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City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a
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City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle Hardback - 2003

by Bill Minutaglio

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On a day that dawned with brisk breezes, a clear sky, and perfect temperatures, the small town of Texas City suddenly found itself facing the greatest industrial disaster in the most industrialized nation on the planet. And, in time, the survivors of that all-American city found themselves wondering if their own government had delivered them into this hell on earth.

In 1947, Texas City was experiencing boom times, bristling with chemical and oil plants, built to fuel Europe's seemingly endless appetite for the raw materials needed to rebuild its ruined cities. When an explosion ripped through its docks, the effect was cataclysmic. Thousands of people were wounded or killed, the fire department was decimated, planes were shot out of the sky, and massive ocean-bound freighters disintegrated. The blast knocked people to their knees in Galveston, ten miles away; broke windows in Houston, forty miles away; and rattled a seismograph in Denver, Colorado. Chaos reigned, the military was scrambled, the FBI launched investigations -- and ordinary citizens turned into heroes.

For months on end, the brave residents of what had once been an average American town struggled to restore their families, their homes, their lives. And they also struggled to confront another welling nightmare-the possibility that the tragedy that almost erased their city from existence might have been caused by the very government they thought would protect them.

City on Fire is a painstakingly researched saga of one of the most profound but forgotten disasters in American history. The Texas City Disaster was a searing, apocalyptic event that had an enormous ripple effect for millions of people around theworld.

It changed the way Americans respond to disasters and the way people viewed the American government -- the Texas City Disaster opened the door for average Americans to confront their government and its leaders in the nation's courts of law. It was the first time that the United States of America was named as a defendant in a case that, after a series of dizzying twists and turns, would end up in the nation's highest court.

Ultimately, the story of Texas City is a story of courage, humanity, bravery, and a painful quest for justice. It is the story of ordinary Americans behaving in extraordinary ways -- and serving as role models for dignity and grace.

Details

  • Title City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle
  • Author Bill Minutaglio
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition 1st
  • Pages 285
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher HarperCollins Publishers, New York
  • Publication date 2003-01
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780060185411 / 0060185414
  • Weight 1.25 lbs (0.57 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.11 in (23.62 x 16.00 x 2.82 cm)
  • Category History - U.S.
  • Library of Congress subjects Fires - Texas - Texas City - History - 20th, Disasters - Texas - Texas City - History -
  • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2002069064
  • Dewey Decimal Code 976.413

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City on Fire : The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle
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City on Fire : The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle

by Minutaglio, Bill

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City on Fire : The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle
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City on Fire : The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle

by Minutaglio, Bill

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HarperCollins Publishers. Used - Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
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City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle
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City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle

by Minutaglio, Bill

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City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle
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City on Fire  The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a  Landmark Legal Battle

City on Fire The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle

by Minutaglio, Bill

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Harpercollins. Very Good in Very Good dust jacket. 2003. Hardcover. 0060185414 . This book is in very good condition; no remainder marks. Dustjacket does have some shelfwear. Name stamp inside front cover. Inside pages are clean. ; 9.30 X 6.30 X 1.11 inches; 304 pages .
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City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Le
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Harper Collins, 2003. 1st ptg.. Hardcover. Book: Very Good/DJ: Very Good. 8vo.. 285 pp. 6 1/8 x 9 1/4. Orange cloth covered boards, blind embossed on front, with qtr black cloth, stamped in copper on spine. Brown and gray illustrated dj. Black mark on bottom page edges. No markings noted.
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City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle
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City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle

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HarperCollins, 2003. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle by Bill Minutaglio. Signed by author on full title page. Signature only. Hardcover first edition, first printing published in 2003 by HarperCollins
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City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle

City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle

by Minutaglio, Bill

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New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2003. Book. NF. Hardcover. Inscribed by Author(s). 1st Edition. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Hardback with dust jacket. No defects to note on the book or the dust jacket. Book is INSCRIBED AND SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR to former owner. In 1947, Texas City was experiencing boom times, bristling with chemical and oil plants, built to fuel Europe's seemingly endless appetite for the raw materials needed to rebuild its ruined cities. When an explosion ripped through its docks, the effect was cataclysmic. Thousands of people were wounded or killed, the fire department was decimated, planes were shot out of the sky, and massive ocean-bound freighters disintegrated. The blast knocked people to their knees in Galveston, ten miles away; broke windows in Houston, forty miles away; and rattled a seismograph in Denver, Colorado. Chaos reigned, the military was scrambled, the FBI launched investigations -- and ordinary citizens turned into heroes. 285 pages… Read more
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City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle
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City on Fire: The Forgotten Disaster That Devastated a Town and Ignited a Landmark Legal Battle

by Minutaglio, Bill

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