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At the end of the nineteenth century, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was a booming coal-and-steel town filled with hardworking families striving for a piece of the nation's burgeoning industrial prosperity. In the mountains above Johnstown, an old earth dam had been hastily rebuilt to create a lake for an exclusive summer resort patronized by the tycoons of that same industrial prosperity, among them Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and Andrew Mellon. Despite repeated warnings of possible danger, nothing was done about the dam. Then came May 31, 1889, when the dam burst, sending a wall of water thundering down the mountain, smashing through Johnstown, and killing more than 2,000 people. It was a tragedy that became a national scandal.
Graced by David McCullough's remarkable gift for writing richly textured, sympathetic social history, The Johnstown Flood is an absorbing, classic portrait of life in nineteenth-century America, of overweening confidence, of energy, and of tragedy. It also offers a powerful historical lesson for our century and all times: the danger of assuming that because people are in positions of responsibility they are necessarily behaving responsibly.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
May 1, 2005 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780743550321
- File size: 260149 KB
- Duration: 09:01:58
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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One of the United States' most highly regarded popular historians, David McCullough, and one of the best narrators of audiobooks, Edward Herrmann-- an AUDIOFILE Golden Voice--together create an excellent production. The story told by McCullough and brought to life in Herrmann's sonorous voice is a gripping tale. In May 1889, Johnstown, nestled in the mountains of central Pennsylvania, was ravaged by a terrible flood, which killed over 2,200 people. The flood was not simply a product of nature. The primary culprit was a dam then owned by an association whose members included some great American industrialists, including Andrew Carnegie. The dam broke, and a wave of unimagined destruction passed through the valley. M.L.C. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine -
With so many natural disasters hitting the U.S., it's important to remember that we've always been at the mercy of nature's fury. There is no better reminder than the Johnstown Flood of 1889. Caused by rainstorms that overwhelmed a major dam, the flood was one of the worst disasters in post-Civil War America. Nelson Runger has made a career out of reading our nation's past with eloquence and care, and his performance here is no exception. Runger has added some suspect character voices to his repertoire, but otherwise he is commanding and trustworthy. This is no easy feat since the author has a distinguished narrating record himself. Runger does McCullough's words justice, making this book fascinating and enjoyable. R.I.G. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
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