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!

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.

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.

Wonderfully Done!

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