JOHNSTOWN FLOOD

Rating:
Summary: Spellbinding history
Review: David McCullough is one of our best modern "popular" history writers. One of McCullough's first books is The Johnstown Flood (1968). This short (for McCullough) history of 286 pages tells how, during terrific storms, an earthen dam above Johnstown, Pennsylvania burst, causing the death of more than 2,000. McCullough is superb both at analyzing why the dam collapse was preventable and in describing the course of the flood itself, including its wake of tragic deaths and amazing stories. This is not a happy read, because the tragedy was both so huge and so preventable (A sorry epilogue of the flood is that none of the several lawsuits was successful). It is, however, so spellbinding and well-told that it begs to be read in one sitting.

Rating:
Summary: This brings the Johnstown flood to life!
Review: David McCullough shows that fact really is, at times, stranger than fiction. He obviously did a lot of research; there were many facts given to help set the record straight. His book reveals the people behind the events; you can see it happening before you. I appreciated reading the newspapers' headlines and inflated stories told, the maps and photos, along with the (lack of) justice served by the S.F. Hunting & Fishing Club. Lawyers would have a hay-day if the flood would happen in our time!
I can't wait to travel to Johnstown to see the site of a long-ago nightmare and pay my respects to a town of survivors.

Rating:
Summary: Turns a cliche back into riveting history.
Review: David McCullough turns the cliche of the Johnstown Flood back into history, and a warm, touching history at that. In less than 300 pages, he accomplishes a minor miracle of history writing: hundreds of victims and survivors, both now long dead, become people to us as we read of their tragedy and struggle to survive. McCullough lucidly discusses the causes of the flood, but still puts a human face on of all these participants. The Flood was a tragedy that could have been avoided, but, as McCullough makes clear, it's hard to assign the blame to one person or even group of people. The true strength of the story rises from the courage of ordinary men, women and children during and after the Flood. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Nobody has matched McCullough's artistry in telling a story.
Review: David McCullough's book on the 1889 Johnstown Flood remains mybest friend. I admire how he absorbs the reader into the story and makehim or her feel as though they were facing that hideous wall of water with the other residents of the Conemaugh Valley on that Black Friday. The book is a testament to the determination and courage of the people of Johnstown as they suffered through the worst inland flood in our nation's history.

Rating:
Summary: An early triumph for McCullough
Review: David McCullough, along with Stephen Ambrose is one of the absolute best history authors working today. "Johnstown Flood" is one of his early works, and already his incredible talent shows on every page. The story may not be as epic as his accounts of the building of the Panama Canal or the Brooklyn Bridge, but it is nevertheless a fascinating account of what can happen when man becomes arrogant enough to believe that he can master nature. Like the story of the Titanic and the Galveston Hurricane is shows how easilly nature can have the last word.

Rating:
Summary: A Compact Social History/Thriller
Review: David McCullough, in the Johnstown Flood, has created a social history that can be separated into three equally effective sections. The first part of the book sets up the time and place, smoothly and efficiently bringing in elements of class and capitalism. The middle part of the book is the bursting of the dam in which the reader literally rides down the river with the water on its exciting and terrifying collision with history. There is time enough for heroes and more than a few shocks along the way. The last part of the book is the sad cleanup and the finger pointing. It is the story of a town devastated by the people on the hill told with great style and set in a larger context. Another fine piece of historical writing from David McCullough.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: Even though I lived in Southwestern PA for most of my life, I knew very little about the Johnstown flood until my sister made a comment once about the Johnstown Flood Museum, and one day this book just jumped out at me at the library. I found it difficult to put down. Some may think it "drags" in parts, but this was part of the tapestry woven to give realism to the actual people caught up in the disaster. I had heard of vague references to this event, but until I read this book I had no idea of the full scale of what happened, and the unbelievable circumstances which led up to it. Even more appalling was that folks who belonged to the "elite" club, whose selfishness and greed gave rise to the shoddily built dam, (such as Carnegie, Mellon, and the like) gave very little money to the relief effort, and no one from South Fork would acknowledge any responsibility for the dreadful event. Through this book, McCullough puts personality to the names and faces of the victims, and the full terror of the actual flood wave coming toward the town reads better than any suspense novel, as it is all true. I urge anyone who ever finds themselves in the Johnstown area to check out the actual Flood Museum, it is a memorable experience.

Rating:
Summary: an education for a local boy
Review: Growing up, not too far from Johnstown, I have always heard the stories from friends families of the "Great Flood" but never really paid attention. The stories were never told in great detail for it was coming from those who were still passing the story down the generations. Most of it was where and how their families were divided and effected. Now that I am older, I have a great desire to learn about history (especailly local). When I had read this book, I was amazed at the impact the flood really had. I could picture the sight as the flood unfolded (of course knowing Johnstown helped the pictures in my mind) and consumed the valley. I never really understood how or even why this flood occurred (I never really cared when I was younger either). But this book opened my eyes to a lot of things - the people and the land we take for granted.

Rating:
Summary: For his first book, a superb job from a great historian.
Review: I actually went to read this book because I enjoy David McCullough's writing so much. I can see how as he has continued writing over the years, his writing has gotten stronger and much tighter. He had the talent to write a great first book on a natural/man-made catastrophe. As a first book, it is not as well written as his others, but the information that he researched so well was magnificent. I had read other versions of the Johnstown flood in the Smithsonian, but this one gave significantly more information. It has always been assumed that Carnegie and the other wealthy owners of the club were solely responsible for the condition of the dam above Johnstown. But there were many times that others, including the residents of Johnstown, were equally known to have concerns about the dam, yet no one did anything about it. Earthen dams have broken since then including one above Rick's College in Idaho. They are not as reliable as well engineered dams such as Hoover Dam in Arizona. Yes, the wealthy men chose not to do much at the time of the incident, but Carnegie spent the rest of his life giving to various charities, partially out of guilt probably for what happened at Johnstown. McCullough does a fair job presenting all sides of what happened, and as I stated, his research is impeccable. This is history written in its finest form, without yellow journalism. Karen Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh

Rating:
Summary: Interesting novel and excellent resource
Review: I became interested in the Johnstown Flood after having seen a documentary on it several years ago. I grew up in western Pennsylvania, and had always heard about the Johnstown Flood but didn't really know too much about it. After having read David McCullough's excellent book, I felt like I knew the town and people personally. I visited there afterward -- the Johnstown Flood Museum and the site of the lake and dam in South Fork -- both of which are worth a visit if you are interested in history. If you are planning to see either, read the book first!