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Curse of the Narrows: The Halifax Explosion 1917
The events of the horrific Halifax explosion are well documented: on December 6, 1917, the French munitions ship Mont Blanc and the Belgian relief ship Imo collide in the Halifax harbour. Nearly 2,000 people are killed; over 9,000 more are injured. The story of one of the world’s worst non-natural disasters has been told before, but never like this.
In a sweeping narrative, Curse of the Narrows tells a tale of ordinary people in an extraordinary situation, retracing the steps of survivors through the wreckage of a city destroyed. Laura M. MacDonald weaves a panoramic chronicle of the astonishing international response to the explosion, telling of the generous donations of money and medical specialists made by the city of Boston, of how the number of horrific injuries to Halifax’s children inspired startling developments in pediatric medicine, and exploring the disaster’s chilling link to the creation of the atomic bomb.
Filled with archival photos, defined by meticulous research andi nfused with a storyteller’s sensibility, Curse of the Narrows is a compelling and powerful book.
In a sweeping narrative, Curse of the Narrows tells a tale of ordinary people in an extraordinary situation, retracing the steps of survivors through the wreckage of a city destroyed. Laura M. MacDonald weaves a panoramic chronicle of the astonishing international response to the explosion, telling of the generous donations of money and medical specialists made by the city of Boston, of how the number of horrific injuries to Halifax’s children inspired startling developments in pediatric medicine, and exploring the disaster’s chilling link to the creation of the atomic bomb.
Filled with archival photos, defined by meticulous research andi nfused with a storyteller’s sensibility, Curse of the Narrows is a compelling and powerful book.
356 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
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March 24, 2018
This story makes the case for a phenomena that Malcolm Gladwell describes in Outliers in which in order for a horrific accident to occur 6 or 7 things have to go wrong simultaneously and that definitely happened here. The combination of a narrow passage, a ship fully packed with TNT and 2 sorts of highly flammable bomb making ingredients and another ship coming towards the first ship and ignoring maritime laws for safe passage created a recipe for disaster. Then, after the collision, with no way to warn the population and with houses built right up on the wharf, catastrophe ensued. To make matters worse, the explosion created a subsequent tsunami and that evening they were hit with a blizzard.
The same mayor of Halifax had dealt with corpses from the sinking of the Titanic off the coast of Nova Scotia just 5 years earlier.
The same mayor of Halifax had dealt with corpses from the sinking of the Titanic off the coast of Nova Scotia just 5 years earlier.
October 14, 2017
I have some issues with the book but I have to say that MacDonald has crafted a tidy account of what has to be the biggest disaster in Canadian history. Without belaboring the obvious and summarizing the book, I will merely state that she starts at the beginning and carries on to way past the end of the disaster...and what a disaster! More than 2000 killed and 6000 wounded in the largest man-made explosion to predate the atom bomb.
There is much that is gruesome in these pages, and no end of heartbreak for the doomed people of Halifax, but there is also much that is uplifting in the way that volunteers poured in unbidden to help rebuild broken lives and shattered dwellings. Our neighbours to the south had a train on the way before they could even ascertain the extent of the carnage! Volunteers, medications, clothing and building materials proffered unbidden from the generous people of the United States. Bear in mind that communications to the city were pretty much obliterated by the explosion, and the relief party couldn't even get a response to their inquiries about whether help was needed...they sent it anyway. MacDonald details the steps taken by these volunteers and gives them their due in this thoroughly researched and nicely written account.
There is some sloppiness in the account, and it's hard to say who to blame it on. Surely the publisher hires someone to proofread the publication. On page 35 MacDonald identifies the BEF as the British Empire Force when for over a century now everyone else has been calling it the British Expeditionary Force. And in the first sentence of Appendix B she starts: "On November 21, 1917, nine days after Armistice was declared..." So, was that Armistice in 1918 not the real deal, or what? In another page she refers to Prime Minister Borden as Premier Borden, a definite demotion for that illustrious gent. But the one passage that had me scratching my head the most was this one that starts on page 71:
"Constant Upham, the grocer who alerted the fire department to the fire, was also killed instantly. The back of his handsome grocery and supply store was ripped off its frame. Upham's body was never found. Most people assumed it washed out to sea."
Now, I ask you, how do you get "killed instantly" from someone whose body was never found? Maybe he died an agonizing and lingering death being nibbled by sardines in the Bay of Fundy. Maybe he lost his memory and ended his days as a missionary in the jungles of Ecuador. We just don't know! In the absence of a body or witnesses, we have a disappearance, not an instant death.
There are other minor errors, probably typos, that should have been picked up, but I don't want to be niggling here. The book is equipped with photographs, kinda, if you don't mind their being small and printed on the same coarse paper as the text. I like my photos full size on glossy, if you please!
In brief, a good book with lots of further reading sources in the Sources, and the Appendices make for some good reading as well.
There is much that is gruesome in these pages, and no end of heartbreak for the doomed people of Halifax, but there is also much that is uplifting in the way that volunteers poured in unbidden to help rebuild broken lives and shattered dwellings. Our neighbours to the south had a train on the way before they could even ascertain the extent of the carnage! Volunteers, medications, clothing and building materials proffered unbidden from the generous people of the United States. Bear in mind that communications to the city were pretty much obliterated by the explosion, and the relief party couldn't even get a response to their inquiries about whether help was needed...they sent it anyway. MacDonald details the steps taken by these volunteers and gives them their due in this thoroughly researched and nicely written account.
There is some sloppiness in the account, and it's hard to say who to blame it on. Surely the publisher hires someone to proofread the publication. On page 35 MacDonald identifies the BEF as the British Empire Force when for over a century now everyone else has been calling it the British Expeditionary Force. And in the first sentence of Appendix B she starts: "On November 21, 1917, nine days after Armistice was declared..." So, was that Armistice in 1918 not the real deal, or what? In another page she refers to Prime Minister Borden as Premier Borden, a definite demotion for that illustrious gent. But the one passage that had me scratching my head the most was this one that starts on page 71:
"Constant Upham, the grocer who alerted the fire department to the fire, was also killed instantly. The back of his handsome grocery and supply store was ripped off its frame. Upham's body was never found. Most people assumed it washed out to sea."
Now, I ask you, how do you get "killed instantly" from someone whose body was never found? Maybe he died an agonizing and lingering death being nibbled by sardines in the Bay of Fundy. Maybe he lost his memory and ended his days as a missionary in the jungles of Ecuador. We just don't know! In the absence of a body or witnesses, we have a disappearance, not an instant death.
There are other minor errors, probably typos, that should have been picked up, but I don't want to be niggling here. The book is equipped with photographs, kinda, if you don't mind their being small and printed on the same coarse paper as the text. I like my photos full size on glossy, if you please!
In brief, a good book with lots of further reading sources in the Sources, and the Appendices make for some good reading as well.
July 12, 2015
I had never heard of the Halifax disaster. After reading this book I can't imagine why. This is an event of catastrophic consequence. To imagine the power of 2,925 tons of TNT exploding.... the results of which are unimaginable to anyone that was not there. But this author does a amazing job of putting you there!!! This book was incredible. The Halifax disaster is truly a tragic yet amazing event. No matter what you like to read.... this book should be good to anyone and everyone. Plus I noticed most of the poor reviews mention their disliking of the description of the carnage created by the blast. What did you expect? A couple boo boos and a bruise, or maybe a bump on the head? Almost 3000 TONS of dynamite exploded!! I'm sure the descriptions of injuries in this book could have been much worse than it was. Here's a bit of advice... If you don't like to read about people being hurt, DON'T READ DISASTER BOOKS. Fires, hurricanes, explosions, tornados, floods, blizzards, earthquakes, etc. kill people. So these would be subjects to avoid if you dislike carnage. If you're curious to know what kind of damage almost 3000 tons of dynamite would do, this book will tell you.
October 17, 2013
MacDonald describes how the tragedy occurred, and what different spectators saw around them as the Imo careened into the Mount Blanc. Today, the whole world watches tragedies like this from every angle (and aerial too) on TV. It took 90 years after the fact to have a definitive work on the Halifax explosion. In our media age, as Katrina occurred, millions of published words, photos, videos and accounts documented it.
While information has been revolutionized since then, human nature thankfully hasn't. MacDonald tells of many small instances of heroic altruism, such as the MB crew, knowing time was of the essence, taking time to be sure all were accounted for; people allowing the hijacking of their personal autos for the rescue effort; a man taking a baby and falling on it to shield it from the expected explosion. In Katrina we saw many instances of people helping people, in the Twin Towers, the young helped the old down the staircases. Another thing that hasn't changed is the need to find loved ones. I think of 9/11, the many poignant good byes on cell phones and how relatives appeared immediately with posters and pleas.
