Rating: 
Summary: Poor Writing, More Soap Opera than History
Review: The story of the long-ago explosion at Texas City has the elements for a good non-fiction narrative. But this book fails the test. In the hands of this author, a potentially interesting story is all soap opera and purple prose. No cliche is left behind. Bill Minutaglio uses an irritating present tense apparently designed to gin up reader interest. But the characters are cardboard. And his reach for pathos is more likely to bring laughter than tears.The biggest problem is that the line between fact and fiction is blurred with impunity. What's real? What's not? In the the hands of a better writer or a more disciplined historian, this book might been good. But there's little here to recommed.
Rating:
Summary: Limited Vision
Review: Though the book contains much valuable information, it is utterly defective as documentary. Erroneous statements, inaccurate facts, grossly exaggerated descriptions and imagined events dot the recounting of that fateful day. I know. I was there. The book evolves into more of a historical novel than a historic documentation, and as the plot unfolds, it begins to take on a biased political position. With almost Coughlin-like oversimplification of the socio-economic situation, the author weaves a tale of the evil and selfish "Ring of Steel" of industry around the city. He makes "The Company" sound like a dirty word, failing to balance this innuendo with a recognition of the strength of the unions in the town or of the genius of Col H.B. Moore who literally made Texas City possible. Through Moore's early efforts to woo transportation and industry, he attracted into the area not only sea faring workers and railroaders, but also chemists, engineers, administrators, construction builders, workers and money. The author's descriptions seem to cram this influx into a victimized three layered town. Roach and Trahan are portrayed as the heroes of the novel, but the heroes, acting in a manner in which victims never could, were all the people of Texas City, plus many from outside --doctors, nurses, morticians, firemen, ministers, Red Cross and Salvation Army workers, and too many to list -- who dealt with a bad situation most commendably.
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