David McCullough did an excellent job in creating a narrative around a disaster that seemed to take all of 10 minutes to occur. However, the author backs up the narrative and discusses social and political happenings that contributed to this devastating disaster in Pennsylvania. He brings in the problem of wealthy people creating a social club that ends up having a direct impact on the environment. In addition, there are interesting and almost amusing descriptions of the media of the time trying to make the most of the disaster as well as people using the disaster for personal gain. The description of dealing with the dead in the aftermath of the disaster is disturbing in many ways but provides the context for the inability to identify so many of the dead.

Knowing that this was this author's first book will for sure have me looking at some of this other books in the future. ( )

I believe this is McCullough's first mainstream nonfiction writing, and his trademark way of making nonfiction both informative and readable is already on display. I became interested in the Johnstown Flood when I performed in Johnstown, PA on one of our concert tours. The downtown has lots of markings indicating the water levels during the flood and it is staggering to think about.

The city has experienced several major floods, submerging the town, but the 1889 flood is the most well-known and the one this book addresses. A dam up in the mountains surrounding Johnstown broke during an epic storm and a giant wave of water made it's way down the mountain, knocking down giant trees, bridges, homes, and large buildings. Thousands of people were killed. The town was flooded up and over two story structures.

This novel focuses on the storm and the destruction. It talks about the dam and how it was not properly built or maintained. It also focuses on the wealthy families (including Carnegie, so we're talking REALLY wealthy) who used the dammed lake as a vacation site and had a hunting and fishing club there, but yet did nothing to maintain the dam. McCullough also talks about the clean up effort and Clara Barton's use of her newly formed Red Cross to help the effort.

All in all this is an interesting read, but it left me wanting more. I thought McCullough could have dug in a little deeper and made some harder hitting statements about the whole situation. ( )

An excellent read, but that's what you expect from David McCullough. 4.5 stars ( )

McCullough's first book. A good blend of history, story telling, humor, and gripping drama. The flood section had me spellbound and riveted. ( )

On May 31, 1899, after days of heavy rainfall, the South Fork Dam perched in the mountains 14 miles upstream of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, failed. The result was a catastrophic loss of human lives and an unimaginable level of destruction. In this book first published in 1968, McCullough paints a full and detailed picture of Johnstown and its citizens, industry and culture, as well as the causes of the flood itself and the practical and legal aftermath.

I picked this book up solely because it was McCullough's first book. Previously, I had just barely heard of the flood and had no clue as to its causes or when it even occurred. Told in an engaging narrative nonfiction style, as with all McCullough's books the story and writing here are excellent. The sequence of events, on the other hand, is rather horrifying. Are the wealthy who placed their own enjoyment above the safety of others ever held to account for the 2,208 lives lost? I think you know the answer. Highly recommended. ( )