Life and Death at Hoover Dam

by Jerry Borrowman

It’s 1931—the start of the Great Depression.

With jobs running sparse, David Conroy is among the lucky few who are selected to work in the searing heat of the Nevada desert on the massive Hoover Dam, one of America's most amazing and biggest engineering accomplishments.

The goal is to tame the mighty Colorado River with a dam that towers sixty stories high. But is the cost too great for these desperate men who must sacrifice their safety to support their families?

From choking on gasoline fumes in 120-degree heat inside the five-stories-tall diversion tunnels, to dangling by slender cables from the thousand-foot walls of Black Canyon, building a dam in the middle of a barren desert is a matter of life and death for the workers.

Amidst the dangerous conditions, there is another battle David and his colleagues must conquer. The battle over prejudice, discrimination, and bigotry, all while overcoming family drama and the economic problems of the Great Depression.

Readers will find themselves cheering for the heroes and booing the villains, page after page, with every breathtaking incident in this gripping tale. Get your copy today!

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Amazon, Historical, Mystery, American, Ebooks

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 16, 2010

About the author

Jerry Borrowman is an award-winning author of 21 commercially published books including military fiction, non-fiction, and co-authored biography. Jerry is a two-time recipient of the prestigious George Washington National Medal from the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge "for his contribution to the cause of freedom through his writing." Compassionate Soldier was the 2019 Gold Award Winner from Foreword Reviews in the War and Military category, and Invisible Heroes of World War II was the 2022 Silver Winner.

Jerry is known for his meticulous attention to historical detail, including the technology that is unique to each story.

Reviews

[Alicia Huxtable · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting

I found this book hard to put down. I was taken in right from the start. The struggle of Toni and the other workers often left me feeling frustrated at how people were treated back then. But the way they persevered made me proud. Oh and it was good to read about the construction of the dam too

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an incredibly timely read

When I downloaded Life and Death At Hoover Dam I had no idea how important it is in the world of today. I wonder how many of those who are rabidly anti immigration realise that their own ancestors were also abused by the "real" Americans who hated those whose accents were different, or whose names or cultures were unlike their own. I would love to see Mr. Borrowing write a prequel about the anti-Italian agitators in the 1920s who were successful in imposing discriminatory immigration quotas against Southern and Eastern Europeans. It might help some understand the motives and mindset of those so rabidly opposed to the American Dream Act. Thank you, Mr. Borrowman, for your wisdom and insight.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Dynamo that Wasn’t.

🖊 A novel!!!!!! When I picked up this book about the building of Hoover Dam, I was led to believe this was an historical work, not an historical fiction novel. Therefore, this was not for me. 🗑 Other readers may find this story their cup of lake water and electric dynamo.

📕Published in 2010.

From My Desk in My Private Library at Crystal Lake:
જ⁀🟡 Kindle Unlimited.
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✧⋆Excerpts of note:

🔺Arrowrock Dam east of Boise in 1912—the tallest concrete dam in the world at the time. The techniques they pioneered building Arrowrock made it a forerunner of the great Hoover Dam that was now to take form in the Arizona-Nevada desert.

✯ Is this documented?

🔻Tony rubbed his right arm dramatically.

✯ Prejudice is overwrought in this novel.

🔺It shocked Tony so much to have a white person offer him his hand that he hesitated, but even at that the guy didn’t pull back.

✯ How is this documented?

🔻Frank inhaled sharply.

✯ What is the primary source?

🔺David’s stomach tightened.

[Becky S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, so much I didn’t know about this dam and this time in American history. People are so dense when it comes to prejudice and fairness. The timing for reading this book was perfect because we were on a trip to LA and stopped at the Hoover dam on the way, 101 degrees Fahrenheit is a little hot for my family in the summer to really enjoy this but amazing to experience the conditions it was built in. It is so huge and really amazing it was built. Sad that so many people worked and died in horrible dangerous conditions. I recommend the book because sacrifices like this should not be forgotten. And be nice to humans we are all the same family no matter what color our skin is or if we have an accent.

[Marie (UK) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book, incredibly well written and much more than just a history of the building of one of the most incredible engineering projects in living history. It tells the story of it engineers and its huge workforce, of racial disharmony on a huge scale. In order to fit in at the hoover dam site you needed to be white American anything else and your chances were non existent. Yet, Tony Capaldi an Italian American gets work at the project, a hard and conscientious worker, a good man but the treatment of him takes none of these things into account.

There are big issues in this book that should make everyone think about their stance on immigration and racial integration.

[Amy Katherine Wolff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical fiction

When I saw the title of this book that I'd snagged from somewhere in my Kindle I thought it was non-fiction. You can imagine my surprise (and momentary confusion) when the different characters arrived on scene. It turned out to be a great fictional story was amazing pieces of historical facts woven in the midst of the story. Facts not just about the construction of the dam, it also facts about societal views and what everyday life was like for some Americans living in the 1930s. I found the book both educational and enjoyable.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

After visiting the Hoover Dam about 6 months ago, I could truly picture the story in my mind.
Being the daughter of an Italian immigrant, I was aware of the prejudices held by many people earlier in the 20th century, even though he was an American citizen, and had lived here nearly all of his life.
What a great book! The history is well researched, the characters relatable, and the story exciting and moving.

[Calla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining Tale of the Building of the Hoover Dam

While I would have preferred more factual engineering details and less fictionalized drama, the story provides a good understanding of what the builders and engineers undertook to create the Hoover Dam.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author incorporates fiction into the history behind the Hoover Dam. Not only did I learn a lot about the construction of the dam, but I also learned about the prejudices during that time. This book includes pictures of the construction and was hard to put down once I started.

[Tehila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish I’d learned this history in high school. Well-written and enjoyable. Treat yourself.

