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Book Review - The Johnstown Flood
- 09/06/08
- 11
A short time ago I made the decision to read through all of David McCullough's books. He is a renown historian and a gifted author and I realized that reading his books would be both educational and enjoyable--not just to learn history from a master but to learn from his style of writing. Few men can write history with the lucidity and character of David McCullough. This is why, I'm sure, all of his books remain in print, even forty and fifty years after publication, and why he has twice received the Pulitzer Prize (not to mention multitudes of other accolades).
Intimidated by the sheer size of his biography of Truman, and having already made my way through 1776 and John Adams, I turned recently to The Johnstown Flood, one of his lesser-known works. This book, which weighs in at a "mere" 300 pages (quite short for McCullough's standards) deals with one of the most devastating disasters in American history. On May 31, 1889, a dam burst near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, sending a massive wall of water hurtling towards the thriving town. It smashed into Johnstown, killing more than 2,000 people. But it was more than a tragedy--it was also a scandal, for the dam was privately owned and had been built to make a private lake on a summer resort property patronized by such tycoons as Andrew Mellon, Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick. Americans were outraged.
Though the event has been largely forgotten, at the time it was a national scandal and riveted the attention of Americans much the way Hurricane Katrina did when it devastated New Orleans a few years ago. For weeks and months it was front page news across the nation. Johnstown would never fully recover and, once a bustling town with a great future, it quickly faded in favor of other nearby towns.
While The Johnstown Flood may not be a book carrying lessons of great importance for our day ("Don't neglect dams?"), neither does it need to be. It is a fascinating read and an interesting little slice of history. Through the pen of David McCullough the events come to life and the reader is transported a century into the past. Like all of the works of McCullough I've read to this point, this one is well worth the read.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (11)
Ahhh, the Johnstown Flood. I’m fairly familiar with it, as I grew up about an hour from Johnstown (my dad had an office in the town), and have been to both the town and the site of the dam - you can still see the remnants of the South Fork Dam today. I know a decent amount about it because it was part of local history.
It is a fascinating disaster in so many ways. I’d like to read the book to see what McCullough says about the flood.
Having grown up in Latrobe, PA, I second that the flood was very much a familiar part of the local lore. Thanks, Tim - I never knew an historian as prominent as McCullough wrote a book on it!
OK.. This is bizarre. I flicked on my The Jonestown Flood audio book, sat down at my computer and fired up Google Reader to see what was new on the blogosphere. And whamo! There you have it, you just reviewed it. It really is a good, fascinating book though. McCullough has a great way of sharing history.
Catherine Marshall wrote of the Johnstown flood in her book,” Julie”…Well written, and accurate, I believe.
This book reads like a novel. Soul stirring story telling at its best. I think I have pulled a few sermon illustrations from this book that are impacting. The story of Victor Heiser is especially compelling as to the uncertain swiftness at which life can change.
Fred
The flood need not have happened, had the spillway been cleared regularly. I grew up in Ebensburg, about 15 miles north of Johnstown and, as mentioned by others, am familiar with the history.
If you are ever in the area, it is taking the historical tour and viewing the movie at the South Fork location.
Death does not distinguish between young and old, rich or poor, black or white.
As a side note, I remember sleeping in a tent, in the rain, the night the flood of 1977 went through.
I read through TRUMAN while on vacation this summer. Even though I am a conservative and a Republican, I was drawn to how an “ordinary” man of no financial means was used in our country to make very difficult decisions. Truman quoted Mark Twain who said “Always do right. It will please some people and astonish the rest.” The thousand page book was difficult to put down.
It’s funny but I have not been able to forget that flood after reading his book about it 3 years ago. Plus, the other day, I met an elderly lady who was actually from Johnstown, and so the first thing I mentioned while speaking to her was that horrendous flood. It’s such a credit to David McCoullough’s writing talent that, in those few pages[comparatively speaking] he was able to not only outline, then describe, each act that led up to the flood, but also what occurred to the poor members of humanity who were swept away during it, as well as what transpired during it’s immediate aftermath. I came away feeling as though I was not only well informed as to the facts surrounding that preventable flood, but also was very touched by the suffering of those who were caught in it’s path, unawares.
I agree with you, Tim. I’d also have to say that David McCullough is my favorite writer of history. Years ago, I read “Mornings on Horseback”, his book about the early years of Theodore Roosevelt. I enjoyed it so much, that I then read his other early writings, including “The Johnston Flood.” You’ll love “The Great Bridge” about the Brooklyn Bridge, and “The Path Between the Seas” about the building of the Panama Canal. I heard that after President Jimmy Carter read “The Path Between the Seas”, he bacame convinced that the U.S. needed to give back the canal zone back to Panama, and started the process. Such is the impact of David McCullough’s writings. What, so far, is your favorite book of his?
I got through half of McCullough’s “The Great Bridge” this summer. It’s a fantastic story of the people who dedicated themselves to creating this impressive structure. I’m going to have to get back to finishing it this fall. McCullough always writes with clarity of description and keen insight into character.
What, so far, is your favorite book of his?
That’s a good question. I’ve now read 1776, John Adams, The Path Between the Seas, The Johnstown Flood and Brave Companions. My favorite? Maybe 1776. Maybe The Path Between the Seas if I can ignore the middle section which was really quite tedious (the first section dealt with the French attempt, the third section with the American attempt and the second section with the years between).
I plan on reading Truman next, followed by Mornings on Horseback (though I may reverse the order) and then will finish up with The Great Bridge. Then I will wait for his next book which is apparently going to deal with Americans living in Paris or something. It sounds dry but if anyone can make it interesting it will be McCullough.