On February 20; 2003; the deadliest rock concert in U.S. history took place at a roadhouse called The Station in West Warwick; Rhode Island. That night; in the few minutes it takes to play a hard-rock standard; the fate of many of the unsuspecting nightclub patrons was determined with awful certainty. The blaze was ignited when pyrotechnics set off by Great White; a 1980s heavy-metal band; lit flammable polyurethane “egg crate†foam sound insulation on the club’s walls. In less than 10 minutes; 96 people were dead and 200 more were injured; many catastrophically. The final death toll topped out; three months later; at the eerily unlikely round number of 100.The story of the fire; its causes; and its legal and human aftermath is one of lives put at risk by petty economic decisions—by a band; club owners; promoters; building inspectors; and product manufacturers. Any one of those decisions; made differently; might have averted the tragedy. Together; however; they reached a fatal critical mass. Killer Show is the first comprehensive exploration of the chain of events leading up to the fire; the conflagration itself; and the painstaking search for evidence to hold the guilty to account and obtain justice for the victims. Anyone who has entered an entertainment venue and wondered; “Could I get out of here in a hurry?†will identify with concertgoers at The Station. Fans of disaster nonfiction and forensic thrillers will find ample elements of both genres in Killer Show.
#855477 in Books 2011-09-02 2011-09-16Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.92 x .94 x 6.09l; 1.36 #File Name: 1611210984456 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I highly recommend this book as additional reading for anyone interested in ...By L. Kirk StumpThis is a supremely well-researched analysis of Jeb Stuart's entire Gettysburg Campaign. It considers contemporary sources; details the academic debate that raged from the immediate aftermath of the Confederate failure at Gettysburg to the present day; and; in its final act; makes a compelling argument incorporating all of the evidence presented in the preceding chapters. I highly recommend this book as additional reading for anyone interested in the Civil War generally and Stuart more specifically. It's a balanced treatment and will only serve to increase the reader's understanding of the events surrounding this period of history.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This book answers all the questions ever asked about JEB Stuart's ride around the Union Army.By Rob n HoodeUntil I read this book I knew very little about Jeb Stuart's infamous ride 'around the Union Army' en route to Gettysburg. This book has filled a void in my historical knowledge and perhaps filled a void in the history of the battle of Gettysburg too. It is well written and thoroughly researched. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the Civil War in general or Gettysburg in particular.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Sherry MConcise; well-written and enjoyable.
