Somerville Reads Kickoff: Stephen Puleo, author of Dark Tide

When:
Wednesday, Sep 17, 2014 7:00p -
8:30p

Where:
Somerville Public Library
79 Highland Ave.
Somerville, MA 02143

EventScheduled OfflineEventAttendanceMode

Admission:
FREE

Categories:
Lectures & Conferences

Event website:
http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=SVILLE&curApp=events&curMonth=9&curYear=2014&SelectedDate=9/17/2014#9/17/2014

Please join us as we welcome Stephen Puleo, author of Dark Tide: the Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919.


Shortly after noon on January 15, 1919, a 50-foot-tall steel tank filled with 2.3 million gallons of molasses collapsed on Boston’s waterfront, disgorging its contents in a 15-foot-high wave of molasses that traveled at 35 miles per hour. The Great Boston Molasses Flood claimed the lives of 21 people and caused widespread destruction. For the first time, the story of the flood is told here in its full historical context, from the tank’s construction in 1915 through the multiyear lawsuit that followed the disaster. Dark Tide uses the gripping drama of the flood to examine the sweeping changes brought about by World War I, Prohibition, the anarchist movement, immigration, and the expanding role of big business in society. It’s also a chronicle of the courage of ordinary people, from the firemen caught in an unimaginable catastrophe to the soldier-lawyer who presided over the lawsuit with heroic impartiality.


This critically acclaimed Boston-area bestseller was selected by the Boston Authors Club as a finalist for its prestigious Julia Ward Howe Award for literary merit, and the Associated Press included it in its “round-up” selection of books to read, a recommendation that appeared in more than 80 newspapers nationwide. The Boston Globe wrote that “giving a human face to tragedy is part of the brilliance” of Dark Tide. The book was also the subject of a History Channel program, and Steve discussed Dark Tide on C-Span’s Book TV.


Stephen Puleo is an author, historian, university teacher, public speaker, and communications professional. His books include The Caning: The Assault That Drove America to Civil War; A City So Grand: The Rise of an American Metropolis, Boston 1850-1900; The Boston Italians: A Story of Pride, Perseverance and Paesani, from the Years of the Great Immigration to the Present Day; and Due to Enemy Action: The True World War II Story of the USS Eagle 56.


Somerville Reads is a project that promotes literacy and community engagement by encouraging people all over the City to read and discuss the same book. Copies of Dark Tide are available for check out at all Somerville Public Library locations.

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09/17/2014 19:00:00 09/17/2014 20:30:00 America/New_York Somerville Reads Kickoff: Stephen Puleo, author of Dark Tide Please join us as we welcome Stephen Puleo, author of Dark Tide: the Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919. Shortly after noon on January 15, 1919, a 50-foot-tall steel tank filled with 2.3 millio... Somerville Public Library, Somerville, MA 02143 false MM/DD/YYYY

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