Hartford Fire Books #2

The BEST overall history of the Hartford fire is undoubtedly Stewart O’Nan’s THE CIRCUS FIRE, published in 2000. A critically-acclaimed novelist, O’Nan first became interested in the Hartford fire when, while doing research for a novel, he came across some photos of it in an old issue of LIFE Magazine. Years later, after moving to the Hartford area, he attempted to learn more about the fire and discovered that no one had ever written an in-depth history of it. Initially, he began doing his own fire research with the intention of turning over his notes and research material to a professional non-fiction writer who would actually write the book. Eventually however, he undertook to write it himself. The result is an intense, detailed narrative that recounts the events before, after, and especially during the fire itself. Also included are quite a few historical photos, as well as diagrams, drawings, etc. If you want to know more about the fire and its aftermath, this is the book to read. THE CIRCUS FIRE is also available as an unabridged audio book read by Dick Hill. Both versions are HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.