In 1917 Halifax, other than blaming the Germans, there seems to be little finger pointing among the populace. Liability seems to be an issue for the boat owners, not the people who lost families and homes. While the streets are patrolled, it seems that the rumors of looting are more prevalent than actual looting. Finger pointing now drags out for years in court rooms with high priced lawyers and huge settlements. Looting is a mixed bag, common in New Orleans and virtually absent from 9/11.
When the sketchiest of info reached them by telegraph, medical and relief personnel throughout the region quickly boarded trains and some shoveled the train tracks to make their way to Halifax. Again, in thinking of modern times, people are still generous when these tragedies occur (9/11. the tsunamu in Asia, Katrina) but time is no longer a practical commodity for medical professionals. Today, there are careers in disaster relief. There are still volunteers working side by side with Red Cross and other paid staff to help. Most people, particularly medical personnel, cannot just drop everything and go.
The Red Cross had greatly evolved since the San Francisco earthquake. In the following 11 years they had had experience in fires and other disasters. They now had guidelines for relief and rehabilitation and had savvy advice about organizational structures, handling money, etc. You can see the roots of the sophisticated organization that exists today.
The distribution of relief funds has certainly improved. The Black man who made an incredibly modest request (especially considering many others) was totally rejected because he requested a reassessment of his claim which begged the issue of the 10% rule for Blacks and 20% for whites.
While information has been revolutionized since then, human nature thankfully hasn't. MacDonald tells of many small instances of heroic altruism, such as the MB crew, knowing time was of the essence, taking time to be sure all were accounted for; people allowing the hijacking of their personal autos for the rescue effort; a man taking a baby and falling on it to shield it from the expected explosion. In Katrina we saw many instances of people helping people, in the Twin Towers, the young helped the old down the staircases. Another thing that hasn't changed is the need to find loved ones. I think of 9/11, the many poignant good byes on cell phones and how relatives appeared immediately with posters and pleas.
In 1917 Halifax, other than blaming the Germans, there seems to be little finger pointing among the populace. Liability seems to be an issue for the boat owners, not the people who lost families and homes. While the streets are patrolled, it seems that the rumors of looting are more prevalent than actual looting. Finger pointing now drags out for years in court rooms with high priced lawyers and huge settlements. Looting is a mixed bag, common in New Orleans and virtually absent from 9/11.
When the sketchiest of info reached them by telegraph, medical and relief personnel throughout the region quickly boarded trains and some shoveled the train tracks to make their way to Halifax. Again, in thinking of modern times, people are still generous when these tragedies occur (9/11. the tsunamu in Asia, Katrina) but time is no longer a practical commodity for medical professionals. Today, there are careers in disaster relief. There are still volunteers working side by side with Red Cross and other paid staff to help. Most people, particularly medical personnel, cannot just drop everything and go.
The Red Cross had greatly evolved since the San Francisco earthquake. In the following 11 years they had had experience in fires and other disasters. They now had guidelines for relief and rehabilitation and had savvy advice about organizational structures, handling money, etc. You can see the roots of the sophisticated organization that exists today.
The distribution of relief funds has certainly improved. The Black man who made an incredibly modest request (especially considering many others) was totally rejected because he requested a reassessment of his claim which begged the issue of the 10% rule for Blacks and 20% for whites.
July 29, 2020
December 6, 1917: the Mont Blanc attempts to enter the Belford Basin via The Narrows—a channel between Halifax and Dartmouth that's less than a mile wide—when it encounters the Imo attempting to head towards the Atlantic. Because of the weather, the number of other boats, and confusion over the right of way, the Mont Blanc and Imo collide. A fire starts on the Mont Blanc and quickly spreads out of control as the crew abandons the drifting ship and flees to the other side of the channel. What they know that none of the citizens or fire brigade or barges attempting to give aid know is that the Mont Blanc is carrying high explosives to aid the British war efforts overseas.
At 9:04:35 AM, the ship and its 2,925 tons of cargo exploded. The force of the blast tore through the surrounding community: windows exploded, doors were ripped from their hinges, and houses were leveled. The force was enough to trigger a tsunami in the harbor that followed the blast wave, further devastating the surrounding waterfront. And, that night, it began to snow. An estimated 2000 people died; 6000 were injured; 9000 were left homeless.
1. While respectful of the scope of the tragedy of this event, I must be somewhat blunt in stating the weakness of this particular account of it. MacDonald's prose is just sloppy enough that I honestly don't know how much of what was captured was actually true or merely the product of an unclear narrative.
2. This is partly because MacDonald pulls together too many threads into this volume: there's the maritime elements of waterway navigation; the science behind the explosion (and picric acid, and gun cotton, and TNT); the damage caused to Halifax; the experiences of a handful of citizens; the support provided by some surrounding communities as well as Boston, Maine, and Rhode Island; the immediate response efforts coordinated by Halifax citizens; the question of pediatric surgery; the establishment of a morgue and handling of unidentified bodies; the issues with rehabilitation and some indication that it was grossly racist; the rebuilding of a new neighborhood to replace the one razed by the explosion.
It's a lot of stuff and most of it is presented very haphazardly before MacDonald is off to the next topic, skipping back to provide an extra point of view or an additional factoid or a different summary. All of this culminates in a text that doesn't know exactly what story it's telling. It's a bunch of fascinating, harrowing, tragic threads that don't hold together when pulled to examine. They merely unravel.
3. This is partially because the bare facts of the thing aren't really laid as a foundation for the coming information. There's an appendix called "By the Numbers" that finally lays out the true scope but it's detached from the story and therefore suffers for it.
In addition, there's a tiny little map included at the beginning of the book to provide a brief overview of the neighborhood and its major landmarks. MacDonald immediately drops into the middle of it, familiar enough with Halifax to forget to offer her audience any way to understand this unseen place.
4. I think I would recommend this to someone who is already familiar with the explosion of 1917 as I suspect there is good information to be gleaned. But for an audience unfamiliar with the event, it's messy and unorganized and it suffers for it.
At 9:04:35 AM, the ship and its 2,925 tons of cargo exploded. The force of the blast tore through the surrounding community: windows exploded, doors were ripped from their hinges, and houses were leveled. The force was enough to trigger a tsunami in the harbor that followed the blast wave, further devastating the surrounding waterfront. And, that night, it began to snow. An estimated 2000 people died; 6000 were injured; 9000 were left homeless.
1. While respectful of the scope of the tragedy of this event, I must be somewhat blunt in stating the weakness of this particular account of it. MacDonald's prose is just sloppy enough that I honestly don't know how much of what was captured was actually true or merely the product of an unclear narrative.
2. This is partly because MacDonald pulls together too many threads into this volume: there's the maritime elements of waterway navigation; the science behind the explosion (and picric acid, and gun cotton, and TNT); the damage caused to Halifax; the experiences of a handful of citizens; the support provided by some surrounding communities as well as Boston, Maine, and Rhode Island; the immediate response efforts coordinated by Halifax citizens; the question of pediatric surgery; the establishment of a morgue and handling of unidentified bodies; the issues with rehabilitation and some indication that it was grossly racist; the rebuilding of a new neighborhood to replace the one razed by the explosion.
It's a lot of stuff and most of it is presented very haphazardly before MacDonald is off to the next topic, skipping back to provide an extra point of view or an additional factoid or a different summary. All of this culminates in a text that doesn't know exactly what story it's telling. It's a bunch of fascinating, harrowing, tragic threads that don't hold together when pulled to examine. They merely unravel.
3. This is partially because the bare facts of the thing aren't really laid as a foundation for the coming information. There's an appendix called "By the Numbers" that finally lays out the true scope but it's detached from the story and therefore suffers for it.
In addition, there's a tiny little map included at the beginning of the book to provide a brief overview of the neighborhood and its major landmarks. MacDonald immediately drops into the middle of it, familiar enough with Halifax to forget to offer her audience any way to understand this unseen place.
4. I think I would recommend this to someone who is already familiar with the explosion of 1917 as I suspect there is good information to be gleaned. But for an audience unfamiliar with the event, it's messy and unorganized and it suffers for it.
March 6, 2018
I picked this after hearing about the release of a book about the same topic, though written by an American. The Halifax Explosion was the explosion of the Mont Blanc that destoryed a good section of the city. (The Mont Blanc's anchor traveled miles). MacDonald details the events leading up to the explosion as well as the aftermath. She also looks at how society treated the different sections of society - for instance the Mi'kmaq damages and deaths were ignored and whites saw the First Nation people as looters, though there was no proof. Black residents recieved far less than they were entitled to out of the damage fund and were short changed as a matter of policy.
The writing is vivid, the story compelling.
The writing is vivid, the story compelling.
