"Dark Tide" by Stephen Puleo - Islington Branch Book Club - Past Titles

About the Author: Stephen Puleo

Stephen Puleo is an American author and historian known for his engaging narratives that explore significant events in American history. Here's a brief biography of Stephen Puleo:

Stephen Puleo was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he developed a deep appreciation for history and storytelling. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Communications from Suffolk University in Boston.

After completing his undergraduate studies, Puleo pursued a career in marketing and public relations while nurturing his passion for writing and history. He later earned a Master of Arts degree in History from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Puleo is the author of several acclaimed books that focus on pivotal moments and figures in American history. His works are characterized by meticulous research, vivid storytelling, and a keen attention to detail.

One of Puleo's most well-known books is "The Boston Italians: A Story of Pride, Perseverance, and Paesani, from the Years of the Great Immigration to the Present Day," which explores the history and cultural contributions of Italian immigrants in Boston.

Another notable work by Puleo is "Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919," which recounts the tragic events surrounding one of the deadliest industrial accidents in American history. The book received widespread acclaim for its gripping narrative and meticulous historical research.

Puleo's other works include "A City So Grand: The Rise of an American Metropolis, Boston 1850-1900," which chronicles the transformation of Boston during the 19th century, and "American Treasures: The Secret Efforts to Save the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address."

In addition to his writing career, Puleo is a sought-after speaker and lecturer on topics related to American history and culture. He has appeared on various media outlets and has been recognized for his contributions to historical scholarship and public education.

Overall, Stephen Puleo is a respected author and historian known for his compelling narratives that bring to life key moments in American history. His works continue to resonate with readers and scholars alike, shedding light on the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the nation's past.

Synopsis

Shortly after noon on January 15, 1919, a fifty-foot-tall steel tank filled with 2.3 million gallons of molasses collapsed on Boston's waterfront, disgorging its contents as a fifteen-foot-high wave of molasses that briefly traveled at thirty-five miles per hour. When the tide receded, a section of the city's North End had been transformed into a war zone. The Great Boston Molasses Flood claimed the lives of twenty-one people and scores of animals, injured 150, and caused widespread destruction. But the molasses flood was more than an isolated event. Its story overlays America's story during a tumultuous decade in our history. Tracing the era from the tank's construction in 1915 through the multiyear lawsuit that followed the tragedy, Dark Tide uses the drama of the flood to examine the sweeping changes brought about by World War I, Prohibition, the Anarchist movement, the Red Scare, immigration, and the role of big business in society.

Discussion Questions

Puleo describes the Great Boston Molasses Flood as a largely forgotten event in American history. Why do you think this disaster has been largely overlooked, and what does its rediscovery reveal about the broader historical narrative of the early 20th century?
The book explores the social, economic, and political context of Boston in the early 20th century. How do these factors contribute to the circumstances that led to the molasses tank explosion and subsequent flood?
Puleo presents a detailed account of the events leading up to the disaster, as well as its aftermath. How does he use primary sources and eyewitness testimonies to reconstruct the events of January 15, 1919, and their impact on the city of Boston?
"Dark Tide" delves into the legal and environmental consequences of the molasses flood, including the subsequent investigations and lawsuits. How does Puleo analyze the responses of the United States Industrial Alcohol Company and other stakeholders to the disaster?
The book examines the human toll of the molasses flood, including the lives lost and the injuries sustained by survivors. How does Puleo convey the human tragedy of the disaster, and how do individual stories contribute to our understanding of its impact?
Puleo discusses the role of ethnicity and class in shaping the experiences of the victims and survivors of the molasses flood. How did these factors influence the response to the disaster and the subsequent recovery efforts?
The book raises questions about corporate responsibility and accountability in the aftermath of industrial disasters. How does Puleo explore these themes in the context of the Great Boston Molasses Flood, and what lessons can be learned from this tragic event?
Puleo examines the long-term impact of the molasses flood on the city of Boston, including its effects on infrastructure, urban planning, and public safety regulations. How did the disaster shape the city's development in the years that followed?
"Dark Tide" highlights the resilience and spirit of community demonstrated by the people of Boston in the face of tragedy. How does Puleo portray acts of heroism, compassion, and solidarity among the survivors and rescue workers?
The book concludes with reflections on the legacy of the Great Boston Molasses Flood and its enduring significance. How has the memory of the disaster been preserved in Boston's collective memory, and what does it teach us about the power of historical storytelling?

