The Circus Fire: A True Story of an American Tragedy

Book Cover
Average Rating
Publisher:
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Pub. Date:
2008
Language:
English
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.
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ISBN:
9780307482983
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Grouping Information

Grouped Work IDd7ade2a8-aff3-2f0e-f592-903416392239
Grouping Titlecircus fire a true story of an american tragedy
Grouping Authorstewart onan
Grouping Categorybook
Grouping LanguageEnglish (eng)
Last Grouping Update2023-03-28 03:51:39AM
Last Indexed2023-03-28 04:18:21AM

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O'Nan, Stewart
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Online OverDrive Collection
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Online OverDrive Collection
display_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.
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eBook
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9780307482983
last_indexed
2023-03-28T09:18:21.389Z
lexile_score
-1
literary_form
Non Fiction
literary_form_full
Non Fiction
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Online OverDrive
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Addison Public Library Online
owning_location_addison
Online OverDrive Collection
primary_isbn
9780307482983
publishDate
2008
publisher
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
recordtype
grouped_work
title_display
The Circus Fire A True Story of an American Tragedy
title_full
The Circus Fire A True Story of an American Tragedy
title_short
The Circus Fire
title_sub
A True Story of an American Tragedy
topic_facet
History
Nonfiction
Performing Arts
Sociology

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overdrive:c0408180-03a4-4e94-99db-34e07e46da33eBookeBookEnglishKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group2008

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