The Cocoanut Grove


Book Description

Provides a minute-by-minute account of the fire in Boston's Cocoanut Grove nightclub in 1942.




Holocaust!


Book Description

First published in November 1959, this is the bestselling account of the fire at The Cocoanut Grove, a premier nightclub during the post-Prohibition 1930s and 1940s in Boston, Massachusetts, on the night of November 28, 1942. It was the scene of the deadliest nightclub fire in history, killing 492 people and injuring hundreds more. The scale of the tragedy shocked the nation and briefly replaced the events of World War II in newspaper headlines. It led to a reform of safety standards and codes across the U.S., and to major changes in the treatment and rehabilitation of burn victims internationally. Written by radio broadcaster and Boston Globe journalist, Paul Benzaquin, this book is widely regarded as one of the most harrowing tales in the annals of disaster: a story of panic and desperation, of chaos and utter fear, it is also a story of almost incredible courage and ingenuity in the midst of despair. What gives this story lasting value is its emphasis on the aftermath of the fire: the medical innovations wrought by hospital workers in their attempt to save lives; the change in safety regulations brought about by the official enquiry in to the causes of the fire. Paul Benzaquin has scrupulously sifted facts from fancy and with powerful dramatic force molded these and other important elements into a stunning narrative, making Holocaust! a powerful book. Unmissable reading. Contains a detailed layout plan of The Cocanut Grove illustrated with over 20 black-and-white photographs.




Fire in the Grove


Book Description

On Saturday night, November 28, 1942, Boston suffered its worst disaster ever. At the city's premier nightspot, the Cocoanut Grove, the largest nightclub fire in U.S. history took the lives of 492 people--nearly one of every two people on the premises. A flash of fire that started in an imitation palm tree rolled through the overcrowded club with breathtaking speed and in a mere eight minutes anyone left in the club was dead or doomed. The Grove was a classic firetrap, the product of greed and indifference on the part of the owners and the politicians who had knowingly allowed such conditions to exist. Against the backdrop of Boston politics, cronyism, and corruption, author John C. Esposito re-creates the drama of the fire and explores the public outcry that followed. In retelling the horrific events of one of America's most cataclysmic tragedies, Esposito has fashioned both an incomparably gripping narrative and a vibrant portrait of the era. But it is the intense, detailed narrative of the fire--harrowing yet compulsively readable--and the trials that followed that will stay with the reader well after they finish this remarkable book. "[Esposito] reminds us that the cautionary tale of the Cocoanut Grove is still relevant today." (New York Law Journal)




Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire, The: A Boston Tragedy


Book Description

On November 28, 1942, fire roared through Boston's famed Cocoanut Grove nightclub during what was supposed to be a high-spirited Saturday night. By midnight, more than five hundred people were dead, dying, or maimed for life. Local author Stephanie Schorow probes the club's history, the circumstances leading to the fire, and the tragedy's lingering impact. The inferno reached deep into the city's social structure--its politics, medical care, law enforcement, and religious life--and touched nearly everyone in the Boston area, even those who had never set foot in the club. In this newly updated and revised edition, Schorow has added new information, photographs, interviews and insights on the worst nightclub fire in American history.




Killer Show


Book Description

The definitive book on The Station nightclub fire on the 10th anniversary of the disaster




The Cocoanut Grove Fire


Book Description

On the Night of November 28, 1942, a fire raged through Boston's number one glitter spot, the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in the South End. The worst nightclub fire in American history was over within minutes as flames and fumes swept through the two-story building. Some escaped through luck, fate, or guile, but by midnight, more than five hundred people were dead, dying, or maimed for life. In her gripping narrative, journalist Stephanie Schorow tells the story of the tragic night that made the name "Cocoanut Grove" synonymous with horror and devastation. As Schorow writes, "The inferno reached deep into the city's social structure-its politics, medical care, law enforcement, and religious life-and touched nearly everyone in the Boston area that day, even those who had never set foot in the club." Book jacket.




Drinking Boston


Book Description

From the revolutionary camaraderie of the Colonial taverns to the saloons of the turn of the century; from Prohibition—a period rife with class politics, social reform, and opportunism—to a trail of nightclub neon so vast, it was called the “Conga Belt,” Drinking Boston is a tribute to the fascinating role alcohol has played throughout the city's history.




Chicago Death Trap


Book Description

A blow-by-blow account of the deadliest fire in American history retraces the final days of the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago, a supposedly indestructible building that burned killing more than six hundred people.




Tinder Box


Book Description

The Iroquois Theater in Chicago, boasting every modern convenience, advertised itself proudly as “absolutely fireproof” when it opened in November, 1903. Mr. Bluebeard, a fairy tale musical imported from the Drury Lane Theatre in London was the opening production. And leading the troupe of nearly 400 was one of the most popular comedians of the time, Eddie Foy. None of the many socialites and journalists who flocked to the shows were aware that city building inspectors and others had been bribed to certify that the theater was in good shape. In fact, the building was without a sprinkler system or even basic fire fighting equipment; there was no backstage telephone, fire alarm box, exit signs, a real asbestos curtain or ushers trained for emergencies. A month later, at a Christmas week matinee, the theater was illegally overcrowded with a standing room only crowd of mostly women and children. During the second act, a short circuit exploded a back stage spotlight touching off a small fire which spread in minutes throughout the theater. Panic set in as people clawed at each other to get out, but they could not find the exits, which were draped. The doorways, locked against gate-crashers, were designed to open in instead of out, creating almost impossible egress. The tragedy, which claimed more than 600 lives, became a massive scandal and it remains the worst theater fire in the history of the country.




Burn Unit


Book Description

“A compelling blend of science, history and storytelling. Barbara Ravage has fashioned an enlightening, invaluable book.” —Stewart O'Nan, author of The Circus Fire: A True Story of an American TragedyThough each of us is just a spark away from being a burn victim, the public knows little and understands less about the world that patients inhabit. Pulling the curtains back on this private and sterile environment, Burn Unit is a riveting account of the frontline efforts—both modern-day and historical—to save lives devastated by fire. With unflinching urgency, Barbara Ravage follows an extraordinary team of healers at Massachusetts General Hospital, the cradle of modern burn treatment and the site of one of the best burn units in the world. From Boston's Cocoanut Grove fire of 1942 to the treatment of the victims of the Rhode Island nightclub fire in early 2003, we watch everyday heroes do their incredible but punishing work against the backdrop of history. Both a moving human drama and an engrossing scientific exploration of this little-known field of medicine, Burn Unit is an unforgettably powerful read.




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