In the Non-Fiction Corner: Catastrophes and Heroes

In the Non-Fiction Corner With Lauren

Catastrophes and Heroes by Jerry Borrowman covers true stories of man-made disasters. 

Borrowman is a master story teller, and you can tell he is well researched and deeply cares about his topic. I was surprised by these little-known histories that I had never heard of, but I was even more shocked that Borrowman is able to tell them as if he was there. He knows the facts, the names, and the stories all come to life in a very unique way. More than the heroes, though, Borrowman focuses on the story leading up to the disaster and the mistakes that were made.

The story I found most interesting was the breaking of the St. Francis Dam in 1928. This dam broke in the middle of the night, catching the community unaware and many were unable to escape. One of the heroes that the author describes is the policeman who became known as the “Paul Revere of the St. Francis flood.” This wise individual decided to alert as many people as he could. He would knock on every third door and yell for people to get their neighbors. He went as long as possible, perhaps saving many lives on his way. 

With this and all the other stories he tells, Borrowman looks for the positives and tells his readers what was learned from each of these disasters.

You can pre-order your copy here

 

Here is the back copy:

A century of the industrial age saw unprecedented leaps in technology and engineering, from the first flight of an airplane to the first flight of humans to the moon. But alongside these awe-inspiring achievements were horrible disasters caused by faulty engineering or careless judgement. Catastrophes and Heroes explores eight such disasters and recognizes the unheralded heroes who stepped up to save others in times of great danger.

Included in this collection are the stories of female phone operators who, despite being in the path of destruction after the Los Angeles St. Francis Dam collapsed in 1928, stayed on the job to warn others to evacuate, Ernest Hemingway, who assisted survivors in his own boat after a hurricane destroyed the Florida East Coast Railway in 1935, and Ernest Betts who, though knowing little first aid, saved thirty people after the streamliner train The City of San Francisco crashed in the Nevada mountains in 1939.

Filled with little-known stories and historical insights, this book explores the rich history of the marvels of engineering and technological advances in the span of a century and reveals how the perils, though disastrous, gave rise to heroism and compassion at a time when machines were supposed to do it all.