Fiction brings halifax explosion to heart atlantic books. Halifax explosion book of remembrance maritime museum of. Bacons the great halifax explosion is the seminal account of one of the bloodiest manmade disasters in world history, which killed some 2,000 people. Last year marked the 100th anniversary of the halifax explosion, and. The book is displayed at the entrance to the museums halifax explosion exhibit halifax wrecked. Most people believe that world war ii ended with v day on 8th may 1945, but the reality was that, after the resolution in europe, war continued in the pacific. Ss montblanc, a french cargo ship laden with high explosives, collided with the norwegian vessel ss imo in the narrows, a strait connecting the upper halifax harbour to bedford basin. While most canadians returned home following ve day, people and. The halifax explosion and the road to recovery by janet kitz, and the recent curse of the narrows. There are numerous factual accounts of the halifax explosion including shattered city.
Burden of desire centres on the love triangle between bohemian halifax. The story and scope of the disaster and its aftermath is revealed in fiction and nonfiction narratives for both adults and children in these selections from the collection of the cape breton regional library. Halifaxs harbor after the explosion in december 1917. Corpses, many dismembered or burned beyond recognition, were scattered everywhere.
He was two years old when he was blinded by the halifax explosion on december 6, 1917. The halifax explosion 1917 nova scotia, canada youtube. If you are unfamiliar with the explosion in halifax, nova scotia in 1917 then this book would be of interest to you. Mustread books about the halifax explosion halifax magazine. The halifax explosion of 1945 canada history and mysteries. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Halifax explosion continues to grip writers imaginations. The halifax explosion has frequently been the subject of works of popular culture. The halifax explosion diary of charlotte blackburn by julie lawson, whos a scaredy cat by. The book was presented to the museum in 2002 by the halifax foundation. Army and navy personnel worked shouldertoshoulder with. See more ideas about halifax explosion, halifax, explosion. A collision between two ships in halifax harbour in 1917 set off an explosion unrivalled until the atomic bomb.
Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Excerpt from the great halifax explosion book details collision of 2 ships and the explosion that altered a city, residents and relations between canada and u. The author relates the circumstances of the accident that caused the explosion, as well as the recovery efforts and. Dan soucoups book, explosion in halifax harbour 1917 nimbus begins with. This is a riveting, wellwritten and researched world war i book. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy and extraordinary heroism, by john u. Africville, campbell road, halifax, nova scotia 45 19171206. It also focuses on the halifax explosion and its aftermath for livy and her family. On december 6, 1917, two ships collided in halifax harbour.
While the halifax explosion of 1917 was a calamity, it was not the only major wartime explosion suffered by the locals. A centurys worth of historical accounts, novels and documentaries, plus a tv miniseries, have told and retold the story. Halifax explosion the anatomy of a disaster page 5. Historical fiction of the halifax explosion the reader. The great halifax explosion is absorbing from first page to last. After due consideration and more research of archival photographs and in the field, i have updated the origin probabilities of the series of cropped five blast cloud images shown in the french publication january 1918 le miroir below.
Collison of 2 ships ignited 3,000 tons of explosives that left 2,000 dead and 25,000 citizens homeless. A reference copy at the museum is available for the public to consult. The book has a fairly large print and many contemporary photos. A goodreads search for halifax explosion returns more than 40 titles. The explosion, bacon writes, destroyed 6,000 buildings, rendering 25,000 peoplealmost half the population of halifaxhomeless in oneearsplitting whoosh and killed 1,600 instantly. Fiction brings halifax explosion to heart atlantic books today. Kitz 4 times halifax explosion by graham metson 3 times too many to mourn by james mahar 3 times burden of desire harvest book by robert macneil 3 times miracles and mysteries. Robert macneil, author of the novel burden of desire.
Bacon in this definitive account, bestselling author john u. New book details the halifax, nova scotia, explosion of 1917. John eric davidson may 10, 1915september 9, 2009 was one of the last survivors of the halifax explosion. The halifax explosion remembrance book is the first really definitive listing for those killed in the disaster of 6 december 1917. I had read another account of the halifax explosion years ago, but this book out a. The online version features a searchable database with detailed information for 1952 casualties more than 300 of whom are newlyconfirmed and identified victims. Every two weeks a page is turned, ensuring that each name is displayed once throughout the year. There are other books that are much more detailed but this book is certainly a good beginning.
