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San Francisco Is Burning: The Untold Story of the 1906 Earthquake and Fires (Hardcover)

by Dennis Smith (Author) "John Pond had the letter in his hand as he knocked softly on the door..." (more)
Key Phrases: north waterfront, railroad sheds, hose wagon, San Francisco, General Funston, Van Ness (more...)

4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Firefighter turned author Smith (Report from Ground Zero) performs an exhausting autopsy on the temblor and subsequent fire that devastated San Francisco 100 years ago. With 92 chapters, the narrative effect is one of a nervous cameraman trying to take in everything (the chapter on Enrico Caruso jumping from his bed at the Palace Hotel is one paragraph long) and managing to make a distant event seem even more remote. The author takes aim at the procedures of the official response and the chain of command, considers whether the army did more than the navy and presents "what-if" scenarios that will appeal most to students of how to manage a natural disaster. An "especially cruel irony" was the fact that saloons were ordered closed on the day of the fire, yet there, in bottles, jugs and kegs, "was undoubtedly enough wine to extinguish the early fires." Smith too often pauses to backfill the careers and family histories of various personalities or discuss the tectonics of earthquakes. His firefighter's-eye-view of the disaster will have a tough time competing with Simon Winchester's terrific A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906, due out in October. (Sept. 26)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"Smith has captured the horror and chaos of those first terrifying hours, and ensuing anger and grief and determination." --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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Product Details

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Viking Adult; First Edition edition (September 22, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0670034428
ISBN-13: 978-0670034420
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #703,770 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category: (What's this?)
#74 in Books > Science > Earth Sciences > Earthquakes & Volcanoes

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
John Pond had the letter in his hand as he knocked softly on the door. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
north waterfront, railroad sheds, hose wagon, firefighting efforts

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
San Francisco, General Funston, Van Ness, Lieutenant Freeman, New York, Market Street, United States, Jack Murray, Mayor Schmitz, Telegraph Hill, Southern Pacific, Dennis Sullivan, Rudolph Spreckels, San Franciscans, Ferry Building, Chief Sullivan, Fort Mason, Yuen Kum, Abe Ruef, North Beach, Committee of Fifty, Nob Hill, Red Cross, John Pond, Midshipman Pond

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 36 books:

Ambrose Bierce: Great American Short Stories II by Prescott Hill on page 7 (1), and page 7 (2)
History of Firefighting by Dennis Smith in Front Matter, and Back Matter
Civil War (America at War) by Michael Golay on page 63
Fire Fighters by Norma Simon in Back Matter
California Rich by Stephen Birmingham in Back Matter

See all 36 books this book cites

1 book cites this book:

My Hero: Extraordinary People on the Heroes Who Inspire Them by The My Hero Project on page 186

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

The Great Earthquake and Firestorms of 1906 by Philip L. Fradkin

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City for Sale by Chester Hartman

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The Unofficial Guide to San Francisco by Joe Surkiewicz

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	74% buy the item featured on this page: San Francisco Is Burning: The Untold Story of the 1906 Earthquake and Fires 4.7 out of 5 stars (19)
	8% buy A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 (P.S.) 3.6 out of 5 stars (102) $12.47
	7% buy The Last Men Out: Life on the Edge at Rescue 2 Firehouse 5.0 out of 5 stars (21) $10.88
	6% buy Report from Engine Co. 82 4.9 out of 5 stars (41) $11.20

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Customer Reviews

19 Reviews

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4.7 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars MARVELOUS AND ASTUTE, November 4, 2005

By	James Dalessandro "rimbaud40" (San Rafael, Ca United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It might be highly unusual for a supposed "competitor" to review the work of a contemporary, but seeing that only one person on Amazon has bothered to review Dennis Smith's compelling new book, "San Francisco Burning," I thought it incumbent to offer praise where it is richly deserved. For that past three decades -- ever since the first defintive text, Thomas/Witt's "The San Francisco Earthquake" and Gladys Hansen's unparalleled "Denial of Disaster" first appeared -- every writer on the subject of the great earthquake and fire has claimed to have the "untold" story and discovered some "breakthrough" evidence. It hasn't happened. But what Dennis Smith has achieved here is remarkable for its insight and observation. More than any other book, perhaps, Smith has identified the true heroes and villains of the 1906 earthquake. There were actually two disasters: nature's earthquake and humankind's raging inferno. Smith, a former N.Y. firefighter who wrote the marvelous "Report from Ground Zero", takes a street-level, in-the-trenches view of what occured. He adroitly argues that the true hero was Lt. Frederick Freeman of the U.S. Navy, who led a hundred sailors on Navy Tugboats in a desperate, three day struggle to save the waterfront and the trains station, the two locations which evacuated 300,000 people in just 72 hours. Smith puts the final dagger into the two former sacred cows of the disaster: the monstrously corrupt and incompetent Mayor Eugene Schmitz, and the almost pathologically intractable Brig. General Frederic Funston. While the Navy devoted itself to aiding the fire fight, Mayor Schmitz thought it more important to protect property -- property about to burn -- and issued a "Shoot To Kill" order to thousands of soldiers, National Guardsmen, and "Special Police" who were merely vigilantes. Schmitz and Funston's idea of protecting order and property was to shoot scores of citizens "suspected" of commiting any kind of crime, including several people carrying their own goods or attempting to aid the wounded, and using dynamite to try to blast fire breaks on wood frame buildings. The blasting -- 90% of which, according to Smith, was done with highly flammable granulated dynamite, black powder and gun cotton -- started hundreds of fires and destroyed sections of the city that would have likely escaped the conflagration. Smith's book is not perfect: the main criticism is that when he gets a full head of steam and is building marvelous dramatic momentum, he stops to give us history and biography lessons. This is especially glaring when, during a powerful dissertation on the events of Wed., April 18, he jumps ahead to tell us what happens to city officials much later, deflating his own momentum. Re-engaging that level of drama is not easy. Some wise editing could have made this book shine even more brightly. But Smith's powerful and fearless analysis, that the Navy achieved brilliantly and the Army -- in the issues that mattered most -- failed miserably, lends testimony to the inviolable concept that one man, one leader, can make a difference. And in his greatest analysis, Smith perceives what others of us have long shared: that it was the brilliant, visionary fire chief, Dennis Sullivan, the man who had fought the thieves at City Hall to spend money on fire prevention, the man who had a plan that might have saved many lives and much property, the man whose loss was the most catastrophic event after the earthquake itself. Sullivan would never have let fools spread the fire with the improper use of dynamite. Dennis Sullivan, a hydraulic engineer, would have concentrated on tapping every avaialbe source of water, and directing citizens, soldiers, sailors and marines into combatting the fire, with law & order left in the hands of police. Anyone who has ever vigorously studied Dennis Sullivan realizes that he, more than anyone, was prepared for that moment. Bravo, Dennis Smith: your book is the best written in the last 15 years on this subject, and your conclusions and scholarship are superb. You have joined a very small, select group who truly understands what happened in that awful week in April of 1906. James Dalessandro, author, 1906: A Novel.