Discussion Questions from Stephen Puleo

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Walk Through Fire by Yasmine Ali
Call Number: 363.34 Ali
The first book to examine the rarely-acknowledged Waverly Train Disaster of 1978 - the catastrophic accident that changed America forever and led to the formation of FEMA. Coinciding with the 45th anniversary of the event, WALK THROUGH FIRE is a tribute to the first responders, as well as an examination of the strengths and vulnerabilities in rural America. On the night of February 22, 1978, a devastating freight train derailment drastically altered Waverly, Tennessee, and its place in history. This was one of the worst train explosions of the twentieth century, killing 16 people, injuring hundreds more, and causing millions of dollars in damage. What could have been dismissed as a single community's terrible misfortune instead became the catalyst for radical change, including the formation of FEMA, much-needed reforms in emergency response training, and the creation and enforcement of national and state safety regulations. Response to the disaster reshaped American infrastructure and laid the groundwork for the future of emergency management and disaster relief . . . and yet most Americans have never heard of Waverly. Dr. Yasmine S. Ali, an award-winning medical writer and Waverly native, sets out to change this in WALK THROUGH FIRE, drawing from over a decade of meticulous research and interviews with survivors, first responders, and other firsthand accounts, including those of her own parents, first-generation Americans who were on call at the local hospital that treated the victims. Ali weaves a compelling narrative of small-town tragedy set against the broader backdrop of U.S. railroad history, rural healthcare, and other elements of American infrastructure that played a part in the creation--and the aftermath--of the Disaster.
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Call Number: 363.7392 McPhee
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Call Number: 971.6 Bacon
After steaming out of New York City on December 1, 1917, laden with a staggering three thousand tons of TNT and other explosives, the munitions ship Mont-Blanc fought its way up the Atlantic coast, through waters prowled by enemy U-boats. As it approached the lively port city of Halifax, Mont-Blanc's deadly cargo erupted with the force of 2.9 kilotons of TNT--the most powerful explosion ever visited on a human population, save for HIroshima and Nagasaki. Mont-Blanc was vaporized in one fifteenth of a second; a shockwave leveled the surrounding city. Next came a thirty-five-foot tsunami. Most astounding of all, however, were the incredible tales of survival and heroism that soon emerged from the rubble. This is the unforgettable story told in John U. Bacon's The Great Halifax Explosion: a ticktock account of fateful decisions that led to doom, the human faces of the blast's 11,000 casualties, and the equally moving individual stories of those who lived and selflessly threw themselves into urgent rescue work that saved thousands. The shocking scale of the disaster stunned the world, dominating global headlines even amid the calamity of the First World War. Hours after the blast, Boston sent trains and ships filled with doctors, medicine, and money. The explosion would revolutionize pediatric medicine; transform U.S.-Canadian relations; and provide physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who studied the Halifax explosion closely when developing the atomic bomb, with history's only real-world case study demonstrating the lethal power of a weapon of mass destruction.
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Call Number: 974.8 McCullough
The stunning story of one of America's great disasters, a preventable tragedy of Gilded Age America, brilliantly told by master historian David McCullough. At the end of the nineteenth 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, classic portrait of life in nineteenth-century America, of overweening confidence, of energy, and of tragedy. It also offers a powerful historical lesson for our century and all times: the danger of assuming that because people are in positions of responsibility they are necessarily behaving responsibly.
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Call Number: 977.3 Berg
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