Chicago Death Trap

The Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903

By: Nat Brandt

Narrated by: Gary Regal

On the afternoon of December 30, 1903, during a sold-out matinee performance, a fire broke out in Chicago's Iroquois Theatre. In the short span of twenty minutes, more than six hundred people were asphyxiated, burned, or trampled to death in a panicked mob's failed attempt to escape. In Chicago Death Trap: The Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903, Nat Brandt provides a detailed chronicle of this horrific event to assess not only the titanic tragedy of the fire itself but also the municipal corruption and greed that kindled the flames beforehand and the political cover-ups hidden in the smoke and ash afterwards.

Advertised as "absolutely fireproof," the Iroquois was Chicago's most modern playhouse when it opened in the fall of 1903. With the approval of the city's building department, theater developers Harry J. Powers and William J. Davis opened the theater prematurely to take full advantage of the holiday crowds, ignoring flagrant safety violations in the process.

The aftermath of the fire proved to be a study in the miscarriage of justice. Despite overwhelming evidence that the building had not been completed, that fire safety laws were ignored, and that management had deliberately sealed off exits during the performance, no one was ever convicted or otherwise held accountable for the enormous loss of life.

Chicago Death Trap: The Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903 is rich with vivid details about this horrific disaster, captivatingly presented in human terms without losing sight of the broader historical context.

©2003 Nat Brand (P)2013 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“Brandt deftly lays out the story of a tragedy waiting to happen in a city with a corrupt government and greedy businessmen... Brandt's carefully documented, readable account reminds us what all the shouting was about.” ( Chicago Sun-Times)

“This superior piece of historical investigative journalism will keep readers turning the pages until the bitter end.” (Booklist)

Great book for Fire Marshals

Great book to take you through the story of a tragic event of fire history

Accurate to a frustrating degree

And I don’t mean that in a bad way. But there are certain points of the retelling where if your not familiar of the events of those day going in it’s going to want to make you scream in frustration at the result

Heartbreaking, gritty account of national tragedy.

Well written and detailed account of this sadly forgotten incident. This book reveals the history behind many current fire and building codes. Hard to believe there have been so many similar tragedies since this event occurred. Greed, corruption, and myopic thinking are clearly not confined to the past.

wow

It is amazing how far we have come as a society, yet how quick we are to place blame on others. Tragic story, people should read to see the importance of things we take for granted like exit signs simple door locks, occupancy loads.

Compelling

A very compelling history to a rapidly changing United States. I did feel the Gary Regal's reading was slightly dry, but it doesn't detract from the writing.

Very Interesting

Many details about the aftermath I didn't know. I found the way in which the trial unfolded quite intriguing.

Very good

A very thorough telling of the Iroquois theater fire. Well researched. Well written and narrated.

Im always suspicious when...

a book doesn't have many reviews. Rest assured, this is the case of an underrated gem. Very well constructed narrative. Loved it.

Facinating Acount of a Great Tragedy

Where does Chicago Death Trap rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best.

What other book might you compare Chicago Death Trap to and why?

I would compare this to any of David McCullough's works. The author took a well known historic event and told what happened from many points of view so that you got the whole, real picture in the end.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, on a long road trip.

Any additional comments?

The tragic events in this book are hard to hear about, but anyone intending to design or build public buildings should be required to listen or read it. The best way to prevent repeating bad history is to know about it.

Tragic

The tragic fire that occurred in 1903 at the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago, killed over 600 people. It’s a heartbreaking story.

There were many illegal and deadly decisions made by individuals involved with the construction and managing of the theater. Doors were locked at the performances by the theater manager, fire exit signs were not installed, no fire sprinklers were installed, no fire suppression equipment, eg: fire extinguishers, were available. The list of the illegal code violations are detailed in the book.

I highly recommend this book.