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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars inspiring narrative, October 6, 2005

By	W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

For the historically inclined, Smith manages to wonderfully recreate a San Francisco that he and we have never experienced. But through extensive research and adroit storytelling, he makes San Francisco of 1906 come alive. You can feel the chaos and terror induced by the earthquake and subsequent fires.

But the sheer vitality of the city's inhabitants shines through. Something to well remember when [not if] there is the next quake.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well researched, well written and absolutely fascinating, March 7, 2006

By	Dom Miliano (Denville, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

I love San Francisco and I am fascinated by historical accounts of great events. When I found this book, I grabbed it without doing any reviews on Amazon (happily, your reviews are dead on). I am not a "fire fighter junkie" but admit to an attraction to this life and death occupation. Also, one of my college profesors did his Phd. thesis on the NYC fire department so I understand the author's passion for the subject.

I was fascinated to learn that the earthquake did much less damage than the fires. That's something that most people I know never knew (and I have a lot of San Francisco friends). The role the army played (to quote a famous mayor) in "preserving disorder" was a mixture of frustration and anger. I also was shocked that there were so many "mercy" killings (talk about an oxymoron) and killings of people accused of looting. I wasn't very surprised by the reports of political corruption but maybe that's due to having been raised in Hudson County, NJ?

But one of the most uplifting parts of the book was the way the average man and woman in the street pitched in and made a supreme effort to save lives and property in the face of adversity and out and out obstruction by the army. These folks displayed the best attributes of what makes America great.

Naturally,the fire fighters get a very favorable review and based on the facts, justifiably so. I admire their work but I know I am not brave enough to do their job - that's maybe the highest praise I can offer.

In the final chapters Mr. Smith paints a dark picture of our current level of preparedness for the next big earthquake and fire. I fear he is understating the problem (the people in New Orleans know that being prepared is vital).

This is a great read - not just for history buffs only.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars San Francisco is Burning The untold Story
What an incrediable book. I have read it twice. Once for the story and again for all the history. Even if you aren't from "The City" you will will be completely surprized and... Read more

Published 8 months ago by Cindy Luce

4.0 out of 5 stars Where was his editor?
As others before me have stated, this is a well-written, engaging book, but dear me. His editor was out to lunch and his fact checker was just plain out of it. Read more

Published 9 months ago by Buff Skidmark

4.0 out of 5 stars Lessons from 100 Years Ago
Dennis Smith's well-researched account of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and ensuing fires delivers a level of fine detail on a disaster that is all too relevant 100 years... Read more

Published 19 months ago by D. B. Zukowski

5.0 out of 5 stars My ancestors experience
My grandparents,their first child (who died of meningitis two months after the quake at age 13 month) great grand parents 2 aunts,and a grand uncle lived in SF during the... Read more

Published 20 months ago by J. London

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific
Firefighter Smith (FDNY, Ret) is one of my personal heroes and he has not let me down with this book. Read more

Published on May 24, 2007 by Joshua Mork

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written - easy read
This book brings the events surrounding the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the resulting fires really come to life. It was a great read - a thriller in its own right. Read more

Published on May 1, 2007 by Officer Mom

5.0 out of 5 stars The Katrina and 9-11 of 1906
For this native San Franciscan, the April 1906 earthquake and fire has lurked mysteriously in the background of family history. Read more

Published on February 19, 2007 by C. Ebeling

5.0 out of 5 stars "Nature is never overdue.If we think it is overdue it has been modeled wrong."

This is an excellent book dealing with the 1906 Earthquake and the massive Fire that ensued and took over 3000 lives,burned over 28,000 buildings,flattened 522 blocks,and... Read more

Published on November 30, 2006 by J. Guild

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Historical Fiction
This book is well-written and well-researched, and a cut above normal historical fiction. I'm proud to add it to my collection of SF '06. Read more

Published on July 24, 2006 by JamesG

4.0 out of 5 stars On the One Hundredth Anniversary
Just yesterday San Francisco commemorated the 100th anniversary of the great 1906 earthquake and after all of these years controversy still swirls around the actions of the city's... Read more

Published on April 19, 2006 by Dennis Phillips

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