The Circus Fire: A True Story of an American Tragedy - Stewart ONan
Stewart ONan, Stewart O'Nan, Alice van Straalen
Category: History
Tags: History, Misc. Non-fiction
The acclaimed author of A Prayer for the Dying brings all his narrative gifts to bear on this gripping account of tragedy and heroism-the great Hartford circus fire of 1944., Halfway through a midsummer afternoon performance, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circuss big top caught fire. The tent had been waterproofed with a mixture of paraffin and gasoline; in seconds it was burning out of control, and more than 8,000 people were trapped inside. 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 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.