February 3, 2017
Breathetakingly written account of the Dec. 6th, 1917 collision in Halifax Harbour of the French ship carrying high explosives and munitions that was waiting to join a convoy to cross the Atlantic. The Mont Blanc was carrying the highly volital to shock picric acid, TNT, Benzol, monochlorobenzal and munitions. She was struck by a Belgium Relief ship the Imo who was light and had limited capacity to maneuver as her props were half out of the water.
The explosion ripped through the earth at 13,320 mph its shock wave crushing external organs, collapsing lungs, flattening houses and factories, as it hit the hills surrounding the harbour it slowed to 756 mph just .5 below the speed of sound. An almost invisible fireball shot out 1-4 miles from the location of the ship, the air blast left a vacuum which pulled the air back toward the harbour puverizing foundations whether made of stone or concrete. The heat generated was so intense that the sea water around the Mont Blanc evaporated within a 20' area, the in rushing sea caused a tsunami which flung ships upon the land and swept near 500 bodies out to sea. Oppenheimer even studied the explosion to try to grasp the effect of an atomic weapon.
The blast are extended 16 miles and devastated everything killing 1,200, leaving 6,000 injured and 9,000 homeless and then within a day a gale force blizzard followed by a hurricane force blizzard several days later.
Rumor of the explosion and fires reached adjacent communities and all the Provinces and the United States. Boston which had heavy ties to Nova Scotia had formed a year earlier the first disaster response organization and within half a day had organized a a relief train of medical personnel and equipment which would be delayed by the blizzard, as would other relief trains coming from the Provinces.
Written in a fast paced way and difficult to set down which is rare for historical accounts. Laura MacDonald who grew up in Halifax did a superb job of giving life to this tragedy with her powerful writing style. This was the greatest war related civilian disaster.
The explosion ripped through the earth at 13,320 mph its shock wave crushing external organs, collapsing lungs, flattening houses and factories, as it hit the hills surrounding the harbour it slowed to 756 mph just .5 below the speed of sound. An almost invisible fireball shot out 1-4 miles from the location of the ship, the air blast left a vacuum which pulled the air back toward the harbour puverizing foundations whether made of stone or concrete. The heat generated was so intense that the sea water around the Mont Blanc evaporated within a 20' area, the in rushing sea caused a tsunami which flung ships upon the land and swept near 500 bodies out to sea. Oppenheimer even studied the explosion to try to grasp the effect of an atomic weapon.
The blast are extended 16 miles and devastated everything killing 1,200, leaving 6,000 injured and 9,000 homeless and then within a day a gale force blizzard followed by a hurricane force blizzard several days later.
Rumor of the explosion and fires reached adjacent communities and all the Provinces and the United States. Boston which had heavy ties to Nova Scotia had formed a year earlier the first disaster response organization and within half a day had organized a a relief train of medical personnel and equipment which would be delayed by the blizzard, as would other relief trains coming from the Provinces.
Written in a fast paced way and difficult to set down which is rare for historical accounts. Laura MacDonald who grew up in Halifax did a superb job of giving life to this tragedy with her powerful writing style. This was the greatest war related civilian disaster.
November 9, 2007
Seems like a good introduction to the event (which I was totally unaware of) although it deals pretty superficially with the cause of the explosion itself.
Covers some interesting details of such a catastrophe that you wouldn't have predicted. Like the problem of family pets eating human remains left in the rubble. Or that no churches except one held services for the first week because all the clergymen were too busy giving last rites or presiding over funerals.
Oh oh! Also, the recollections of an eye surgeon who talked about the eyes of patients that were so filled with shrapnel that they "clinked when palpitated."
Covers some interesting details of such a catastrophe that you wouldn't have predicted. Like the problem of family pets eating human remains left in the rubble. Or that no churches except one held services for the first week because all the clergymen were too busy giving last rites or presiding over funerals.
Oh oh! Also, the recollections of an eye surgeon who talked about the eyes of patients that were so filled with shrapnel that they "clinked when palpitated."
May 4, 2010
Each December the people of Boston gather to witness the annual lighting of the Christmas tree. Some of them probably do not know why the people of Halifax send a tree every year or even that it is a gift from Nova Scotia. No one needs to know the story behind a tree to admire its beauty. But the people of Halifax know where it comes from and they remember the story.
The above is not actually the blurb for the book; it's just a quick introductory paragraph, but I found it somehow more affecting than a blurb. It says what it needs to, in any case, as far as letting you know what this book is about. If you know about the explosion, it's clear; and if you don't, maybe it's intriguing enough to make you want to know. In any case, there it is.
This book was extremely well-written. As someone who's pretty much always had at least some family out East, and who despite having only lived there for four years during school has an inexplicably strong attachment to Nova Scotia, the Halifax Explosion is something that is very familiar to me. As such, I pretty much knew, broadly at least, what happened, and yet the first part of this book held me riveted. It was written in such a way to have me going, "Oh no, don't do that!" and, "Oh, maybe they'll make it... Oh no," despite being fully aware that no, they would not make it. A book that can do that is quite an achievement.
The explosion itself, despite my familiarity with it, remains mind-boggling. The whole thing was just this utterly ridiculous string of things that shouldn't have been allowed to happen, compounded by uncontrollable natural factors. It was such that, if you were to try and write this as fiction, by the time you got to the massive blizzards that hampered the relief efforts, your readers would be scoffing at how you've just gone unrealistically overboard with the adverse conditions. But there it was. One thing after another after another, that was so frustrating to read, because at so many points, someone could have done something differently to prevent what happened. People tried so hard to lay blame after it was over, but ultimately, I kind of have to agree with the British Privy Council - neither of the two ships should ever have allowed themselves to get close enough that this was even a possibility. There were plenty of other factors aside from that, and we'll never know the whole story, since the pilot and captain of the Imo were both killed, but really, there were so many errors in judgement from so many different people that to assign blame to just one or a handful seems ridiculous.
And then there was the aftermath. The sight of the Mont Blanc's anchor sitting on the other side of the Northwest Arm where it landed gives you some idea, but the devastation caused by this explosion was truly beyond the scope of anything most of us can really grasp. The sheer number of dead, the fact that there was not a single building left in the city with its windows intact, entire communities flattened, and a ship the size of the Mont Blanc largely vapourized by the 9000-degree heat of the explosion are things that are really hard to even imagine. The first part of the book, dealing with the events leading up to, and the explosion itself, read like a really good thriller. I had a hard time tearing myself away, and blazed through that part extremely quickly. The second part, dealing with the aftermath, was much harder. It was no less compelling, but much of it was so truly horrifying that it became very difficult to read. The scores of unidentified bodies, the mutilated people missing body parts, the buckets of eyes that had to be removed, the people so blackened by soot and burns that they were unrecognizable, were all very gruesome, and downright nauseating at times. That part was a slog, but also a testament to humanity, with the way people responded, and refused to fall apart.
The only quibbles I had with this book were very minor, and had to do with American spellings and conventions. For one thing, despite the statement,
she does in fact refer to it by name at least three times (spelling it without the u, I might add, so it's clear which publisher won). She's gone all American with the spelling, in fact, which does disappoint me a little. It's a very Canadian book, about a Canadian event, and I would like to see things spelled according to Canadian standards. But such is life, and it didn't bother me as much as it apparently bothered a previous borrower of this book, who corrected "checks" to "cheques," which I found particularly amusing, because I guess all the other American spellings in the book were OK? More than the spellings, though, I was bothered by the use of Fahrenheit degrees. They mean nothing to me, and while I guess she can be forgiven for catering to the American publisher on that one, it would have been nice to also acknowledge the likelihood that many or most of the readers of this book will in fact be Canadian, and if you're going to use Fahrenheit, at least include a Celsius measurement in brackets or something. I think the distances were also stated pretty much entirely in miles, but as I have little conception of distances generally, that didn't bother me as much. Miles or kilometres; I have no real conception of how far either of them is, so it makes little difference to me. But that's another one where some acknowledgement of the Canadian audience would have been nice.
In any case, this book was fascinating and informative, and absolutely well worth a read. It may in fact be one of the better books I've read so far this year.
Edit: It has been pointed out to me that the only instances of use of the proper name of the Halifax Harbour were in titles and original quotations. I only borrowed the book, and therefore can't confirm this, and could have sworn that at least once instance that I noticed was right at the beginning of a chapter, in the main text, but nonetheless, I am certainly willing to acknowledge that I could be mistaken. As for the rest of the American spellings, I do understand that that is the result of going with an American publisher, and like I said, such is life. It's still disappointing, though.
The above is not actually the blurb for the book; it's just a quick introductory paragraph, but I found it somehow more affecting than a blurb. It says what it needs to, in any case, as far as letting you know what this book is about. If you know about the explosion, it's clear; and if you don't, maybe it's intriguing enough to make you want to know. In any case, there it is.
