The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism

4.5 | 1,334 ratings

Price: 22.04

Last update: 07-01-2024

Top reviews from the United States

David

Enlightening

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2023

Well researched and told with feeling, The Great Halifax Explosion brings to life a critical piece of not just Canadian history, but world history; it’s far-reaching implications touched international relations, disaster relief and preparedness and even what would become the Atomic Age. I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

John

Very enjoyable read!

Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2023

I found this book to be quite interesting, I couldn’t put it down. However, I took off one star because there were so many awkward and seemingly unfinished sentences. It really threw me.

I am 57, have been an avid reader my whole life, and proofread/edit part-time, so I am pretty sure the issue is not my English skills.

Otherwise, the book seems to be well-researched and I liked the way the author tried to flesh out the characters from so long ago. That really helped the reader understand the magnitude of the disaster, and couldn’t have been easy with so much time having elapsed.

Lisa Swan

Heart wrenching, inspiring story of a tragedy

Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2021

Fantastic true account of a tragic event in 1917 when two ships collided in Halifax and over 2,000 people were killed as well as the town being completely destroyed.
Very few of us have ever heard of this terrible event. The incredible bravery and sacrifices and courage of the people who struggled to survive just makes me weep. Even more inspiring is the story of the City of Boston, Mass. who came to the aid of Halifax and sent thousands of people and millions of dollars to save and comfort the survivors.
An amazing and almost unknown piece of history. John U. Bacon did an outstanding job of reporting this tragedy, beautifully written. A really amazing story and great book.

Kindle Customer

I really like it

Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2024

I'm reading and listening to it

Gail Spell

Blast From the Past

Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2023

If you’ve never heard of the Tragedy in Halifax, Nova Scotia,you must read this book. It’s one of the most fascinating accounts of how a city was leveled and everything in it. It also tells you much history of the people who survived and relations between Canada and the U.S. at that time. One of the best non-fiction books I’ve ever read, and I’m an avid reader. Don’t miss it!

Steve Walker

A huge piece of history so few of us know…

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2024

This is a fascinating true story. Bacon ties together the real life, and terrifying death, stories leading up to then through the great Halifax explosion that destroyed most of Halifax, Nova Scotia in an instant on December 6, 1917.

The story as told is both horrifying and uplifting. Any reader should be prepared to be shocked at what happened while simultaneously having faith renewed in humanity’s ability to overcome tragedy beyond imagination.

This should be required reading at many school levels.

John & Rhonda

Vividly written!

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2018

I first heard of John U Bacon through his commentaries on NPR. Something about his storytelling grabbed at me and I didn't want it to let go of me. When The Great Halifax Explosion came out, I thought I'd give it a read. I soon discovered John's writting is as captivating as are his commentaries.
This book ranks right up there with the best of them. The vivid details of the events leading up to, durring and following this catastrophic event have been painstakingly researched and woven together in a tapistry of calamity, death, grime, sacrifice, forgiveness and hope. I would put John's work up against any of the great historical nonfiction authors. For me, the most amazing section is the detail laid out in the split second of obliteration. It will forever be etched in my minds eye. The second most amazing is that I had no previous knowledge of this event.
Well done John U Bacon!

L. Martin

Promises fascinating tale of remarkable events, only partly succeeds

Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2019

An immense tragedy befell Halifax, Nova Scotia, on December 6, 1917 when two ships in its harbor collided setting off the greatest explosion the world had ever seen, not exceeded until the atomic bomb of 1945. Much of the city was leveled, over 2000 lives lost, and 9000 wounded. The response and recovery effort were exemplary of courageous local action and international cooperation, solidifying relations between the U.S. and Canada with lasting effects today. This remarkable event remains little known despite several books about it.

Bacon's book promises to tell a fascinating tale and bring these events to light, but only partly succeeds. He begins strong with suspenseful descriptions unfolding events that brought the two ships to Halifax harbor, then breaks away to details of an odd character's experiences in World War I trenches in France (Joseph Barss). When he returns to Halifax, long descriptions of its harbor and economy follow. The section dealing with how the two ships collided is riveting. Description of the explosion and its immediate effects is awe-full and terrifying. The narrative bogs down in the aftermath with excessive detail, though often heart-rending. Strangely the book skips too lightly over details of the maritime harbor officials' inquiry into how the accident occurred, and the trials that followed to assign guilt. A deeper examination of this process would aid our understanding, though the scape-goating was obvious from the start. Additional accounts of Barss' later life fill the concluding chapters ( he is featured in another book by the author on founding the University of Michigan hockey program.)

An earlier book by Janet Kitz, Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion & the Road to Recovery (1989) is based on her first-hand research and work for the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, where she helped put together the exhibit on the explosion, A Moment in Time. It appears that much of Bacon's information derives from this authoritative book, which he cites along with extensive notes on sources.

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