| The Circus Fire Contributor(s): O'Nan, Stewart (Author) |
|
 |
ISBN: 0385496850 ISBN-13: 9780385496858 Publisher: Anchor Books OUR PRICE: $15.26 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: June 2001 Annotation: 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 Circus's 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, O'Nan 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. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Performing Arts | Circus - History | United States - 20th Century - Social Science | Popular Culture |
| Dewey: 974.63 |
| LCCN: 99042051 |
| Physical Information: 0.78" H x 5.3" W x 8.04" (0.81 lbs) 384 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 1900-1949 - Chronological Period - 1940's - Cultural Region - New England - Cultural Region - Northeast U.S. - Geographic Orientation - Connecticut |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The acclaimed author of Emily, Alone and Henry, Himself brings all his narrative gifts to bear on this gripping account of tragedy and heroism--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 O'Nan 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, O'Nan 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. |