This book was extremely well-written. As someone who's pretty much always had at least some family out East, and who despite having only lived there for four years during school has an inexplicably strong attachment to Nova Scotia, the Halifax Explosion is something that is very familiar to me. As such, I pretty much knew, broadly at least, what happened, and yet the first part of this book held me riveted. It was written in such a way to have me going, "Oh no, don't do that!" and, "Oh, maybe they'll make it... Oh no," despite being fully aware that no, they would not make it. A book that can do that is quite an achievement.
The explosion itself, despite my familiarity with it, remains mind-boggling. The whole thing was just this utterly ridiculous string of things that shouldn't have been allowed to happen, compounded by uncontrollable natural factors. It was such that, if you were to try and write this as fiction, by the time you got to the massive blizzards that hampered the relief efforts, your readers would be scoffing at how you've just gone unrealistically overboard with the adverse conditions. But there it was. One thing after another after another, that was so frustrating to read, because at so many points, someone could have done something differently to prevent what happened. People tried so hard to lay blame after it was over, but ultimately, I kind of have to agree with the British Privy Council - neither of the two ships should ever have allowed themselves to get close enough that this was even a possibility. There were plenty of other factors aside from that, and we'll never know the whole story, since the pilot and captain of the Imo were both killed, but really, there were so many errors in judgement from so many different people that to assign blame to just one or a handful seems ridiculous.
And then there was the aftermath. The sight of the Mont Blanc's anchor sitting on the other side of the Northwest Arm where it landed gives you some idea, but the devastation caused by this explosion was truly beyond the scope of anything most of us can really grasp. The sheer number of dead, the fact that there was not a single building left in the city with its windows intact, entire communities flattened, and a ship the size of the Mont Blanc largely vapourized by the 9000-degree heat of the explosion are things that are really hard to even imagine. The first part of the book, dealing with the events leading up to, and the explosion itself, read like a really good thriller. I had a hard time tearing myself away, and blazed through that part extremely quickly. The second part, dealing with the aftermath, was much harder. It was no less compelling, but much of it was so truly horrifying that it became very difficult to read. The scores of unidentified bodies, the mutilated people missing body parts, the buckets of eyes that had to be removed, the people so blackened by soot and burns that they were unrecognizable, were all very gruesome, and downright nauseating at times. That part was a slog, but also a testament to humanity, with the way people responded, and refused to fall apart.
The only quibbles I had with this book were very minor, and had to do with American spellings and conventions. For one thing, despite the statement,
I have cleverly avoided arguments between my American publisher and my Canadian publisher, as well as with my family and fellow HRM-ers, by never referring to the harbor by its proper name except in the following sentence. It is now, and in my heart shall forever remain, Halifax Harbour,
she does in fact refer to it by name at least three times (spelling it without the u, I might add, so it's clear which publisher won). She's gone all American with the spelling, in fact, which does disappoint me a little. It's a very Canadian book, about a Canadian event, and I would like to see things spelled according to Canadian standards. But such is life, and it didn't bother me as much as it apparently bothered a previous borrower of this book, who corrected "checks" to "cheques," which I found particularly amusing, because I guess all the other American spellings in the book were OK? More than the spellings, though, I was bothered by the use of Fahrenheit degrees. They mean nothing to me, and while I guess she can be forgiven for catering to the American publisher on that one, it would have been nice to also acknowledge the likelihood that many or most of the readers of this book will in fact be Canadian, and if you're going to use Fahrenheit, at least include a Celsius measurement in brackets or something. I think the distances were also stated pretty much entirely in miles, but as I have little conception of distances generally, that didn't bother me as much. Miles or kilometres; I have no real conception of how far either of them is, so it makes little difference to me. But that's another one where some acknowledgement of the Canadian audience would have been nice.
In any case, this book was fascinating and informative, and absolutely well worth a read. It may in fact be one of the better books I've read so far this year.
Edit: It has been pointed out to me that the only instances of use of the proper name of the Halifax Harbour were in titles and original quotations. I only borrowed the book, and therefore can't confirm this, and could have sworn that at least once instance that I noticed was right at the beginning of a chapter, in the main text, but nonetheless, I am certainly willing to acknowledge that I could be mistaken. As for the rest of the American spellings, I do understand that that is the result of going with an American publisher, and like I said, such is life. It's still disappointing, though.
December 21, 2015
This isn't a true three-star rating, but I feel like two stars is too harsh. If anything, the amount of research deserves to be recognized!
I'm a huge fan of narrative nonfiction, but this book didn't always work for me. The topic itself is fascinating, but the book was oddly paced and somewhat difficult to follow. The climax of the book, the ship collision and explosion, happens approximately 40 pages into the work, and the book itself is nearly 300 pages long. That's a lot of post-incident information to present and absorb. I wish the author had included more of the backstory and history at the beginning of the book, rather than jumping around from topic to topic during the post-incident writing. Rather than writing in a mostly chronological fashion, the author often writes about different topics and then backtracks. I feel like I read about the week after the explosion ten times, from ten different viewpoints, rather than as one integrated timeline.
I'm a huge fan of narrative nonfiction, but this book didn't always work for me. The topic itself is fascinating, but the book was oddly paced and somewhat difficult to follow. The climax of the book, the ship collision and explosion, happens approximately 40 pages into the work, and the book itself is nearly 300 pages long. That's a lot of post-incident information to present and absorb. I wish the author had included more of the backstory and history at the beginning of the book, rather than jumping around from topic to topic during the post-incident writing. Rather than writing in a mostly chronological fashion, the author often writes about different topics and then backtracks. I feel like I read about the week after the explosion ten times, from ten different viewpoints, rather than as one integrated timeline.
January 3, 2016
Let's face it, I enjoy a good disaster book. And this was one disaster I had never heard of. I've never been to Halifax. But I guess I'm half-Canadian.
This was one of the best. Well researched, possibly a bit graphic. But this was like a perfect storm of chain reactions - a disaster in the harbor, causes a tsunami, causes a blizzard. The explosion in the harbor should have been enough. MacDonald goes in to vivid detail of how the explosion impacted the surrounding area. Then, those who survived the explosion of two ships (one filled with armaments) were faced with the tsunami washing over their shores. Calls for help are going out. But then they get a blizzard. Both Canada and America are sending relief trains - only to be stalled by the blizzard.
This was a very vivid book and one of the best I have read recently. I could not put this book down.
This was one of the best. Well researched, possibly a bit graphic. But this was like a perfect storm of chain reactions - a disaster in the harbor, causes a tsunami, causes a blizzard. The explosion in the harbor should have been enough. MacDonald goes in to vivid detail of how the explosion impacted the surrounding area. Then, those who survived the explosion of two ships (one filled with armaments) were faced with the tsunami washing over their shores. Calls for help are going out. But then they get a blizzard. Both Canada and America are sending relief trains - only to be stalled by the blizzard.
This was a very vivid book and one of the best I have read recently. I could not put this book down.
March 27, 2009
A gripping, well-written account of a tragic disaster that is too little known. How many of us Canadians grew up thinking that the First World War just happened in Europe? More Canadians died on the 'home front" in Halifax than during the 103 bombing raids on England.
December 10, 2019
The port area of the city of Halifax as well as Dartmouth across the river were nearly wiped from the face of any map with the collision of two freighters, the Imo and the Mont Blanc on December 6, 1917. The Mont Blanc was carrying 3,000 tons! of explosives and the blast was heard as rumble as far away Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island. The crew of a fishing boat entering Boston Harbor asked if there had been a nearby explosion since they had heard it as well. Ships over fifty miles away saw the smoke cloud. The Mont Blanc itself - weighing nearly 7 millions pounds - was tossed in the air as it vaporized in the 9000 degree temperatures while it's anchor landed over 2 miles away.
The houses and businesses clustered near the port area didn't have a chance - they were swept away. The people were tossed and thrown into collapsing structures even as the air blast impacted with tremendous strength. Small coal fires within stoves burned whatever fuel it could including people trapped inside the demolished structures.
And then a blizzard struck.
It sounds more like a badly written disaster movie but this did not come from the pen of a screenwriter but it was reality for the survivors of the explosion.
The author goes into extensive detail - perhaps too much in some cases of the injuries inflicted - that the area endured. But she also goes into immense detail about the people coming together to provide aid - clothing since the air-blast tore cloth from their backs; food and clean water. Digging through ruins trying to find survivors. Medical care for the tremendous amount of injuries. And a centralized location to place remains and anything that may identify them to shocked and grieving relatives. Administration trying to organize it all in the midst of their own sorrow.
And assistance flowed in - especially from Massachusetts and the Boston area. The Red Cross of both countries. Military to provide a policing presence. Donations of clothing, cash, glass (most windows were blown out and caused hundreds of eye injuries that resulted in - brace yourself - eye removal by the buckets with only ether as anesthesia.
