Ship Ablaze

The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum

By: Edward T. O'Donnell

Narrated by: Joel Richards

There were few experienced swimmers among over 1,300 Lower East Side residents who boarded the General Slocum on June 15, 1904. It shouldn't have mattered since the steamship was only chartered for a languid excursion from Manhattan to Long Island Sound. But a fire erupted minutes into the trip, forcing hundreds of terrified passengers into the water. By the time the captain found a safe shore for landing, 1,021 had perished. It was New York's deadliest tragedy prior to September 11, 2001.

The only book available on this compelling chapter in the city's history, Ship Ablaze draws on firsthand accounts to examine why the death toll was so high, how the city responded, and why this event failed to achieve the infamy of the Titanic's 1912 demise or the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.

Masterfully capturing both the horror of the event and heroism of men, women, and children who faced crumbling life jackets and inaccessible lifeboats as the inferno quickly spread, historian Edward T. O'Donnell spotlights an important incident with which most Americans are unfamiliar. Ship Ablaze brings to life a bygone community while honoring the victims of that forgotten day.

©2003 Edward T. O'Donnell (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A dramatic and compelling narrative of New York's saddest tragedy before 9/11...a fascinating probe into the inferno that killed hundreds of women and children... O'Donnell does a spellbinding job of making the calamity come alive." (Clive Cussler)

Could not stop listening

I knew nothing of this story until this book. It was a riveting read from the beginning. Well researched and well organized, told the story from many perspectives. Heartbreaking with so many innocent lives lost. Frustrating in that no one was held accountable.
I’m a history buff so many of the details included with the back stories of the people was perfect. Great read!

Can This Really Be Non-Fiction ?!

Another book that tells me a story that is really just tragic. I hate to say that a book about something so bad could be good but I liked how the story was told !

Top tier nonfiction Disaster book, great detail, Excellent narrative and easy to follow.

Make it to chapter 9/10/11 and you won’t be sorry. It’s similar to most maritime nonfiction where you get stories of the deceased on the morning of the disaster. However the day of the accident doesn’t happen until around chapter 11, so just stick with it. Very well written and I like the narrator.

Fascinating!

So much unknown history of German immigrants in NYC, the Lutheran Church in NYC, the corruption of NYC government, and most of all - The biggest tragedy in NYC until the twin towers! Historical, in depth information about the real life people who were a part of this tragedy. In depth details about the actual tragedy, rescue, and aftermath. Captivating. Listened to it less than a day. Don’t miss this one.

Wonderfully Done!

This was a very thorough account of such a tragic event. It was extremely well-researched and documented.

Absolutely loved it!

I have run across the author of this book I took a class on great courses with him I've seen him on one day university on some of those documentaries on History channel or whatever and so I bought the book purely cuz I enjoyed listening to this guy give lectures. I had no idea what it was about, other than a boat. wow, the author, along with a good narrator, really made this story come alive for me and man like a horror story, to be honest, but it's definitely worth the read. Those poor people!

Disaster

Excellent summary of the events surrounding the general Slocum disaster. I found myself needing to pay attention a little more than usual, but it was worth it. Good narrator

Surprising forgotten history

I love maritime history and could not believe I had not heard of the Slocum until this book! Wonderfully read and wonderfully presented this was a great listen.

I love learning the “rest of the story”

I love learning the “rest of the story.”

Ship Ablaze tells the story of the tragedy very well. But that could be completed in a couple of paragraphs. On such and such date this number of people died needlessly in a fire on a boat.

What makes this book fascinating is the detail regarding the people involved. Those lost and their survivors, the President and the Mayor, and how the politics involved affected careers and lives.

Definitely recommend this book / audiobook.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I’ll be honest. I originally purchased this book because I didn’t want to lose my credit that was expiring and didn’t have time to do a thorough search. Since I often enjoy history novels I thought I’d give it a try. It was wonderful!

The author covers the event comprehensively. The details leading up to the event. The story of the event. The finger pointing following the event. Even the wrap up a hundred years later.