Synopses & Reviews
Before Hiroshima, there was Halifax. In 1917 the busy Canadian port was crowded with ships leaving for war-torn Europe. On December 6, two of them, the Mont Blanc and the Imo, collided in the hard-to-navigate Narrows of the harbor. Within minutes, the Mont Blanc, ablaze, grounded against the citys docks. The explosion that followed would devastate the city and shock the world.
Set against the background of World War I, Curse of the Narrows is the first major account of the worlds largest pre-atomic explosion that set in motion a remarkable relief effort originating from Boston. Laura M. Mac Donald is the author of several books and has written and produced award winning television programs and one feature film. A native of Halifax, she lives in New York City. Set against the vivid backdrop of World War I, Curse of the Narrows chronicles the catastrophic explosion that shattered Halifax. It is filled with unforgettable human stories: Charles Duggan, who was thrown to the seabed, stripped of his clothes, and left stranded on the opposite shore by the tsunami; Duggan's nine-year-old niece, Helena, who pulled her mother and siblings out of the rubble and led them to safety; Dr. George Cox, an eye surgeon who operated for more than three straight days; pioneering surgeon W. E. Ladd, whose experiences treating children in Halifax would lead to the first pediatric surgery ward in North America; the Boston relief train which literally dug its way through the snowdrifts to bring desperately needed supplies, doctors, and relief workers; and the Boston Christmas tree, to this day given by the citizens of Halifax in remembrance of its sister city's heroic efforts. Utilizing primary sources, including the files of the explosion's official historian plus medical and social work filesmany of which have not been read since 1918Laura M. Mac Donald has written a narrative history of this early twentieth-century drama and the untold story of America's first emergency response unit. "Laura M. Mac Donald . . . gives a detailed, often wrenching account of this calamity in Curse of the Narrows, a book full of ordinary people overwhelmed by a disaster . . . Reading Curse of the Narrows is not unlike following coverage of Hurricane Katrina: the account of the initial disaster holds us riveted . . . there is a present-day resonance to all parts of this tale."The New York Times Book Review "Curse of the Narrows is a story of a forgotten tragedy, meticulously researched, and a reminder, if one were still needed, of the necessity to prepare for the unforeseeable as well as the foreseen."The Philadelphia Inquirer "Laura M. Mac Donald, a native Haligonian, has produced probably the definitive reconstruction of events that day . . . Mac Donald's attempt to overlay a narrative structure to portray messy human events succeeds handsomely . . . The quick action by authorities and volunteers saved hundreds of lives. It will take a whole other book to explain why, 88 years on, the response to the Katrina disaster was so much slower and deadlier."The San Diego Union-Tribune "Mac Donald has crafted a fine account of the disaster, solidly balanced between the onrushing sweep of events and their growing impact on survivors and witnesses."Michael Kenney, The Boston Globe "Compelling . . . [Curse of the Narrows] brings to light a shocking and fascinating disasterone that many people will be surprised they've never heard of."Star Tribune (Minneapolis) "This book is meticulously crafted, perfectly assembled, and relentlessly records, second by dreadful second, the story of one of the most lethal explosions of all time. Laura M. Mac Donald is a genius of a researcher and a demon of a writer."Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman and Krakatoa "MacDonald, a native of Halifax, offers a minute-by-minute account of the disaster. She describes how many of the people miraculously survived, the extraordinary relief efforts, and the medical procedures in eye surgery and pediatrics. With 40 black-and-white illustrations, her book captures in vivid detail the history of this catastrophe."George Cohen, Booklist "Mac Donald gives a minutely detailed . . . rendition of what legend holds to be the most powerful manmade detonation before the testing of the atomic bomb in 1945."Publishers Weekly
Review
"Reading Curse of the Narrows is not unlike following coverage of Hurricane Katrina: the account of the initial disaster holds us riveted...there is a present-day resonance to all parts of this tale." Neil Genzlinger, New York Times Book Review
Review
"Curse of the Narrows is a story of a forgotten tragedy, meticulously researched, and a reminder, if one were still needed, of the necessity to prepare for the unforeseeable as well as the foreseen." Leonard Boasberg, Philadelphia Inquirer
Review
"Mac Donald is a cracking-good storyteller, and she's written the definitive account of the disaster and its relief commemorated to this day by Halifax's annual donation of a Christmas tree to Boston." Andrew Rimas, Boston Magazine
Review
"Laura M. MacDonald, a native Haligonian, has produced probably the definitive reconstruction of events that day...MacDonald's attempt to overlay a narrative structure to portray messy human events succeeds handsomely." Neal Matthews, San Diego Union Tribune
Review
"Mac Donald, a Halifax native, has crafted a fine account of the disaster, solidly balanced between the onrushing sweep of events and their growing impact on survivors and witnesses." Michael Kenney, Boston Globe
Review
"Compelling...[Curse of the Narrows] brings to light a shocking and fascinating disaster one that many people will be surprised they've never heard of." Cherie Parker, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Review
"Well-constructed tale of a horrific unnatural disaster...A scarifying portrait." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"A minute-by-minute account of the disaster. She describes how many of the people miraculously survived [and] the extraordinary relief efforts....Her book captures in vivid detail the history of this catastrophe." Booklist
Synopsis
Before Hiroshima, there was Halifax. In 1917 the busy Canadian port was crowded with ships leaving for war-torn Europe. On December 6, two of them, the Mont Blanc and the Imo, collided in the hard-to-navigate Narrows of the harbor. Within minutes, the Mont Blanc, ablaze, grounded against the city's docks. The explosion that followed would devastate the city and shock the world.
Set against the background of World War I, Curse of the Narrows is the first major account of the world's largest pre-atomic explosion that set in motion a remarkable relief effort originating from Boston.
Synopsis
Traces the 1917 disaster in Nova Scotia during which a collided and grounded ship exploded and devastated the city under circumstances that would later be studied for the making of the atomic bomb, in an account that also describes the subsequent relief mission and trial of the ship's captain. Reprint.
Synopsis
The dramatic story of one of the greatest disasters in history.
In 1917, the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, was crowded with ships leaving for war-torn Europe. On December 6, two of them the Mont Blanc and the Imo collided in the Narrows, a hard-to-navigate stretch of the harbor. The blast caused a giant wave that swept over parts of the city, followed by a slick, black rain that fell for ten minutes. In the end, more than sixteen hundred Haligonians were killed and six thousand injured; and within twenty-four hours, a blizzard had isolated Halifax from the world.
Set vividly against the background of World War I, Curse of the Narrows is the first major account of the world's largest pre-atomic explosion, the epic relief mission from Boston, and the riveting trial of the Mont Blanc's captain and pilot. Using primary sources many of which haven't been read in decades and with a wonderful feel for narrative history, Mac Donald chronicles one of the most compelling and dramatic events of the twentieth century.
About the Author
Laura M. Mac Donald is the author of several books and has written and produced award winning television programs and one feature film. A native of Halifax, she lives in New York City.