MacDonald also relays the judicial as well as the military investigations into the collision. Judicial blamed the the pilot of the Mont Blanc as well as it's captain as did the military which also included Halifax Harbor's Chief Examining Officer who failed to ensure shipping regulations were complied with. No one was officially tried for any crime and no one lost their license.
Personally, I believe it was not just one error that caused this tragedy but a series of them. The misinterpretation of the whistles. The Mont Blanc not flying the red flag indicating munitions aboard (which in turn would have made it a target for saboteurs). The Imo moving into the opposite lane to evade a tug towing heavily loaded scows. As well as an English destroyer blocking part of the narrows along with ferries crossing between Dartmouth and Halifax and. . . . and. . . .
Interesting and well-written about an event that many people likely have never heard of but still resonates through the province of Nova Scotia. I was intrigued to discover that the tradition of Halifax and Nova Scotia sending the people of Boston a Christmas tree as a thank you every year since it was re-started in 1971. The friendship created between the two cities, in the midst of a horrible disaster, continues to this day.
2019-177
The houses and businesses clustered near the port area didn't have a chance - they were swept away. The people were tossed and thrown into collapsing structures even as the air blast impacted with tremendous strength. Small coal fires within stoves burned whatever fuel it could including people trapped inside the demolished structures.
And then a blizzard struck.
It sounds more like a badly written disaster movie but this did not come from the pen of a screenwriter but it was reality for the survivors of the explosion.
The author goes into extensive detail - perhaps too much in some cases of the injuries inflicted - that the area endured. But she also goes into immense detail about the people coming together to provide aid - clothing since the air-blast tore cloth from their backs; food and clean water. Digging through ruins trying to find survivors. Medical care for the tremendous amount of injuries. And a centralized location to place remains and anything that may identify them to shocked and grieving relatives. Administration trying to organize it all in the midst of their own sorrow.
And assistance flowed in - especially from Massachusetts and the Boston area. The Red Cross of both countries. Military to provide a policing presence. Donations of clothing, cash, glass (most windows were blown out and caused hundreds of eye injuries that resulted in - brace yourself - eye removal by the buckets with only ether as anesthesia.
MacDonald also relays the judicial as well as the military investigations into the collision. Judicial blamed the the pilot of the Mont Blanc as well as it's captain as did the military which also included Halifax Harbor's Chief Examining Officer who failed to ensure shipping regulations were complied with. No one was officially tried for any crime and no one lost their license.
Personally, I believe it was not just one error that caused this tragedy but a series of them. The misinterpretation of the whistles. The Mont Blanc not flying the red flag indicating munitions aboard (which in turn would have made it a target for saboteurs). The Imo moving into the opposite lane to evade a tug towing heavily loaded scows. As well as an English destroyer blocking part of the narrows along with ferries crossing between Dartmouth and Halifax and. . . . and. . . .
Interesting and well-written about an event that many people likely have never heard of but still resonates through the province of Nova Scotia. I was intrigued to discover that the tradition of Halifax and Nova Scotia sending the people of Boston a Christmas tree as a thank you every year since it was re-started in 1971. The friendship created between the two cities, in the midst of a horrible disaster, continues to this day.
2019-177
March 7, 2017
Book Description
Before Hiroshima, there was Halifax. In 1917 the busy Canadian port was crowded with ships leaving for war-torn Europe. On December 6, two of them, the Mont Blanc and the Imo, collided in the hard-to-navigate Narrows of the harbor. Within minutes, the Mont Blanc, ablaze, grounded against the city's docks. The explosion that followed would devastate the city and shock the world.
Set against the background of World War I, Curse of the Narrows is the first major account of the world's largest pre-atomic explosion that set in motion a remarkable relief effort originating from Boston.
I found this book to be a detailed account of this true historical event. In the first part of the book we learn exactly how the accident occurred and the devastation that happened in the cities of Halifax and Dartmouth. Within 12 hours of the explosion, a relief train from Boston, Massachusetts with hundreds of volunteers and supplies was bound for Halifax. We learn of the remarkable courage of the people as they searched for survivors and move the dead to a make-shift morgue. On top of everything that happened that day, a major snowstorm arrives and slows down the relief effort as the train from Boston gets caught in major drifts from the storm. The rest of the book deals with the hospitals that were set up by doctors and nurses to handle the victims hurt by the blast, the burials of the dead and the trial of the ships' captains. In the end, we find out how Halifax was rebuild and the memorial service held yearly to commemorate the disaster. Each December the people of Boston also gather to witness the annual lighting of the Christmas tree. Some of them probably do not know that it is a gift from Nova Scotia and the people of Halifax for all their support and help the day of the explosion and many years afterward. I highly recommend this book to those who are interested in historical disasters. I found the book very well written and hard to put down.
Before Hiroshima, there was Halifax. In 1917 the busy Canadian port was crowded with ships leaving for war-torn Europe. On December 6, two of them, the Mont Blanc and the Imo, collided in the hard-to-navigate Narrows of the harbor. Within minutes, the Mont Blanc, ablaze, grounded against the city's docks. The explosion that followed would devastate the city and shock the world.
Set against the background of World War I, Curse of the Narrows is the first major account of the world's largest pre-atomic explosion that set in motion a remarkable relief effort originating from Boston.
I found this book to be a detailed account of this true historical event. In the first part of the book we learn exactly how the accident occurred and the devastation that happened in the cities of Halifax and Dartmouth. Within 12 hours of the explosion, a relief train from Boston, Massachusetts with hundreds of volunteers and supplies was bound for Halifax. We learn of the remarkable courage of the people as they searched for survivors and move the dead to a make-shift morgue. On top of everything that happened that day, a major snowstorm arrives and slows down the relief effort as the train from Boston gets caught in major drifts from the storm. The rest of the book deals with the hospitals that were set up by doctors and nurses to handle the victims hurt by the blast, the burials of the dead and the trial of the ships' captains. In the end, we find out how Halifax was rebuild and the memorial service held yearly to commemorate the disaster. Each December the people of Boston also gather to witness the annual lighting of the Christmas tree. Some of them probably do not know that it is a gift from Nova Scotia and the people of Halifax for all their support and help the day of the explosion and many years afterward. I highly recommend this book to those who are interested in historical disasters. I found the book very well written and hard to put down.
December 24, 2021
A totally horrific and catastrophic tragedy caused by a ship carrying explosives that decimated Halifax, Nova Scotia. I heard of this once before but never knew the true scope of how devastating this was, it literally floored me to read how folks were blown miles away or decapitated on the spot after the explosion that also triggered a tsunami. This was a compelling, fascinating sad part of history that will never be forgotten.
July 23, 2015
Each December the people of Boston gather to witness the annual lighting of the Christmas tree. Some of them probably do not know why the people of Halifax send a tree every year or even that it is a gift from Nova Scotia. No one needs to know the story behind a tree to admire its beauty. But the people of Halifax know where it comes from and they remember the story.
Most of us growing up in Canada around my age demographic, will remember the Canadian Heritage Minutes. They are such a beloved, nostalgic piece of history. The Halifax Explosion commercial always gave me chills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5tU1...
We learned about the explosion in school, although it was mostly about the explosion itself & the amount of people lost. I had no idea the extent of devastation which the people in Halifax went through. In December of 1917, a cargo ship filled with explosives, collided with a steamship in the Narrows (an area where Halifax Harbour connects to Bedford Basin.) This set off a fire in the cargo, which in turn started a domino effect. And then Mother Nature decided to step in on top of that. 11 explosions; a fire; raining black oil for 10 minutes straight; a tsunami; thunderstorms; a blizzard. 2000 people died, 10,000 were injured & 6,000 were left homeless. Much of the city was levelled. The damage was an estimated $35 million dollars (what would be approximately $420 million US in 2004.) It was the largest man-made explosion, until Hiroshima.
I love disaster books. They are a favorite subgenre of mine! There is something so compelling about what human condition can go through, of resiliency. I also love learning & this book taught me a lot. For me, the most fascinating was learning about Dr. W.E Ladd & Dr. George Cox. Dr. Cox performed eye surgeries for 84 hours straight at one point. His work provided insight into eye injuries & how to better the world of Optometry. Dr. Ladd suddenly became the head of North America's first pediatric surgical ward. His experiences helped him to become a pioneer in fluid & electrolyte imbalances in children. Because of this awful tragedy, Pediatrics & Optometry improved by leaps & bounds.
The meticulous detail which the author goes into the science of the explosion, the information in regards to injuries & the survivor accounts made it evident an exhaustive amount of research was done. The only real issue I had was with the pictures in the book. They are terribly low quality. Surely they could have been printed on something other than the standard stock paper? The details within the pictures are incredibly muddled, unfortunately.
There are harrowing moments that were documented of which will stay with me -- Or the gut-wrenching account from Elizabeth.