[Strefelt · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting novel about the building of the Hoover Dam.

[William Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was mildly surprised at how interesting this book was. At times, it was hard to separate fact from fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

[amy Lalone · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok

I was hoping this was a true story about the Hoover Dam, but as I read it i found out it wasnt. It was good.

[annemarie Latimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely great story

This book was a great education for me. A real page Turner about the trials and tribulations of the construction of the dam.

[Janetkc7wvy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical Novels are my favorite. I had no idea the dam was as tall or thick as it is. And things they had to do like build huge 5 story diversion tunnels for the water to go around while they built the dam. The dangers in the tunnels and dangling from the wall over the river. Or that concrete heats up and that much had to be cooled down. It is laced with pipes that they pumped with cool water to help it cool. Then they filled the pipes with grout. I did not understand that when the Colorado River was on it's own it alternated between flooded California land or causing a draught. The dam was built during the depression and was the largest public works project there was.
I now want to go to the dam and take a tour.

[Mdolfan · Rating 4 out of 5]

while some reviews say the racism in the book is a bit much, I did not see it that way. rather, I saw it as illustrative of the times. perhaps that is because of having a part Irish background where my Irish relatives were coal miners. yes, perhaps it was a bit contrived to work in details of construction and attitudes, but other authors have done the same in much longer books and made it work. Borrowman made it work in a short, technical book.

nevertheless, this book was an interesting account of the construction of one of the world's marvels. I have yet to see the dam, but one day hope to see it. because of this story, I will be able to envision all that went into the construction of it including the human cost and sacrifice.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's 1931 and men are desperate for jobs. A lucky few will get to work in the searing heat of the Nevada desert on the massive Hoover Dam. Their goal is to tame the mighty Colorado River with a dam that towers sixty stories high from the base of the canyon to the crest of the dam, thus creating the largest man-made like in the world. Nothing like it has ever been built.

This was a good and I found it interesting. It included a thread throughout the story of how non-whites were treated in those days which always makes me sad that these things ever happened. It was very cruel and in some cases deadly.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd actually give it 3.5 stars...I wish they had a half star rating. Anyway, this book was really interesting about the building of the Hoover/Boulder Dam in the early 30's which was also during the depression and provided jobs for many. The author does a good job of explaining the background and building of the dam while immersing some fictional characters into the story also. It works really well to give you a feeling of the times. I'd recommend this book to those who like to read historical fiction...even in the 20th century.

[Verona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be most interesting. Although this was a novel, and I enjoyed the characters, the star of this book was the Hoover Dam. It was fascinating to know all the details of the planning, building, solving problems, technology, or lack of it, and all, concerning the Hoover Dam. I am amazed that something this complicated could be built in the 1930's without all the equipment and technology we have today. It is quite a miracle that it was accomplished. I'm glad I read this book. I enjoyed it a lot.

[Loveshappyendings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well done. I've enjoyed all of this author's books. I was even able to get him to sign my copy at the book store! I was enthralled with the history of Hoover Dam as he presented it. I toured the dam as a child and the book added a new dimension to my understanding of what it took to accomplish that feat of engineering. I was deeply disturbed by the element of predjudice in this story. I pray we as a country have come a long way from that point. The story was gripping and interesting. The included photos were a nice touch.

[Sherrill · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was pretty simplistic and I expected a bit more from Borrowman. However it reminded me of something I had forgotten and that was the absolutely unconscionable prejudice against Italians during the 40s. I lived through it and because now everyone feels so positively about them I had forgotten the ugliness of the day. Sometimes with moral values and honesty and so much else going downhill it is hard to remember that there are some things that have improved tremendously. If you like to read about the inner workings of feats of engineering this is the book for you

[Shandril · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who gets 90% of her water from the Colorado I can not help but to appreciate the Hoover Dam and all of the effort that went into building it. I enjoyed the actual history of this story, the details about the engineering, technology, and human labor that went into building the Dam. The fictional story line was kinda dry, but I say that as a fan of historical fiction so my expectations may be high.

[Vichy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing. I didn't expect when I downloaded this book that the main theme would be the construction of this grand dam in 1935. And it was that and what was more, was the writer's ability to encircle the documentation in a nice and memorable story and to present us interesting characters, real heroes of life.

[Macjest · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical fiction about the building of the Hoover Dam. I downloaded the free Kindle version and there were numerous errors in it. Other than that, it was an interesting look back in history. The racism against Italians was eye-opening. I think this would have been even more interesting if it had been straight non-fiction.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like history you'll love this story. If you like science and engineering you'll love this story. If you like riveting, engaging reading you'll love this story. Jerry Barrowman made the creation of the Hoover Dam into an amazing adventure filled with heartache, friendship, determination and drive to be the person you deserve to be even during diversity.

[Dick Whittington · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written and well researched historical novel documenting the construction of one of the true wonders of the world. Great characters (real and fictional) and a terrific story of facing and overcoming impossible problems, under impossible working conditions, in a most inhospitable environment...and still coming in under budget and nearly 3 years early. Loved it!

[Kate Christensen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay. I think I would have liked it better as non fiction. The way the author got all the facts and information into the dialogue felt incredibly contrived to me. Shallow characters and plot lines.

Loved all the pictures though! That was the best part of the book. What an amazing structure.

[Louis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Jerry Borrowman is one of my favorite authors and he did not disappoint with this book. He has a way of writing which just draws a person in. I would highly recommend this book. It is interesting to learn the facts about the Hoover Dam.

[L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of hokiness in plot and story in order to weave the fiction into the truth. All of the "injustice to the imigrants" attitude gets old. The actual facts from the book are interesting though.

[LeeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the other reviewers commented, I was shocked at the discrimination of the day. I had forgotten some history. It was interesting to read this book about the dam, the challenges, and the process of building it.