Audiobook12 hours
When the Dancing Stopped: The Real Story of the Morro Castle Disaster and Its Deadly Wake
Written by Brian Hicks
Narrated by Dick Hill
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
In the bestselling tradition of The Devil in the White City, award-winning author Brian Hicks tells the explosive story of the Morro Castle-the elegant luxury liner that burned off the coast of New Jersey in 1934.
On September 7, 1934, the captain of the luxurious Ward Line flagship Morro Castle died under mysterious circumstances seven hours before his ship caught fire off the New Jersey coast. Much of the crew abandoned ship, leaving passengers to burn or jump into the sea as a hurricane approached and literally fanned the flames. The ship was incinerated, and 134 people perished.
Using hundreds of previously classified FBI reports, first-person survivor interviews, and countless documents, Brian Hicks has written-and solved-a murder mystery that mesmerized the nation more than seventy years ago. Told with authentic period detail and true-crime excitement, Hicks determines that the ominous weather was not the cause for the ship's burning. After reading Hick's deeply researched epic, we can only conclude that the disaster was the work of a madman among the crew.
Hicks creates a finely drawn portrait of Depression-era America. Perfect for history buffs and adventure enthusiasts, When the Dancing Stopped is nonfiction narrative at its best.
"A suspenseful, highly satisfying read."-Kirkus Starred Review
"...the book is a riveting account of this tragedy..."-Booklist
On September 7, 1934, the captain of the luxurious Ward Line flagship Morro Castle died under mysterious circumstances seven hours before his ship caught fire off the New Jersey coast. Much of the crew abandoned ship, leaving passengers to burn or jump into the sea as a hurricane approached and literally fanned the flames. The ship was incinerated, and 134 people perished.
Using hundreds of previously classified FBI reports, first-person survivor interviews, and countless documents, Brian Hicks has written-and solved-a murder mystery that mesmerized the nation more than seventy years ago. Told with authentic period detail and true-crime excitement, Hicks determines that the ominous weather was not the cause for the ship's burning. After reading Hick's deeply researched epic, we can only conclude that the disaster was the work of a madman among the crew.
Hicks creates a finely drawn portrait of Depression-era America. Perfect for history buffs and adventure enthusiasts, When the Dancing Stopped is nonfiction narrative at its best.
"A suspenseful, highly satisfying read."-Kirkus Starred Review
"...the book is a riveting account of this tragedy..."-Booklist
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Reviews for When the Dancing Stopped
Rating: 4.0625 out of 5 stars
4/5
24 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5There are usually three types of crime layouts for books:
1. The author decides he/she knows what was in a criminal's head and spends the entire book spinning the spin.
2. The author writes a thesis but neglects to keep the reader involved due to the fact that it's really just a thesis.
3. The author throws everything at the reader from the beginning, so the rest of the book is a letdown.
Thankfully, this book is none of the above. Brian Hicks crafts a tale that leads the reader into a just-one-more-page-even-though-it's-2AM spellbinding journey to discover the cause behind one of the greatest maritime disasters of the 20th century. Hicks has done his research homework, to the point where he even throws off newspaper facts from the 19th century, all to support his findings on the psychopath who is really the center of the story.
We don't know this, of course, because we think we're going to read a book about a ship, but it's so much more than that. I love authors who do their homework and don't just guess, and that's why this book merits the highest marks. Engrossing and gruesome.
Book Season = Autumn (because that's when the nuts thrive)