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The Dangerous Harbour: Revealing the Unknown Ships and Wrecks of the Halifax Explosion
Scuba diver and author of Atlantic?s Last Stop uses records and personal experience to examine the vessels in Halifax Harbour on the day of the 1917 Explosion to uncover what happened that day — and why. On the morning of December 6, 1917, ships and boats were in constant movement in Halifax Harbour. The First World War was in its fourth year and Halifax, the closest mainland North American naval port to Europe, was feeling its effect. At 8:45 A.M., the SS Mont-Blanc and the SS Imo collided. Minutes later, a powerful explosion devastated the city. Not only were homes and businesses devastated and civilians killed; when the explosion occurred, there were roughly two hundred vessels in the harbour, from warships to fishing schooners, coming and going with people and goods that had to get to Europe to support the war. Some were destroyed, ending up at the bottom of the harbour. Of the nearly two thousand people who lost their lives that day, hundreds were sailors and others associated with those ships. Using primary historical records and drawing on the author's personal experience of more than twelve hundred dives in Halifax Harbour, The Dangerous Revealing the Unknown Ships and Wrecks of the Halifax Explosion examines who was on the harbour that day and what became of the vessels in the vicinity of the explosion. With twenty black-and-white images, including many underwater photos, The Dangerous Harbour examines what happened to those ships and sailors and explores what actually happened on the day of the Halifax Explosion — and why.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
256 pages, Paperback
Published November 7, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 14, 2023
Oh, Canada. Not many people realize low key Canada is the site of the largest non-nuclear man-made explosions in history. And it was an accident.
Bob Chaulk's The Dangerous Harbour (in American, it would be spelled "Harbor") takes an intimate look at the explosion but puts the focus on the ships around the explosion both before and after the mushroom cloud. I've read quite a few books on the Great Halifax Explosion and Chaulk's approach provides a much different perspective. He also adds some additional information on how Canada and Halifax were struggling under the weight of creating and maintaining their own navy during World War I.
There are plenty of books on the explosion and for non-history nerds, it may be better to start with a book with a wider focus to get a full understanding of the aftermath as well. Chaulk's book is a wonderful enhancement to the overall narrative.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Nimbus Publishing.)
Bob Chaulk's The Dangerous Harbour (in American, it would be spelled "Harbor") takes an intimate look at the explosion but puts the focus on the ships around the explosion both before and after the mushroom cloud. I've read quite a few books on the Great Halifax Explosion and Chaulk's approach provides a much different perspective. He also adds some additional information on how Canada and Halifax were struggling under the weight of creating and maintaining their own navy during World War I.
There are plenty of books on the explosion and for non-history nerds, it may be better to start with a book with a wider focus to get a full understanding of the aftermath as well. Chaulk's book is a wonderful enhancement to the overall narrative.
(This book was provided as a review copy by Nimbus Publishing.)
July 22, 2024
Very interesting and informative take on the history of the harbour and the Canadian navy leading up to the Halifax explosion.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews