Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 02/01/2014 This well-researched book looks at 10 significant fires in U.S. history: Boston in 1760, New York City in 1835, Chicago in 1871, Baltimore in 1904, New York’s General Slocum steamboat in 1904, San Francisco in 1906, New York’s Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in 1911, Boston’s Cocoanut Grove nightclub in 1942, New York’s World Trade Center in 2001, and San Diego County’s wildfires in 2007. Along the way, Cooper traces the history of firefighting in America, from citizen volunteers manning bucket brigades to a cooperative, international force of professional firefighters. The illustrations include a good selection of period prints depicting early fires as well as many photos of later blazes and the devastation they caused. Cooper organizes the material well, writes clearly, and refrains from sensationalizing the already dramatic stories. A must-read for young people intrigued by disasters, this book also offers plenty of solid, usable information for reports on specific fires. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 03/01/2014 Ten chapters, arranged in chronological order, highlight major skirmishes in the ongoing war for human control over fire, a war that fire largely seems to be winning. In each case, tactics were in place, from the building materials ordinances of colonial Boston to fireproof building design in 1906 San Francisco. Case after case, however, proves that ordinances are worthless if they’re not enforced (see Baltimore, 1904), and the standing superstructure of an edifice is no protection when the roof and interior floors burn or melt away (as again in Baltimore, and the Twin Towers attack). Although each chapter stands as a self-contained episode, reading the title in its entirety leads the audience to a broader understanding of how human negligence and error and fire’s deviousness and intensity collaborate in the infernos. Unfortunately, when it comes to the physics of fire and the engineering of firefighting equipment, this title comes up somewhat short, with only a scanty background on fire’s behavior and little detail on the incremental improvements in the fire engines on display throughout the book and in an appended gallery. Illustrations are a mixed lot as well, ranging from effective full spreads such as the Cocoanut Grove night club, with its charred tatters of the interior decor that spread the fire, to space fillers such as a scene of “New York City schoolchildren similar to those who perished on the [General] Slocum.” Quotation sources and a glossary are included, as well as lists for further reading, museum visiting, and web browsing, all of which would benefit from annotation. An index will be included in the bound book. EB - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 04/01/2014 Gr 5–8—Fire has shaped the landscape of America since Colonial times. Cooper has taken this high-interest topic and used primary sources to relate how firefighters fought those blazes. He covers famous urban disasters, such as the 1871 Great Chicago Fire and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake/fire, among others. The firefighting and rescue efforts of September 11, 2001, are discussed in detail. Cooper also delves into lesser-known fires, such as the one aboard the excursion boat the General Slocum, in 1904, which killed 1,021 people. The author does an excellent job of relating advances in fire safety and firefighting techniques to the lessons learned from these tragedies. Relying upon sources that range from Colonial diaries to modern television news transcripts, he incorporates eyewitness accounts to strengthen his writing. The tone of writing is dramatic but not sensationalized. In all, this well-researched book should circulate if demand for firefighting materials is high. In addition, libraries in or around the areas featured (Boston, New York City, Baltimore, Chicago, San Francisco, and San Diego County) may wish to purchase for local interest.—Lisa Crandall, formerly at the Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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