CITY ON FIRE 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 the world. 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. Rights Information Publisher: HarperCollins, Hardcover (January 7, 2003) Territory: World Rights Available: Reviews: "The author interweaves heartwrenching personal experiences with the collective story of a town attempting to recover from a monumental tragedy. Culminating in the landmark lawsuit brought by the surviving residents of Texas City against the U.S. government for negligence, this riveting account of catastrophe and heroism also details the first legal case in which the courts held the U.S. government accountable for its actions. Reminiscent of New York City's rise from the ashes after September 11, the chronicle of Texas City's devastation and resurrection will strike a chord with contemporary readers." - Booklist "Over two thirds of the book is a poignant present-tense account of the hours before, during, and after the explosion, bringing to life the horror, pain, and bravery of the people of Texas City. The account of the lawsuit is secondary, as it should be. This terrible story deserves this passionate retelling." - Library Journal "Like the explosions it describes, Minutaglio's account is incendiary reading...The author (First Son: George W. Bush and the Bush Family Dynasty) assembles a harrowing mosaic about a blaze during a time of racial divisions and environmental plundering amid petrochemical companies that virtually ruled Texas City, Tex. He pauses to fill in the manufacturing town's pivotal role in WWII and sketches the principals involved in the gargantuan fire. From a priest beset with apocalyptic visions to a battle-scarred mayor, these and other residents come to life...this tale is evocatively told. His hard-edged prose brands scores of images on readers' minds: the beheaded statue of Mary; a naked father clutching onto his charred automobile; the longshoreman delivered to the morgue even though he isn't dead; and so many more. The book vividly details the carnage as well as some acts of heroism and selflessness." - Publishers Weekly Blurbs: "CITY ON FIRE is history at its best, at once thrilling and illuminating. The story of ambition, hubris, tragedy, and bravery…is as timeless today in all of America as it was back in Texas more than half a century ago." - David Maraniss, author of When Pride Still Mattered "All who read CITY ON FIRE will find it impossible to forget what happened in Texas City in 1947. Bill Minutaglio's recreation of the cataclysm, and its tense and scandalous sequel, is story-telling at its best... An important piece of American history." - Harry Evans "My father was a natural gas engineer and was at Texas City on the April morning when it blew up in 1947. CITY ON FIRE is a totally accurate narrative about the events of that tragic day. The story of Texas City is the story of the Cold War, of greed, lust, environmental degradation, racism and the unbridled power of corporations. But this book is not simply a history of past events. It's a warning about the world in which we live, about politicians who served the interests of the corporations rather than their constituencies. But it is also a story about decency and compassion and spiritual resolve and courage." - James Lee Burke "The hidden or forgotten tragedy is often the worst—leaving the victims doubly bereft by being forgotten. CITY ON FIRE sheds a poignant light on an important event in modern American history. Minutaglio has produced an exquisitely readable and painstakingly reported work of narrative non-fiction," - Gail Sheehy "The Texas City disaster was one of the biggest news stories of its time. This stunning piece of historical recreation restores this tragic and landmark event to its rightful place in the national memory." - Dan Rather Purchase at Amazon.com

CITY ON FIRE

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 the world.

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.

Rights Information

Publisher: HarperCollins, Hardcover (January 7, 2003)

Territory: World

Rights Available:

Reviews:
"The author interweaves heartwrenching personal experiences with the collective story of a town attempting to recover from a monumental tragedy. Culminating in the landmark lawsuit brought by the surviving residents of Texas City against the U.S. government for negligence, this riveting account of catastrophe and heroism also details the first legal case in which the courts held the U.S. government accountable for its actions. Reminiscent of New York City's rise from the ashes after September 11, the chronicle of Texas City's devastation and resurrection will strike a chord with contemporary readers." - Booklist

"Over two thirds of the book is a poignant present-tense account of the hours before, during, and after the explosion, bringing to life the horror, pain, and bravery of the people of Texas City. The account of the lawsuit is secondary, as it should be. This terrible story deserves this passionate retelling." - Library Journal

"Like the explosions it describes, Minutaglio's account is incendiary reading...The author (First Son: George W. Bush and the Bush Family Dynasty) assembles a harrowing mosaic about a blaze during a time of racial divisions and environmental plundering amid petrochemical companies that virtually ruled Texas City, Tex. He pauses to fill in the manufacturing town's pivotal role in WWII and sketches the principals involved in the gargantuan fire. From a priest beset with apocalyptic visions to a battle-scarred mayor, these and other residents come to life...this tale is evocatively told. His hard-edged prose brands scores of images on readers' minds: the beheaded statue of Mary; a naked father clutching onto his charred automobile; the longshoreman delivered to the morgue even though he isn't dead; and so many more. The book vividly details the carnage as well as some acts of heroism and selflessness." - Publishers Weekly

Blurbs:
"CITY ON FIRE is history at its best, at once thrilling and illuminating. The story of ambition, hubris, tragedy, and bravery…is as timeless today in all of America as it was back in Texas more than half a century ago." - David Maraniss, author of When Pride Still Mattered

"All who read CITY ON FIRE will find it impossible to forget what happened in Texas City in 1947. Bill Minutaglio's recreation of the cataclysm, and its tense and scandalous sequel, is story-telling at its best... An important piece of American history." - Harry Evans

"My father was a natural gas engineer and was at Texas City on the April morning when it blew up in 1947. CITY ON FIRE is a totally accurate narrative about the events of that tragic day. The story of Texas City is the story of the Cold War, of greed, lust, environmental degradation, racism and the unbridled power of corporations. But this book is not simply a history of past events. It's a warning about the world in which we live, about politicians who served the interests of the corporations rather than their constituencies. But it is also a story about decency and compassion and spiritual resolve and courage." - James Lee Burke

"The hidden or forgotten tragedy is often the worst—leaving the victims doubly bereft by being forgotten. CITY ON FIRE sheds a poignant light on an important event in modern American history. Minutaglio has produced an exquisitely readable and painstakingly reported work of narrative non-fiction," - Gail Sheehy

"The Texas City disaster was one of the biggest news stories of its time. This stunning piece of historical recreation restores this tragic and landmark event to its rightful place in the national memory." - Dan Rather

Purchase at Amazon.com