Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 (review)

Two ships attempt to thread their way through the narrow neck of Canada's Halifax Harbour—one riding so high that its propeller isn't fully submerged, the other loaded with munitions bound for the Great War in Europe. A third ship strays from its required lane; signals are confused, the munitions ship runs against the pier, and grinding metal touches off a series of fires and a massive explosion that levels blocks of buildings on both sides of the harbor—the worst man-made explosion in history to that date, overshadowed since then only by the atomic bomb detonated on Hiroshima. Walker combines a clear overview of the shipping regulations and mishaps that led to the disaster with personal accounts of a handful of families whose members were going about their daily routines when the blast variously threw them to safety, buried them under rubble, or virtually erased them without a trace. Photographs and maps orient readers to the region of the explosion, and source notes and a bibliography will guide readers to further information. Titanic devotees, who are generally on the alert for a thrilling disaster tale, will be particularly interested in the connection with the more fabled disaster of 1912—the system of cataloging remains and personal effects that was devised in Halifax as Titanic bodies were recovered offshore after the wreck would be used to help identify the deceased once again just five years later. Can you think of a more compelling hook for a booktalk?