Download The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough PDF
Key ideas from the book
- The book places Johnstown’s growth within the coal-and-steel prosperity of nineteenth-century America.
- It describes the dam above the town and the warnings that preceded its failure.
- It recounts the flood of May 31, 1889, and its devastating human toll.
- It examines the disaster’s significance as a national scandal.
- It highlights the consequences of failing to act responsibly when public safety is at risk.
About The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough
David McCullough’s account of the Johnstown Flood centers on the May 31, 1889, failure of an earth dam above Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The town was a growing coal-and-steel community; the lake held back by the dam served an exclusive summer resort. Despite warnings about the danger, the dam was not repaired adequately. When it burst, floodwaters swept through Johnstown and killed more than 2,000 people.
Placing the disaster in the context of nineteenth-century American industrial prosperity, McCullough presents it as both a human tragedy and a national scandal. The book is suited to readers interested in American history, disaster history, and the responsibilities of people in positions of power.
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