{"product_id":"the-great-earthquake-and-firestorms-of-1906-how-san-francisco-nearly-destroyed-itself-9780520230606","title":"The Great Earthquake and Firestorms of 1906: How San Francisco Nearly Destroyed Itself","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe first indication of the prolonged terror that followed the 1906 earthquake occurred when a ship steaming off San Franciscos Golden Gate seemed to jump clear out of the water. This gripping account of the earthquake  the devastating firestorms that followed  and the citys subsequent reconstruction vividly shows how  after the shaking stopped  humans  not the forces of nature  nearly destroyed San Francisco in a remarkable display of simple ineptitude and power politics. Bolstered by previously unpublished eyewitness accounts and photographs  this definitive history of a fascinating city caught in the grip of the countrys greatest urban disaster will forever change conventional understanding of an event one historian called the very epitome of bigness.  Philip Fradkin takes us onto the citys ruptured streets and into its exclusive clubs  teeming hospitals and refugee camps  and its Chinatown. He introduces the peopleboth famous and infamouswho experienced these events  such as Jack and Charmian London  Enrico Caruso  James Phelan  and Abraham Ruef. He traces the horrifying results of the mayors illegal order to shoot-to-kill anyone suspected of a crime  and he uncovers the ugliness of racism that almost led to war with Japan. He reveals how an elite oligarchy failed to serve the needs of ordinary people  the heroic efforts of obscure citizens  the long-lasting psychological effects  and how all these events ushered in a period of unparalleled civic upheaval.  This compelling look at how people and institutions function in great catastrophes demonstrates just how deeply earthquake  fires  hurricanes  floods  wars  droughts  or acts of terrorism can shape us.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45647617818677,"sku":"ByrdShop_0520230604","price":29.33,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780520230606.jpg?v=1781696097","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-great-earthquake-and-firestorms-of-1906-how-san-francisco-nearly-destroyed-itself-9780520230606","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}