These people had to endure so much. Many of them were never the same again. So much loss -- of life; possessions; mental well-being. With such a devastating ordeal, it was incredible to read about people coming together in the time of need. The people of Boston, New York, England, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, etc who raised funds, volunteered their services & sent relief items. It was impressive how quickly emergency services were organized!
As a lesser known tragedy to those outside of Canada, this is well worth reading.
Most of us growing up in Canada around my age demographic, will remember the Canadian Heritage Minutes. They are such a beloved, nostalgic piece of history. The Halifax Explosion commercial always gave me chills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5tU1...
We learned about the explosion in school, although it was mostly about the explosion itself & the amount of people lost. I had no idea the extent of devastation which the people in Halifax went through. In December of 1917, a cargo ship filled with explosives, collided with a steamship in the Narrows (an area where Halifax Harbour connects to Bedford Basin.) This set off a fire in the cargo, which in turn started a domino effect. And then Mother Nature decided to step in on top of that. 11 explosions; a fire; raining black oil for 10 minutes straight; a tsunami; thunderstorms; a blizzard. 2000 people died, 10,000 were injured & 6,000 were left homeless. Much of the city was levelled. The damage was an estimated $35 million dollars (what would be approximately $420 million US in 2004.) It was the largest man-made explosion, until Hiroshima.
I love disaster books. They are a favorite subgenre of mine! There is something so compelling about what human condition can go through, of resiliency. I also love learning & this book taught me a lot. For me, the most fascinating was learning about Dr. W.E Ladd & Dr. George Cox. Dr. Cox performed eye surgeries for 84 hours straight at one point. His work provided insight into eye injuries & how to better the world of Optometry. Dr. Ladd suddenly became the head of North America's first pediatric surgical ward. His experiences helped him to become a pioneer in fluid & electrolyte imbalances in children. Because of this awful tragedy, Pediatrics & Optometry improved by leaps & bounds.
The meticulous detail which the author goes into the science of the explosion, the information in regards to injuries & the survivor accounts made it evident an exhaustive amount of research was done. The only real issue I had was with the pictures in the book. They are terribly low quality. Surely they could have been printed on something other than the standard stock paper? The details within the pictures are incredibly muddled, unfortunately.
There are harrowing moments that were documented of which will stay with me -- Or the gut-wrenching account from Elizabeth.
These people had to endure so much. Many of them were never the same again. So much loss -- of life; possessions; mental well-being. With such a devastating ordeal, it was incredible to read about people coming together in the time of need. The people of Boston, New York, England, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, etc who raised funds, volunteered their services & sent relief items. It was impressive how quickly emergency services were organized!
As a lesser known tragedy to those outside of Canada, this is well worth reading.
August 19, 2014
It's a little unsettling to me that prior to reading Curse of the Narrows I had never heard of the explosion that caused so much devastation in Halifax, Nova Scotia on December 6, 1917. When the munitions ship, Mont Blanc, collided with the Belgian Relief vessel, Imo, on that fateful day none of the inhabitants in Richmond could have predicted the loss that their town would incur. I have to admit that at the outset of this book I was struggling to comprehend what was occurring as much of the language was 'nautical' in nature which I've always found confusing. However, once Mac Donald began discussing the 'human element' I was hooked. Basically, the entire town was decimated in a matter of moments and thousands were killed, injured, orphaned, and made homeless. Oppenheimer used the statistics from the blast to calculate the effects of an atomic bomb (and used these calculations to create the bombs used in Nagasaki and Hiroshima). One of the unique factors in this event was that there was an historian on the ground that immediately began rounding up accounts and taking interviews in order to preserve the details of the day and the days and months preceding it. I highly encourage any fans of history (in particular WWI-era) to give this book a try. Additionally, the Appendix and Notes at the end of the book were absolutely phenomenal which is always one of my favorite parts in any nonfiction work and if you aren't reading these I highly encourage you to do so. :-D
January 30, 2016
Curse of the Narrows relives the horror of the 1917 Halifax maritime disaster that nearly wipe the port and its inhabitants of the map. I am ashamed I had never heard of this piece of history the devastation, loss of life and suffering caused by it is truly of biblical proportions.
The events are told by the those who lived through the horror by the stitching together of numerous first hand accounts, as well as some poetic license. The author also does a good job of putting the disaster in the context of the history of the time giving the reader a good sense importance and isolation of Halifax.
This is a well written piece of history that keeps the reader engaged through most of the book. I did have times though when I found myself skimming through the pages. Overall though a solid read that is worth the effort.
The events are told by the those who lived through the horror by the stitching together of numerous first hand accounts, as well as some poetic license. The author also does a good job of putting the disaster in the context of the history of the time giving the reader a good sense importance and isolation of Halifax.
This is a well written piece of history that keeps the reader engaged through most of the book. I did have times though when I found myself skimming through the pages. Overall though a solid read that is worth the effort.
May 13, 2020
My great great aunt was Decapitated and her sister left without a scratch one of them was seven and the other one was five they were both knocked off their feet but when the five-year-old tried looking for sister she just found a head they think her body was washed away into the ocean
April 15, 2018
This book was okay. It would have done well as an "American Crime Story" style AMC/HBO series.
There are a lot of loops and turns, and it's simultaneously about the Halifax Harbour Explosion and many other insane things that occasionally only related to it superficially.
The writing was a little sloppy at times and the ebook version (and I suppose the physical book version as well at times) was in desperate need of editing. I don't know how many times I encountered the ship "Imo" written as "Imd" instead. The book was written in this style (pay attention): "Borden would pay a lot of attention to Halifax, not only as his constituency but also because, in his third year in office, in 1914, a bullet passed through Archduke Francis Ferdinand's heart."
I don't know, to me the writing left a lot to be desired. MacDonald also engages in the terrible habit of writing about Canadian themes and events but writing in the American-style and using Fahrenheit instead of Celsius. Additionally there is a completely confusing section of the book where she incorrectly refers to French-Canadian judges in Canada's Supreme Court as "French judges" which, considering the fact that the judges were discussing a case involving French citizens and that the Mont Blanc was a French ship with a mostly French crew, was irritating to wade through and took away some of the book's "oomph."
There is no hard thesis that I could detect from the book, just a retelling of the facts along with many, many, MANY side-stories related to doctors, train conductors, and victims of the explosion. I found the lead-up to the explosion and the explosion itself to be quite suspenseful and captivating, but nearly everything afterwards to be a little mundane. However, the actual explosion and its immediate aftereffects is a history that every Canadian should be aware of. Before reading this book I had no idea how bad it really was.
With the benefit of hindsight, it is occasionally hard while reading this book to sympathize with Haligonians who, despite unifying briefly to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps (with the help of Boston) following the explosion, remained screaming racists by today's standards, and who engaged in completely unfair and discriminatory treatment and policies towards the Mi'kmaq and black citizens of Halifax.
I understand that the past is a foreign country and that we cannot judge a people from their past by our current value system, but it is hard to read about people donating nearly all of their possessions to help victims of the explosion and then about how the government decided to refuse a man the money he was entitled to use to rebuild his home that was flattened in the explosion solely because he is black and dared to demand the same compensation a white man would have gotten (which was double what was offered him).
I think this book would be far more interesting for a Haligonian/Nova Scotian than the average reader. While it is quite interesting at times, in my opinion it was missing an essential element.
There are a lot of loops and turns, and it's simultaneously about the Halifax Harbour Explosion and many other insane things that occasionally only related to it superficially.
The writing was a little sloppy at times and the ebook version (and I suppose the physical book version as well at times) was in desperate need of editing. I don't know how many times I encountered the ship "Imo" written as "Imd" instead. The book was written in this style (pay attention): "Borden would pay a lot of attention to Halifax, not only as his constituency but also because, in his third year in office, in 1914, a bullet passed through Archduke Francis Ferdinand's heart."
I don't know, to me the writing left a lot to be desired. MacDonald also engages in the terrible habit of writing about Canadian themes and events but writing in the American-style and using Fahrenheit instead of Celsius. Additionally there is a completely confusing section of the book where she incorrectly refers to French-Canadian judges in Canada's Supreme Court as "French judges" which, considering the fact that the judges were discussing a case involving French citizens and that the Mont Blanc was a French ship with a mostly French crew, was irritating to wade through and took away some of the book's "oomph."
There is no hard thesis that I could detect from the book, just a retelling of the facts along with many, many, MANY side-stories related to doctors, train conductors, and victims of the explosion. I found the lead-up to the explosion and the explosion itself to be quite suspenseful and captivating, but nearly everything afterwards to be a little mundane. However, the actual explosion and its immediate aftereffects is a history that every Canadian should be aware of. Before reading this book I had no idea how bad it really was.
With the benefit of hindsight, it is occasionally hard while reading this book to sympathize with Haligonians who, despite unifying briefly to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps (with the help of Boston) following the explosion, remained screaming racists by today's standards, and who engaged in completely unfair and discriminatory treatment and policies towards the Mi'kmaq and black citizens of Halifax.
