Chicago Calamities, Gayle Soucek
Chicago Calamities, Gayle Soucek
List: $10.99 | Sale: $7.70
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Chicago Calamities
Disaster in the Windy City

Author: Gayle Soucek

Narrator: Rebecca Gallagher

Unabridged: 3 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 05/13/2025


Synopsis

Fire and flood, train wreck and tornado—a look at the many disasters Chicago has endured over the years.

The story of Chicago is often likened to that of a phoenix rising out of the ashes of the Great Fire. Yet that infamous event was only part of the destruction that has shaped Chicago's identity.

This unique history explores the calamities that have befallen the Windy City, such as the 1954 killer water surge that swept in on a calm summer day; the 1967 tornado that ripped through rush hour traffic; the 1886 Haymarket Square riot that put Chicago on the anarchist map; and many other acts of nature and human folly. As you witness a fireproof theater burn, a flood rise up without rain, and one of the greatest maritime disasters occur within city limits, you'll gain a new appreciation for how this city has endured through unexpected tragedies and produced many unlikely heroes.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jan C on October 19, 2020

As a born Chicagoan and resident for most of my life I did appreciate that for the most part this was accurate. Chicago has had a lot of calamities. I don't think I realized just how many until I was reading this. Obviously, the major ones were the fire in 1871 and the fire at Our Lady of the Angels......more

Goodreads review by Thomas on September 22, 2013

Gayle Soucek, the author, in Chicago Calamities, provides a solid background on the disasters that helped shape Chicago throughout its history. Although I've lived in Chicago for almost ten years, not being a native has left me with a knowledge gap about certain areas of Chicago history. So I apprec......more

Goodreads review by Judy on August 01, 2019

We recently spent a few days in Chicago and I picked up this book in the art museum gift shop. Soucek did some great research and writing, and her accounts of these calamities and heroes of Chicago, added to my understanding of the city's history.......more

Goodreads review by lorraine stewart on April 29, 2023

Some of the stories are about owners who put profit ahead of safety. This book is for people who like both history and disaster stories. There are also stories of how powerful people will do anything to hold on to their power.......more

Goodreads review by John C Cargill on November 07, 2019

It was a good book, well researched.......more