The acclaimed author of A Prayer for the Dying brings all his narrative gifts to bear on this gripping account of tragedy and heroismmdash;the great Hartford circus fire of 1944.It was a midsummer afternoon; halfway through a Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus performance; when the big top caught fire. The tent had been waterproofed with a mixture of paraffin and gasoline; in seconds it was burning out of control. More than 8;000 people were trapped inside; and the ensuing disaster would eventually take 167 lives. Steward ONan brings all his narrative gifts to bear on this gripping account of the great Hartford circus fire of 1944. Drawing on interviews with hundreds of survivors; ONan skillfully re-creates the horrific events and illuminates the psychological oddities of human behavior under stress: the mad scramble for the exits; the perilous effort to maneuver animals out of danger; the hero who tossed dozens of children to safety before being trampled to death. Brilliantly constructed and exceptionally moving; The Circus Fire is history at its most compelling.
#727689 in eBooks 1985-04-11 1985-04-11File Name: B001LRQUZK
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great little bookBy J. S. ShepardI had heard about Lake Junaluska all my life from relatives who summered there; but had no idea of what it was. This well written book explains the history and the reason for the community center there.
