Triangle: The Fire That Changed America
Snooze fest…. This book by David von Drehle chronicles the worst workplace disaster in US history prior to Sept. 11, 2001.
On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Greenwich Village caught fire and 140 people (mostly young women) perished because the factory was basically a giant sweatshop and not safe for its workers. When the fire broke out on the 8th floor, there was no escape route because one of the two exit doors were locked (to prevent theft by the workers), the fire escape collapsed and at that time in history – fire ladders on fire trucks only reached up to the sixth floor and most of the women that perished were located on the 9th floor.
For anyone interested in US history particularly about Tammany Hall, the labor movement and the social reform movement in the early 20th century, this book is probably a great read. I could imagine reading it in a college course on US politics from 1910 through 1940 but as a reading book for pleasure – I found it very boring. David von Drehle did extensive research on Tammany Hall and all the political figures involved in the rise of the labor union movement and gives (what I thought) was excruciating detail about the labor movement prior to the fire and then the effect the fire had on changing workplace safety and labor law in America. The section of the book that typically would hold the most interest for me was about the victims of the fire. But even then I found that von Drehle’s description of the victims was from an antiseptic, research standpoint – i.e. Maxine was 23 years old and came from Minsk, Russa and worked as a button sewer in the factory.
I do give the author credit because prior to this book – there was not a definitive and encompassing book which documented the actual fire and it’s after-effects. By publishing this book when there was still some family members and even survivors alive that von Drehle could speak with, he ensured that this disaster would always be remembered as a signficant event in 20th century American history.
Books, Non-Fiction | Nicole | 
March 31, 2006 11:10 am
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By DJ Cayenne, March 31, 2006 @ 12:12 pm
I’m sure it is all in how it is phrased, but the “biggest workplace disaster in US history” had me doubting. There was a famous industrial accident in Texas City in 1947 that killed over 500 people. The deadliest fire (at the time) happened here in Atlanta in 1946 (119 dead). Maybe it was the worst accident that happened in New York before 9/11? I haven’t seen the 9/11 attacks referred to as workplace disasters before, but it clearly was, among other things. These things come up in my line of work, so I try to keep tabs on them. Looking at the factory logo on the cover, I believe that Triangle still makes t-shirts – i.e., I have race t-shirts with that logo on the tag. Anyway, sorry it was such a bore.
By Nitro Nicole, March 31, 2006 @ 3:43 pm
Alright – smarty pants…….it should have read worst workplace disaster in NYC prior to 9/11 but I guess I had US history on the brain. And that is weird that you keep tabs on workplace disasters…..
By Herman Glimscher, April 1, 2006 @ 8:34 am
Every place I’ve ever worked in was a disaster.