I understand that the past is a foreign country and that we cannot judge a people from their past by our current value system, but it is hard to read about people donating nearly all of their possessions to help victims of the explosion and then about how the government decided to refuse a man the money he was entitled to use to rebuild his home that was flattened in the explosion solely because he is black and dared to demand the same compensation a white man would have gotten (which was double what was offered him).
I think this book would be far more interesting for a Haligonian/Nova Scotian than the average reader. While it is quite interesting at times, in my opinion it was missing an essential element.
September 16, 2022
Non-fiction account of the horrifying collision and explosion of two ships in Halifax in 1917. The damage, injuries and loss of life just devastating.
December 4, 2018
Pretty good. Shame about the American spellings in a book about a Canadian / British event though.
August 8, 2013
On December 6, 1917, the most powerful human created non-nuclear explosion occurred in Halifax Harbor, Nova Scotia. The explosion occurred when a French munitions ship, the Mont Blanc, entering Halifax Harbor collided with a ship carrying relief supplies for Belgium, the Imo, which was sailing out of the harbor. The Mont Blanc was literally a floating bomb carrying TNT, gun cotton, and picric acid, all high explosives that were capable of simultaneous detonation. With the collision, benzol stored on the deck caught fire superheating the ship until the high explosives detonated. The effect of the explosion was to destroy most of the city of Halifax, kill 2,000 people, and wound thousands.
The book tells the story of the events leading up to the human error that caused the collision but that is only a small part of the story. By page 70, the explosion has occurred and the city lays in ruins. What follows can be divided into two stories; the story of the survivors and the story of those who came to help the people of Halifax. The same day as the explosion saw relief efforts from across Canada and the US but especially from the city of Boston which had a relief train on the way to Halifax within 12 hours of the explosion. Ms. MacDonald tells the story of relief efforts struggling through the mountains of New Brunswick in a blizzard that suddenly appeared the night of the explosion. We learn about the efforts of the Red Cross as they use the lessons they have learned from the San Francisco earthquake to quickly provide relief to Halifax.
The stories of the survivors and the horrors they endured (husbands identifying the bodies of their entire family, dozens blinded by the flying glass and wood, children made into orphans searching through the remains of their homes) makes for incredible reading, but the way it is presented is sometimes confusing as we go forward and back in time through the first few days after the explosion with different families. There are some other small problems with the book. The maps are not detailed enough to allow someone who doesn't know Halifax to follow the action. The pictures are printed on normal stock which makes them less detailed. For example, a description of a picture of the Imo tells us to note the puncture wounds in the hull but the picture is so poorly printed that they are impossible to see.
Overall, the book is a excellent presentation of an event that most people know nothing about. It is well written and brings to life the survivors and the volunteers who came to help them. It is hard to read their stories and not be affected.
The book tells the story of the events leading up to the human error that caused the collision but that is only a small part of the story. By page 70, the explosion has occurred and the city lays in ruins. What follows can be divided into two stories; the story of the survivors and the story of those who came to help the people of Halifax. The same day as the explosion saw relief efforts from across Canada and the US but especially from the city of Boston which had a relief train on the way to Halifax within 12 hours of the explosion. Ms. MacDonald tells the story of relief efforts struggling through the mountains of New Brunswick in a blizzard that suddenly appeared the night of the explosion. We learn about the efforts of the Red Cross as they use the lessons they have learned from the San Francisco earthquake to quickly provide relief to Halifax.
The stories of the survivors and the horrors they endured (husbands identifying the bodies of their entire family, dozens blinded by the flying glass and wood, children made into orphans searching through the remains of their homes) makes for incredible reading, but the way it is presented is sometimes confusing as we go forward and back in time through the first few days after the explosion with different families. There are some other small problems with the book. The maps are not detailed enough to allow someone who doesn't know Halifax to follow the action. The pictures are printed on normal stock which makes them less detailed. For example, a description of a picture of the Imo tells us to note the puncture wounds in the hull but the picture is so poorly printed that they are impossible to see.
Overall, the book is a excellent presentation of an event that most people know nothing about. It is well written and brings to life the survivors and the volunteers who came to help them. It is hard to read their stories and not be affected.
February 17, 2011
This was a fascinating book. Each chapter focuses on some aspect of the Halifax Explosion of 1917, organized in loosely chronological orders. Starts with setting the political, economic and military context of Halifax leading up to and during WWI and the principal parties involved. The events of the fateful morning, reconstructed from eyewitness accounts and testimony, are detailed early in the book. The main part of the book is an account, weaving local history with many personal narratives of local residents who experienced it, of the aftermath of the disaster: the family tragedies, the shock, the toll of death and suffering, and response to the disaster in the days and weeks following. One of the last chapters in the book covers the legal proceedings concerning those responsible for the collision that caused the explosion and whether they failed their duties, bringing the story back to the events of that fateful morning. The story concludes with an epilogue relating what became of each of the key characters in the story.
The cast is so large that it can be difficult at times remembering who is who, but the stories are absolutely compelling. Events of deeply emotional loss, compassion, and horror are recounted that are almost guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes. The story is fascinating also as a case study in a historical disaster response.
The Halifax explosion was the largest man-made explosion up to that point in history and remains the largest accidental man-made explosion in human history. It totally destroyed the Richmond part of Halifax and damaged virtually nearly every building in the city. It was precedent-setting in terms of lessons learned about disaster response, and a key event in the medical science of vision loss as a result of many people being blinded from losing eyes from flying glass and other shrapnel. The story of the carnage is gruesome. The human ability to survive amazing. The interplay between social forces and disaster response is fascinating. In many cases the prior social order was set aside by the necessities of the disaster, yet in other ways the social order shaped the disaster response, with the expected inequalities. A very good book to read, but more than a little depressing.
The cast is so large that it can be difficult at times remembering who is who, but the stories are absolutely compelling. Events of deeply emotional loss, compassion, and horror are recounted that are almost guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes. The story is fascinating also as a case study in a historical disaster response.
The Halifax explosion was the largest man-made explosion up to that point in history and remains the largest accidental man-made explosion in human history. It totally destroyed the Richmond part of Halifax and damaged virtually nearly every building in the city. It was precedent-setting in terms of lessons learned about disaster response, and a key event in the medical science of vision loss as a result of many people being blinded from losing eyes from flying glass and other shrapnel. The story of the carnage is gruesome. The human ability to survive amazing. The interplay between social forces and disaster response is fascinating. In many cases the prior social order was set aside by the necessities of the disaster, yet in other ways the social order shaped the disaster response, with the expected inequalities. A very good book to read, but more than a little depressing.
May 24, 2013
In 1917, there was an explosion in Halifax, Nova Scotia's harbor. Two ships had collided, one of which was laden with munitions intended for use in World War I, and when it blew up, it was the largest man-made explosion in history until the Trinity atomic bomb tests. The explosion devastated Halifax and its neighboring communities. Laura MacDonald's book is a gripping read of the how the explosion occurred, what the effects were, and what the aftermath was.
This book may be of particular interest to Bostonians who have a fondness for the giant Christmas tree the City receives from Halifax every Christmas season. Boston was the first US community to rally aid for Halifax. Upon learning of the explosion, Boston immediately sent a relief train loaded with supplies, doctors, and nurses. Making its way to Halifax through blizzard conditions, the relief workers were instrumental in helping survivors of the catastrophe. In remembrance of this aid, each year, the City of Halifax sends Boston its Christmas tree.
Other reviewers on Goodreads.com have argued that the level of detail it goes in to may be disturbing to some readers. This is true. On the other hand, it is not MacDonald's fault that the explosion was so devastating with such grizzly results. MacDonald is relaying the truth of the horror that the survivors and rescuers experienced. Sugarcoating history wouldn't do anybody any favors.
The book is not perfect. It seems somewhat longer than it needs to be, drawing out or repeating some elements at times. It is a bit dry in places. But on the whole, a fascinating look at a terrible event.
This book may be of particular interest to Bostonians who have a fondness for the giant Christmas tree the City receives from Halifax every Christmas season. Boston was the first US community to rally aid for Halifax. Upon learning of the explosion, Boston immediately sent a relief train loaded with supplies, doctors, and nurses. Making its way to Halifax through blizzard conditions, the relief workers were instrumental in helping survivors of the catastrophe. In remembrance of this aid, each year, the City of Halifax sends Boston its Christmas tree.
Other reviewers on Goodreads.com have argued that the level of detail it goes in to may be disturbing to some readers. This is true. On the other hand, it is not MacDonald's fault that the explosion was so devastating with such grizzly results. MacDonald is relaying the truth of the horror that the survivors and rescuers experienced. Sugarcoating history wouldn't do anybody any favors.
