his later histories, this is a fascinating account of a calamity waiting to happen, the terrible consequences, and the bitter aftermath. Mr McCullough likes BIG stories -- e.g. enormous construction projects ("The Great Bridge") and pivotal lives ("Truman", for which he won the Pulitzer Prize). Already, in this early work, he displays his ability to contrast human pathos with spectacle. Brisk yet in carefully-researched detail, the narrative runs smoothly from the opening exposition, through the deluge, to the quietly sorrowful ending. His chapter headings sound almost like a plot synopsis: Sailboats on the mountain ... Rush of the torrent ... "Run for your lives!" ... In the valley of death. The book is illustrated with contemporary photographs and drawings, many of them concentrating on the incredible demolition. There is also a list of the victims of the flood, in many cases whole families. I'm not sure how many books have been written on this famous disaster, but certainly none could be more compellng than Mr McCullough's.
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