Overview

The first illustrated book with full-colour visuals giving a compelling account of the explosion and its aftermath. On the morning of December 6, 1917, the residents of Halifax's North End witnessed first-hand the terrifying destruction of the First World War when a fully loaded munitions ship collided with a larger relief ship, caught fire and then exploded in the harbour. The blast laid waste a huge residential area as well as the waterfront and several factories. This book offers a definitive account of the explosion and its aftermath, and the most extensive collection of images -- many in colour -- available in print. David Flemming recreates the scene on the water when the ships collided and on the waterfront where people watched the fire, and describes how resources were stretched to the limit to create temporary hospital and morgues. He recounts how the Explosion was handled by authorities, how blame was shouldered and avoided. He explains the ironic twist that led to the explosion being used to calibrate the bombs that wrought even worse devastation at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

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9780887806322

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David. B. Flemming has had a lifelong interest in the Halifax Explosion. A native of Halifax and a graduate of Saint Mary's University, he served for many years as an historian with Parks Canada in Ottawa and Halifax. This preceded his appointment as curator of collections and later director of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic where he researched and curated an exhibit on the Explosion. He helped organize a conference on the topic in 1992, resulting in the book Ground Zero . He served as a member of the executive council of the International Congress of Maritime Museums and later, as president of the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society. He is currently a heritage consultant and president of Heritage Ottawa.

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