Customer Reviews

The Texas City Disaster, 1947

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If only the ship's Captain hadnt been so worried about the cargo; if only homes were not built so close to the chemical plants.. so many if only.. I found this book very interesting, and well written. I felt like I was there as an onlooker.

Growing up on the upper Texas coast, this story was a staple of our childhood. We all knew the reason for the anchor at the entrance to the Texas City Dyke and the destruction that was caused as a result of the explosion of the Grandcamp and later the High Flyer. I worked at the Monsanto plant for a time after it was sold to Sterling Chemical, and the anniversary of that day is something everyone there takes very seriously.

This book explores the reasons why this tragedy happened and the response of authorities under tremendous pressure. If you are unfamiliar with the tragedy, Hugh Stevens does a great job of walking you through the events leading up to the initial explosion of the Grandcamp and the subsequent explosion of the High Flyer.

This book should be required reading for everyone who lives/works in an industrial area, local authorities and government officials. While reading this, though, I realized that this type of tragedy is not relegated to the past. Something like this can happen again, even with the safety precautions. No industrial town is immune to this type of tragedy...

This is a horrible disaster which needs to be known to all of us. As far as facts and figures, causes and blames, go, the book is thorough. What it is NOT is exciting or dramatic. I have read lots of disaster fiction and nonfiction, and what I find lacking in this book is the personal element--most such books DO include some of the many personal dramas which are part of such a major event. Lacking these, the book does not "touch" one the way it should. Similarly, the lack of personal histories weakens the drama inherent in such an event.

Certainly, read the book for the facts. But do not expect gripping drama.

Hugh Stevens details a tragedy overlooked by many who catalog the worst disasters in American history. Almost 600 lives were lost. The book goes into great detail as to what happened and why. In my mind, too much time is spent analyzing who might have been to blame (the government, the dock workers, the railroad authority, the ship's captain...) when the truth is that there were no villains, only a horrible chain of bad decisions and ignorance to the dangers that were present. While terrifying tales are recalled, the book lacks much of the human side to this story where an entire community was devastated.

I never read about this event in any of my history books. This story of events grips the reader or at least me and had me questioning how things could go so bad. It does not really touch you on an emotional level but more on an intellectual one. The information is all there and is told in matter-of-fact prose. It does not really editorialize and that is what I liked about it.

This book is a good source of information about the Texas City Disaster. I felt that the author was very factual about the events. However, I also felt that he seemed to concentrate on all the mistakes. Although it is necessary to point out the mistakes so that they may not be repeated, I felt that the book could also emphasize some of the positive results of the disaster. This is a very good book for reference. It is not weighted down with a lot sensationalism.

This has been a great insight into the disaster that took place in 1947. It really brings the reader in touch with those affected by this tragedy.

I would describe this as something of a 'matter of fact book', not a thrill to read. That is not to say it's a bad book by any means, only that it is not written as a great story, but as a narrative of events in Texas City in April 47. The author looks at what happened, how it played out, and who was responsible. The human side of the disaster gets little attention, although there are some notable descriptions from time to time. The disaster is largely attributed to inexperience and complacency in handling explosive chemicals and fertilizer. Readers interested in the subject will likely enjoy this book, but it is far from the last word on what took place at the docks when the Grandcamp and High Flyer exploded.

A bit of American history that I had never known about.

A very detailed book about a bad day in Texas.

THE BOOK WAS VERY INFORMATIVE, THE AUTHOR MADE YOU FEEL AS IF YOU WERE THERE, THE DISASTER WAS TRULY SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT AS WITH MOST MAJOR CITIES , AS MY OWN WITH PORTS THAT IMPORT EXPLOSIVE AGENTS THAT COULD CAUSE SUCH A DISASTER. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTRIGUE BY THIS STORY, IT WOULD MAKE AN EXCELLENT MOVIE.