The book is not perfect. It seems somewhat longer than it needs to be, drawing out or repeating some elements at times. It is a bit dry in places. But on the whole, a fascinating look at a terrible event.
March 16, 2011
There have only been a handful of times in my life that i've not finished a book I've started. What could be a great account of a truly horrible, tragic event reads like a gorefest slasher flick screenplay. There is an over abundance of detail in describing the injuries people suffered in this explosion that took place in the bay of Halifax - only atomic bombs have caused greater explosions. But do I need 4 straight pages describing the awful details of what happens when people get glass in their eyes? Probably not. Overly and unnecessarily gruesome, I would've preferred more about the relief and rescue efforts and the logistics of recovery during the aftermath rather than descriptions of death and dismemberment. Borderline creepy.
January 1, 2016
3.5 stars. I thought the book was really well written, but I don't think I particularly enjoy this Type of book. I found myself bored by some of the information, and wanting to linger on other topics.
It's an important part of history that I didn't learn about in school and that's why I think this books are so essential, however, still- it didn't quite do it for me. First half was definitely better (for me) than the second.
It's an important part of history that I didn't learn about in school and that's why I think this books are so essential, however, still- it didn't quite do it for me. First half was definitely better (for me) than the second.
March 25, 2008
A gripping account of an event I never knew occured until I visited Halifax this past Oct. Well written but a bit drawn out.
October 12, 2016
Easily the best book about the Halifax Explosion I have read - and I have read many by this point.
January 7, 2023
World War I’s trenches, barbed wire and No Man’s Land were Over There, but on December 6, 1917 The Great War was over here.
Halifax, Nova Scotia is a major port on Canada’s Atlantic Coast whose prosperity has ebbed and flowed with the tides of commerce and war. The withdrawal of the Royal Navy in 1906 brought an ebb but the war and the return of the Royal Navy activity came surging back. Soldiers, sailors, and commercial freighters crowded the streets, businesses and the harbor as men, foodstuffs, munitions and manufactured, goods passed through on their way to aid Britannia. By 1917 Halifax was at high tide. Business bustled on both the Halifax and Dartmouth sides of the Harbor.
The French vessel, Mont Blanc had been loaded with high explosives in Brooklyn. The ship’s carpenters had been ordered to line every inch of the hold with wood and to use copper nails that would not spark when struck. Stevedores wearing canvas slippers loaded the cargo that, with a storm or shift, could have destroyed everything within blast range. Mont Blanc with its volatile cargo was ordered to proceed to Halifax to join a North Atlantic convoy.
Mont Blanc spent the night of December 5-6 outside the submarine nets of Halifax Harbor. A late coal delivery had detained the Belgian relief ship, Imo, bound for New York, in harbor overnight. The morning of the 6th the pilots arrived and Imo and Mont Blanc began moving toward their rendezvous with history. As Mont Blanc was approaching the harbor Imo began to move toward its exit. They were about three-quarters of a mile apart when Mont Blanc Pilot Francis Mackay noticed Imo proceeding at an unusually fast pace within the harbor. As they closed a collision became inevitable. Although impact with the TNT hold was avoided a gash in the no. 1 hold sent Mont Blanc drifting toward Pier 6 in Dartmouth, one of the most populated areas along the northern stretch of wharves. As the pilot and crew endeavored to minimize damage the citizens watched as black and white smoke rose from Mont Blanc. Recognizing that nothing could prevent the impending explosion the captain gave the order to abandon ship. The crew’s warnings went unheeded as they paddled to shore and assembled under spruce trees except for one crewman who did not stop running. Flames gave way to a series of explosions until 9:04:34 a.m. when Mont Blanc erupted in the largest, man-made, non-nuclear explosion in history. The heat evaporated water in the harbor, the tsunami threw ships inland and it and the air blast flattened blocks of the city, observers were blinded by the fireball, the sound was heard hundreds of miles away and communications to the outside world were largely cut. The following day Halifax was hit with -20 degrees Fahrenheit and a blizzard with gale force winds,
After an interlude about explosions, the focus of the book shifts to the resulting damage to property, injuries and the immense relief efforts that followed. Over 2,000 were dead or missing, over 6,000 injured, 9,000 rendered homeless with 41 fully and 249 partially blinded. Temporary hospitals were set up, naval vessels brought supplies and provided medical services and physicians were dispatched from Montreal and Ottawa. A relief train from Boston fought the weather to bring supplies and medical personnel. Boston’s generosity to Halifax was repaid when Halifax sent physicians to aid Boston during the Spanish Flu epidemic and continues to this day as the official Boston Christmas Tree in the Boston Common is a gift from the people of Halifax.
Author Laura M. Mac Donald had the advantage of many recorded interviews and testimonies taken during investigations from which to draw the facts of the case and the human-interest stories related to the explosion. She followed individuals and families who lived through or died in the tragedy. Perhaps the most touching story and photo is that of eighteen-month-old Annie Liggins who was found under a stove the day after. Originally misidentified as Olive Henneberry she was later nicknamed “Ashpan Annie.”
The story of the Halifax explosion is a tragic disaster that should be known by anyone interested in North American involvement in The Great War. “Curse of the Narrows” is an excellent source from which to learn about the explosion and the human lives that it unalterably changed.
Halifax, Nova Scotia is a major port on Canada’s Atlantic Coast whose prosperity has ebbed and flowed with the tides of commerce and war. The withdrawal of the Royal Navy in 1906 brought an ebb but the war and the return of the Royal Navy activity came surging back. Soldiers, sailors, and commercial freighters crowded the streets, businesses and the harbor as men, foodstuffs, munitions and manufactured, goods passed through on their way to aid Britannia. By 1917 Halifax was at high tide. Business bustled on both the Halifax and Dartmouth sides of the Harbor.
The French vessel, Mont Blanc had been loaded with high explosives in Brooklyn. The ship’s carpenters had been ordered to line every inch of the hold with wood and to use copper nails that would not spark when struck. Stevedores wearing canvas slippers loaded the cargo that, with a storm or shift, could have destroyed everything within blast range. Mont Blanc with its volatile cargo was ordered to proceed to Halifax to join a North Atlantic convoy.
Mont Blanc spent the night of December 5-6 outside the submarine nets of Halifax Harbor. A late coal delivery had detained the Belgian relief ship, Imo, bound for New York, in harbor overnight. The morning of the 6th the pilots arrived and Imo and Mont Blanc began moving toward their rendezvous with history. As Mont Blanc was approaching the harbor Imo began to move toward its exit. They were about three-quarters of a mile apart when Mont Blanc Pilot Francis Mackay noticed Imo proceeding at an unusually fast pace within the harbor. As they closed a collision became inevitable. Although impact with the TNT hold was avoided a gash in the no. 1 hold sent Mont Blanc drifting toward Pier 6 in Dartmouth, one of the most populated areas along the northern stretch of wharves. As the pilot and crew endeavored to minimize damage the citizens watched as black and white smoke rose from Mont Blanc. Recognizing that nothing could prevent the impending explosion the captain gave the order to abandon ship. The crew’s warnings went unheeded as they paddled to shore and assembled under spruce trees except for one crewman who did not stop running. Flames gave way to a series of explosions until 9:04:34 a.m. when Mont Blanc erupted in the largest, man-made, non-nuclear explosion in history. The heat evaporated water in the harbor, the tsunami threw ships inland and it and the air blast flattened blocks of the city, observers were blinded by the fireball, the sound was heard hundreds of miles away and communications to the outside world were largely cut. The following day Halifax was hit with -20 degrees Fahrenheit and a blizzard with gale force winds,
After an interlude about explosions, the focus of the book shifts to the resulting damage to property, injuries and the immense relief efforts that followed. Over 2,000 were dead or missing, over 6,000 injured, 9,000 rendered homeless with 41 fully and 249 partially blinded. Temporary hospitals were set up, naval vessels brought supplies and provided medical services and physicians were dispatched from Montreal and Ottawa. A relief train from Boston fought the weather to bring supplies and medical personnel. Boston’s generosity to Halifax was repaid when Halifax sent physicians to aid Boston during the Spanish Flu epidemic and continues to this day as the official Boston Christmas Tree in the Boston Common is a gift from the people of Halifax.
Author Laura M. Mac Donald had the advantage of many recorded interviews and testimonies taken during investigations from which to draw the facts of the case and the human-interest stories related to the explosion. She followed individuals and families who lived through or died in the tragedy. Perhaps the most touching story and photo is that of eighteen-month-old Annie Liggins who was found under a stove the day after. Originally misidentified as Olive Henneberry she was later nicknamed “Ashpan Annie.”
The story of the Halifax explosion is a tragic disaster that should be known by anyone interested in North American involvement in The Great War. “Curse of the Narrows” is an excellent source from which to learn about the explosion and the human lives that it unalterably changed.
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