The Johnstown Flood

By: David McCullough

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann

Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

At the end of the last century, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was a booming coal-and-steel town filled with hardworking families striving for a piece of the nation's burgeoning industrial prosperity. In the mountains above Johnstown, an old earth dam had been hastily rebuilt to create a lake for an exclusive summer resort patronized by the tycoons of that same industrial prosperity, among them Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and Andrew Mellon. Despite repeated warnings of possible danger, nothing was done about the dam. Then came May 31, 1889, when the dam burst, sending a wall of water thundering down the mountain, smashing through Johnstown, and killing more than 2,000 people. It was a tragedy that became a national scandal.

Graced by David McCullough's remarkable gift for writing richly textured, sympathetic social history, The Johnstown Flood is an absorbing portrait of life in 19th-century America, of overweening confidence, of energy, and of tragedy. This is a powerful historical lesson for our century and all times: the danger of assuming that because people are in positions of responsibility they are behaving responsibly.

©1968 David McCullough (P)2005 Simon & Schuster Inc. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Like You Were There

As the title states, to hear this book is like you were there. A lover of history will surely like this.....an amazing event described wonderfully and narrated very well.

Another Good Listen

David McCullough has done it, yet again. A great story of this significnat tragedy told in a compelling manner. Hermann does his usual good job in keeping the story moving along. I was interested particularly with the post-flood stories and also of the many myths that came from the flood in later years.
Highly recommend

Compelling Human Interest Story

Would you listen to The Johnstown Flood again? Why?

I grew up near Johnstown and saw the storm that caused the 1977 flood from high ground in Somerset. I had heard of the 1889 flood, but never read anything, so McCullough's book was my first introduction to the details of that tragic event. The author brings the story down to human scale, so we can understand why the flood occurred and whom it affected. Herrmann's reading is straightforward and objective, betraying just a hint of emotion where appropriate.

Engaging and fascinating!

Any additional comments?

David McCullough! Amazing historian and author, wow! He's done an incredible job of bringing this story to life, in a non-fiction format, but in a way that reads and flows almost as easily as a novel. You can picture the scenes in your mind as they're described, and it's engaging and fascinating from the very beginning. The suspense he builds is particularly impressive, given that this is a non-fiction book and not a novel. Highly recommend!

Gripping History, Relevant Today

Where does The Johnstown Flood rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best audiobooks I've listened to. I had trouble tearing myself away. The story was gripping. The causes of the disaster left me appreciating government regulations that protect us from careless development.

What other book might you compare The Johnstown Flood to and why?

It reminded me of Isaak's Storm, also about a weather related tragedy that struck an American town near the turn to the 20th Century. Both books went beyond the events of the day and explored human error that impacted on the tragedy.

What about Edward Herrmann’s performance did you like?

Herrmann spoke clearly and I was swept away by his narrative during the fastest moving events in the book. I don't understand why he used up-talk for the more descriptive narrative. It sounded like he was trying to make the material more interesting when it was already quite interesting. No need to modulate his voice up and down in a way no one I know actually speaks.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The entire story was fascinating, so it's hard to pick a particular moment, though I was completely enveloped in the narrative as water topped the dam and the tragedy unfolded in one downriver community after the next. I wanted to shout a warning to the people. Some of the rescue stories were amazing, with many people demonstrating bravery and even heroism. The book was uplifting at the same time it was terribly sad.

Any additional comments?

I appreciated that McCullough set the stage for this disaster, so the reader understands the times and context. I was very interested in the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, its wealthy membership, and their responsibility and response to the disaster. In fact, reading about the entire disaster response was interesting. I found myself reflecting on and appreciating modern communications, warning systems, and government regulations.

What damns will fail today due to the work of men?

A timely read as we know powerful men and women decide to build damns for their own purposes at the cost of many lives.

Fascinating

The only thing new in the world is the history you don’t know. Harry Truman

Exactly

Good

It was a good book for a drive. A lot of history. Thumbs up for me

Fascinating Teagedy

What a story to be told! A great listen of a monumental tragedy. A must for any history buff.

History Told Well

I very much enjoyed this book. The narrator was terrific and McCullough's writing is excellent.