When the Bell Tolls

The Fires that Changed America

By: Patrick Griffith

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

When the Bell Tolls: The Fires that Changed America
The Fires that Changed America' chronicles the stories of the Sultana Tragedy, Station Nightclub Fire, Richmond Theatre Fire, Ohio State Penitentiary Fire, Collinwood School Fire, Cocoanut Grove Fire, Iroquois Theater Fire, St. Luke's Sanitarium Fire, and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.
Each page of this book resounds with the echoes of history, engulfed in flames and sorrow, while exploring the enduring human capacity for resilience and change. Unearth the overlooked details of the Sultana Tragedy, a maritime disaster that took a backseat in the public consciousness due to the assassination of President Lincoln, and witness the horrifying scale of the Station Nightclub Fire, which shifted the focus of fire safety regulations in public venues.
Feel the chilling winter air of the Richmond Theatre Fire of 1811, delve into the harrowing circumstances of the Ohio State Penitentiary Fire, and stand in the grim silence of the Collinwood School Fire that highlighted the urgent need for reforms in school safety measures.
Experience the unimaginable horror of the Cocoanut Grove Fire, the deadliest nightclub fire in history, and explore the alarming lack of safety measures during the Iroquois Theater Fire. Contemplate the tragic events of the St. Luke's Sanitarium Fire and reflect on the catastrophic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, which became a catalyst for labor rights movement and ushered in a new era of workplace safety standards.
'When the Bell Tolls: The Fires that Changed America' is more than a chronicle of disasters; it is a testament to the human spirit, to our capacity to learn from tragedy and rise from the ashes stronger and more determined to prevent such catastrophes in the future.

Erotica for Arsonists

Every chapter covers a different historic conflagration and every chapter is crafted in the same way; 3/4 of the narrative is spent giving an overly detailed, excessively florid description of the fire using far too many adverbs. The remaining part of the chapter has a few token survivor tales and a brief bit about the aftermath. We learn almost nothing except that Mr. Griffith appears to have found a new porn niche; erotica for arsonists. A prior reviewer said that Mr. Griffith needs to be given a thesaurus, but I would beg to differ. He needs his thesaurus privileges revoked. This book would be half as long if he'd lose superfluous adjectives.

Lots of Great Info, But Get the Author A Thesaurus

I didn't mind it was read by virtual voice. There was a lot of great information across several stories and I never felt the work was too dry or lacked humanity despite being read by a computer. My main problem was the gratuitous use of the words "cacophony", "symphony", and "grim". Also the phrases "beacon of light" and "a stark contrast" were in nearly every single story. It was like the author JUST learned these words/phrases and COULD NOT WAIT to pepper the entire book with them. It was so distracting that the book became more of a joke to me than information. Seriously, how often do you ever hear/read the word cacophony? You'll find it here at least 12 times across eight and a half hours. It made it seem like the author wrote a template and just changed the settings/people. I gave this book a three because there was a lot of good information and it wasn't a complete disappointment, just annoying by the lack of verbiage.