Description
Book SynopsisThe Halifax Explosion of 1917 is a defining event in the Canadian consciousness; this title offers a sustained analytical history of the disaster, using the large federal government archives that contain first-hand accounts and the response of the national authorities.
Trade ReviewArmstrong’s account and analysis adds considerably to our knowledge not only of the explosion, but also of the influence of the media, and the concerns of Ottawa. Having spent years in the latter as an official historian, the author has had first-hand knowledge of how covers-up work. -- Robin Highman * American Review of Canadian Studies, Winter 2005 *
While the disaster has been subject of several popular histories, until now, the event has not been given the detailed scholarly study required to sweep away myth and provide an accurate account of what took place. John Griffith Armstrong has undertaken the first such academic work, and it is a very good study indeed. Armstrong’s focus is the role of the Royal Canadian and Royal navies in the events leading up to the explosion, its aftermath, and the investigations that followed. By shifting the attention of the reader away from the calamity that befell the city, Armstrong has provided a remarkable fresh look into the explosion. -- David Zimmermann, University of Victoria * International Journal, Summer 2005 *
Table of ContentsIllustrations
Foreword / J.L. Granatstein
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Through Sailors’ Eyes
1 The RCN in Halifax -- December 1917
2 Towards the Unthinkable
3 Halifax Tide
4 Through the Grim Day
5 Reaction and Recovery
6 Of Sailors, Lawyers, Goats, and Newspapers
7 Goats to the Slaughter
8 Covering the Tracks
Notes
Bibliography
Index
