Book Review: 'Triangle: The Fire That Changed America' by David von Drehle

✰✰✰✰½ Travel back in time to a fine spring day in 1911. It was a Saturday, the end of the work week, and payday. The workers of the Triangle Waist Company were eager to collect their pay and head out with their friends. As workers waited by the only open exit, a fire broke out on the eighth floor. Within minutes the top three stories of the building were consumed by flame. Employees had just minutes, sometimes seconds, to make a decision. Choices were limited and the wrong choice was fatal. 

When the blaze was finally extinguished, 146 workers were dead. The city of New York began to ask, "Who was to blame?" What followed was a courtroom spectacle. Eventually, from the ashes of death, new reforms rose. This is a riveting look at a forgotten piece of history.

The Bottom Line: This compelling read reconstructs the worst workplace disaster in New York City until the events of 9/11. Once you pick this up, you won't be able to put it down. Highly recommended for history buffs, college students, architects, and politicians. Note: Sensitive readers may want to skip over the graphic descriptions of the fire and the victims.

Book Club Notes: Our group met for a fast-paced and emotional discussion. At 4.75 stars on a scale from 1 - 5, this was one of the better reads for this year. We enjoyed the writing style. The author seamlessly wove together topics of immigration, history, suffrage, unions, workplace safety, and politics. One member noted that there was something for everyone in this book. Another liked the informative, engaging style; it reminded her a "Dickens-like" era. The book also gave the reader a sense of the culture of the era. Plus, it was interesting to note how history seems to repeat itself again and again.

This discussion was supplemented with information from Cornell University, short video from the History channel, and questions from Reading Group Guides and an AP U.S. History Class.

Details: Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by David von Drehle. Paperback published by Grove Press in 2004, reprint edition. 352 p. ISBN: 978-0-8021-4151-4