Review (PDF)

Fire In The Grove: The Cocoanut Grove Tragedy And Its Aftermath

On Saturday night, November 28, 1942, Boston suffered its worst disaster ever. At the city's premier nightspot, the Cocoanut Grove, the largest nightclub fire in U.S. history took the lives of 492 people--nearly one of every two people on the premises. A flash of fire that started in an imitation palm tree rolled through the overcrowded club with breathtaking speed and in a mere eight minutes anyone left in the club was dead or doomed. The Grove was a classic firetrap, the product of greed and indifference on the part of the owners and the politicians who had knowingly allowed such conditions to exist. Against the backdrop of Boston politics, cronyism, and corruption, author John C. Esposito re-creates the drama of the fire and explores the public outcry that followed. In retelling the horrific events of one of America's most cataclysmic tragedies, Esposito has fashioned both an incomparably gripping narrative and a vibrant portrait of the era. But it is the intense, detailed narrative of the fire--harrowing yet compulsively readable--and the trials that followed that will stay with the reader well after they finish this remarkable book. "[Esposito] reminds us that the cautionary tale of the Cocoanut Grove is still relevant today." (New York Law Journal)

Paperback: 288 pages

Publisher: Da Capo Press (October 10, 2006)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 030681501X

ISBN-13: 978-0306815010

Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.6 x 9 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #91,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #79 in Books > History > Historical Study & Educational Resources > Reference #192 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Public Affairs & Policy > Social Services & Welfare #557 in Books > Science & Math > Technology

It seems to me that I have read it too may times before. Back in 1903 a total of 602 people, mostly women and children, perished in a fire at a matinee at the Iroquois Theater in Chicago. Six years later 259 miners were killed in a fire at a coal mine in Cherry Il. And in 1911 another 146 young immigrant workers lost their lives at the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York City. It just breaks your heart to read about the deaths of so many due to the greed, incompetence and irresponsibility of others. Now in 2006 author John C. Esposito, an original member of "Nader's Raiders" offers up "Fire In The Grove". This is the stirring account of that tragic evening in November 1942 when 490 people lost their lives at the fabled Cocoanut Grove night club in downtown Boston. It remains to this day the deadliest nightclub fire in American history. And it did not have to happen!Let me begin by saying that I could not put this book down. I consumed this book in its entirety in less than two days. John Esposito paints a very vivid picture of just what was going on inside the walls of the Cocoanut Grove on that fateful night. Esposito spends a good deal of time describing the floor plan of the nightclub. His verbal description is supplemented by a very useful illustration that the reader can refer to when needed. It quickly becomes apparent the many obstacles that patrons would face when attempting to evacuate this complex. Due to the gross negligence of management and others most of those that died never had a chance.So just who was responsible for the holocaust at the Cocoanut Grove? As you will learn in "Fire In The Grove" there is no shortage of potential candidates. Barney Welansky had owned the Cocoanut Grove for nearly a decade.

Fire in the Grove: The Cocoanut Grove Tragedy and Its Aftermath Fire Stick: The Ultimate Fire TV Stick User Guide - Start Using Fire TV Stick Like A Pro! (Streaming Devices, How To Use Fire Stick, Fire TV Stick User Guide) 7" Fire & Fire HD User Guide: From Beginner To Expert Guide - Everything You Need to Know About 's New Fire Tablets! ( 7" Fire, Fire HD User Guide) Life Debt: Aftermath (Star Wars) (Star Wars: The Aftermath Trilogy) Fire Stick: The Complete User Manual To Starting With And Using Fire TV Stick, Plus Little-Known Tips And Tricks! (Streaming, How To Use Fire Stick, Fire TV Stick User Guide) Fire Stick: How To Unlock The True Potential Of Your Fire Stick - Plus Amazing Tips And Tricks! (Streaming Devices, Fire TV Stick User Guide, How To Use Fire Stick) Fire TV User Guide: Watch TV Shows, Movies, Music, Apps, Games And Learn 7 Amazing Things About Fire TV! ( Fire TV User Guide, Streaming, Fire TV Manual) Fire Stick: The Ultimate Fire Stick User Guide - Learn How To Start Using Fire Stick, Plus Little-Known Tips And Tricks! (Streaming ... TV Stick User Guide, How To Use Fire Stick) Fire Stick: The Complete Beginners Guide - Learn How To Setup And Master Your Fire Stick Today! (Streaming Devices, Fire TV Stick User Guide, How To Use Fire Stick) Fire Stick: The Ultimate Fire Stick User Guide To TV, Movies, Apps, Games & Much More! Plus Advanced Tips And Tricks! (Streaming Devices, Fire TV Stick User Guide, How To Use Fire Stick) Fire Stick: The Complete 2016 User Guide And Manual - How To Easily Install Android Apps On Your Fire Stick (Streaming Devices, Fire TV Stick User Guide, How To Use Fire Stick) Fire Stick: The Complete Fire Stick User Guide - Learn How To Install Apps, Games, Watch TV And Movies! (Streaming Devices, Fire TV Stick User Guide, How To Use Fire Stick) Fire Stick: The Ultimate User Guide To Starting With And Using Fire TV Stick (How To Use Fire Stick, Fire TV Stick User Guide, Streaming) Fire Stick: The Ultimate Guide With Instructions To Unlock The True Potential Of Your Fire Stick (Streaming Devices, Fire TV Stick User Guide, How To Use Fire Stick) Fire Stick: For Beginners! - Learn How To Start Using Your Fire Stick Now! (Streaming Devices, Fire TV Stick User Guide, How To Use Fire Stick) Fire Stick: Fire TV Stick Made Easy - The Ultimate Step-By-Step User Guide To Mastering Your Fire Stick In Less Than A Day! (How To Use ... Fire TV Stick User Guide, Streaming) Fire Stick: How to Start Using Fire Stick Like A Pro! - The Ultimate Guide to Master Your Fire Stick In Just 30 Minutes! (Streaming Devices, ... TV Stick User Guide, How To Use Fire Stick) The New Grove Italian Baroque Masters: Monteverdi, Frescobaldi, Cavalli, Corelli, A. Scarlatti, Vivaldi, D. Scarlatti (The New Grove Series) The New Grove Masters of Italian Opera: Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, Puccini (New Grove Composer Biographies) New Grove Twentieth Century English Masters: Elgar, Delius, Vaughan Williams, Holst, Walton, Tippett, Britten (New Grove Composer Biography Series)