The Johnstown Flood - Hardcover

David G. McCullough

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0090874900 ISBN 13: 9780090874903

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 1968

Synopsis

"May 31, 1889. Roaring down from the mountain, a wall of water, in some places 70 feet high smashed through Johnstown, Pa., killing, in a matter of minutes, over 2000 men, women and chilren, and leaving in its wake not only tragic destruction but a national scandal that convulsed the country with horror and outrage..."

About this title

Review:

The history of civil engineering may sound boring, but in David McCullough's hands it is, well, riveting. His award-winning histories of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Panama Canal were preceded by this account of the disastrous dam failure that drowned Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 1889. Written while the last survivors of the flood were still alive, McCullough's narrative weaves the stories of the town, the wealthy men who owned the dam, and the forces of nature into a seamless whole. His account is unforgettable: "The wave kept on coming straight toward him, heading for the very heart of the city. Stores, houses, trees, everything was going down in front of it, and the closer it came, the bigger it seemed to grow.... The height of the wall of water was at least thirty-six feet at the center.... The drowning and devastation of the city took just about ten minutes." A powerful, definitive book, and a tribute to the thousands who died in America's worst inland flood. --Mary Ellen Curtin

About the Author:

David McCullough has twice received the Pulitzer Prize, for Truman and John Adams, and twice received the National Book Award, for The Path Between the Seas and Mornings on Horseback. His other acclaimed books include The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, Brave Companions, 1776, The Greater Journey, and The Wright Brothers. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. Visit DavidMcCullough.com.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 1968
• ISBN 10: 0090874900
• ISBN 13: 9780090874903
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 302