Bacon recreates the recklessness that caused the tragedy, the selfless rescue efforts that saved thousands, and the inspiring resilience. This handsome book helps us see this centuryold catastrophe as never before. Train dispatcher vince coleman sacrifices his own life to save a train from the halifax explosion. Images from the halifax explosion that happened back in 1917. A former feature writer for the detroit news, his writing has been recognized three times in the best american sports writing series. Bacon about a ship collision and explosion during world war i. Winner of the dartmouth book award for nonfiction and shortlisted. Jefferson, rearadmiral bertram chambers, garry shutlak. This young adult book is about the close bonds of a sister and brother as they face prejudice over their their germanborn father in the midst of world war i. Halifax explosion nonfiction score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. A newly discovered diary tells the harrowing story of the deadly halifax explosion on the eve of the disasters centennial, a sailors 1917 journal details a rare eyewitness account of the. Rare video of halifax harbour explosion depicts fiery. The location of hmcs acadia in bedford basin at the eastern head of the narrows on 6 december 1917 is conducive to the notion that. Bacon applies something like a playbyplay strategy to his nonfiction that.
I think it often happens when you write fiction another story emerges. Books on the disaster proliferate, and while non fiction resurrects and reexamines its facts from various angles, it cant go where fiction does, reenvisioning the event and exploring its impact on the human heart. The halifax explosion was a disaster that occurred in halifax, nova scotia, canada, on the morning of 6 december 1917. He is the author of three other novels, including the recently released portrait of. At the time of his death in 2009, davidson was the penultimate living survivor with permanent injuries from the halifax explosion, which killed more than 1,600 people. That accident sparked a fire and an apocalyptic explosion that was the largest manmade blast prior to the 1945 dropping of the atomic bomb on hiroshima. The canonical novel barometer rising 1941 by the canadian writer hugh. Few living people recall that the largest manmade explosion in history prior to the advent of the nuclear age took place in halifax, nova scotia. New book details 1917 halifax, nova scotia, explosion.
An entire neighbourhood was destroyed, thousands killed and injured, thousands more left homeless. New books remember the great halifax explosion the star. Bacon is the author of the national bestseller the great halifax explosion and four bestselling books about college football, including three and out, fourth and long, endzone, and bos lasting lessons, coauthored with michigan coach bo schembechler. Century after halifaxs great explosion, city marks. View from the waterfront looking west from the ruins of the sugar refinery across the obliterated richmond district several days after the explosion. For more information about the halifax explosion, visit. The halifax explosion has frequently been the subject of works of popular culture the canonical novel barometer rising 1941 by the canadian writer hugh maclennan is set in halifax at the time of the explosion and includes a carefully researched description of its impact on the city. This awardwinning nonfiction narrative follows the military, volunteers, and citizens of halifax as they struggle to organize one of the most. Books on the disaster proliferate, and while nonfiction resurrects and reexamines. The blast leveled much of the north end of the city and killed about 2,000 people. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism by john u. The halifax explosion and the road to recovery by janet f.
Remembering the halifax explosion through a childs eyes kaye chapman was five years old on the fateful day in 1917 when a. Following in maclennans footsteps, journalist robert macneil penned burden of desire 1992 and used the. The halifax explosion july 4, 2011 admin the morning of december 6, 1917 began as most mornings in the city of halifax, nova scotiawives kissed their husbands goodbye, mothers sent their children off to school, and the harbourfront, which served as a major hub during wwi was bustling with activity, both mercantile and military. There are a lot of unanswered questions and lives never mind a city to be rebuilt. A fire on board the french ship ignited her cargo, causing a massive explosion that. Fiction about the halifax explosion disaster that occurred in 1917 and killed 2,000 people. A world war i story of treachery, tragedy, and extraordinary heroism kindle edition by bacon, john u download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The resulting explosion was the most devastating manmade explosion until. The condition of this soft cover book is good, with exception previous owners name on inside front cover.
The halifax explosion of 1917 was the largest manmade explosion before hiroshima. This is a terrific onestop overview of the devastating human cost that was the halifax explosion. Even after a century, with most of its survivors deceased, the 1917 halifax explosion continues to grip writers imaginations. On the 100th anniversary of the halifax explosion, two new. Mac donald but it is often through historical fiction that writers and readers are able to experience both the facts of an event and the emotions of the people involved. The halifax explosion was the largest manmade explosion until the first atomic bomb was detonated over hiroshima, japan, in 1945.
An introduction to the halifax explosion from one moment. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the great halifax explosion. On december 6, 1917, the french munitions ship mont blanc and the norwegian warrelief vessel imo collided in the harbour at halifax, nova scotia. The halifax explosion in non fiction the great halifax explosion. The halifax harbour explosion of 1917 remains one of the most devastating disasters in canadian history. Nearly 2,000 people died when a ship loaded with explosives bumped into another vessel and. The halifax explosion was the greatest nonnuclear detonation in history, killing 2,000 people and obliterating homes and businesses over a large swath of the city. This secondary character had emerged with a much more interesting. Such a disaster today would generate a worldwide storm of video coverage, but the actual photographic record is sparse. Remembering the halifax explosion on the hundredth anniversary of the disaster, we look back at how some of the citys children miraculously survived december 6, 2017 april 2, 2020 by katie ingram katie ingram updated 21. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite. Why alison watt wrote a novel inspired by the halifax explosion.
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