Cocoanut Grove

by Edward Keyes

Here is a spellbinding , minute-by-minute account of the most famous disaster in American History--the fire in Boston's Cocoanut Grove nightclub that, on November 28, 1942, claimed 491 lives.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

277 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does not have a bibliography

[Dave-O · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really needs to be reprinted. A trove of information and sad details surrounding the worst nightclub fire in U.S. history that killed 492 people and injured hundreds. Boston's hot night spot was overflowing with about 1,000 people on a cold November night in 1942. A young couple tried to get some privacy in a corner of the basement-level Broadway Lounge and unscrewed a light bulb prompting a busboy to screw it back in. When he couldn't see in the dark corner, he lit a match and a stray ember soon turned into a fiery blaze enveloping the decorations on the wall and ceiling. The fire spread through the lounge and up the stairs in a manner of minutes and soon the entire nightclub was ablaze. There are gruesome details throughout the book of people scrambling to get out and jamming the revolving door leaving outsiders to helplessly watch them suffer and die. Fire exits had been bolted shut in an effort to keep people from running out on their tabs.

Fortunately for some victims, new burn treatments were used at Mass General Hospital which had received a Federal grant to develop them. As a result of the fire, Massachusetts enacted new safety regulations making mandatory outward-swinging fire doors, clearly-marked exits, and banning flammable decor. The book follows a few survivors including nightclub owner Barney Welansky who was eventually convicted of manslaughter.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad account of the worst fire in America at the famous restaurant/ night club in Boston in 1942. Author goes into detail of the ownership of the club, employees, patrons, and why the timing if the event prevented even more from death. The survival of one particular young man was amazing . Half was thru it was dry reading, but picked up again do stick with it

[Lynne Favreau · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the first nonfiction books I remember reading. It was heartbreaking to read and I was horrified that this was place my mother had been.

[Jen Stutesman]

An amazing book, about a fire that I'd never heard of. No sprinklers, no fire exits, and what doors there were were chained. This is a recurrent theme in fire investigation case studies. While explaining the book to my step dad, he told me about another fire I hadn't heard about: The Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire. I will have to read this one now.
https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Beverly...

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the mystery-solving topics Eng102 students would investigate for years, and the book is a good telling of the event.