The Circus Fire The Circus Fire

The Circus Fire

A True Story of an American Tragedy

    • 4.1 • 11 Ratings
    • $11.99
    • $11.99

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.

GENRE
Arts & Entertainment
RELEASED
2000
June 20
LANGUAGE
EN
English
LENGTH
384
Pages
PUBLISHER
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
SELLER
Penguin Random House LLC
SIZE
12.9
MB

More Books by Stewart O'Nan

Emily, Alone Emily, Alone
2011
Last Night at the Lobster Last Night at the Lobster
2007
West of Sunset West of Sunset
2015
The Odds The Odds
2012
Ocean State Ocean State
2022
City of Secrets City of Secrets
2016

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