The great earthquake and firestorms of 1906 : how San Francisco nearly destroyed itself / Philip L. Fradkin.
Fradkin, Philip L.
2005
F869.S357 F735 2005 (Mapit)
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Title The great earthquake and firestorms of 1906 : how San Francisco nearly destroyed itself / Philip L. Fradkin.
Author Fradkin, Philip L.
ISBN 9780520230606 (alk. paper)
0520230604 (alk. paper)
Publication Details Berkeley : University of California Press, c2005.
Language English
Description xvii, 418 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm.
Call Number F869.S357 F735 2005
Dewey Decimal Classification 979.4/6103
Summary This account of the earthquake, the firestorms that followed, and the city's subsequent reconstruction shows how humans, not the forces of nature, nearly destroyed San Francisco in a remarkable display of simple ineptitude and power politics. Bolstered by previously unpublished accounts and photographs, this history of the country's greatest urban disaster will forever change conventional understanding of the event. Fradkin takes us onto the city's ruptured streets and into its exclusive clubs, teeming hospitals and refugee camps, and its Chinatown. 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 look at how people and institutions function in catastrophe demonstrates just how deeply earthquake, fires, hurricanes, floods, wars, droughts, or acts of terrorism can shape us.--From publisher description.
Bibliography, etc. Note Includes bibliographical references and index.
Linked Resources Table of contents only
Publisher description
Contributor biographical information
Record Appears in On-Campus Resources > Books
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I: Before
Beginnings
The tale of two cities
Science, politics, and San Francisco
The hotel and the opera house
II: During
Wednesday, April 18, 1906
Thursday, April 19, 1906
Friday, April 20, 1906
III: After
The relief effort
The upbuilding of San Francisco
The search for understanding
The culture of disaster
Disaster and race
The politics of disaster
The fat lady sings.

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