When the Dancing Stopped, Brian Hicks
When the Dancing Stopped, Brian Hicks
List: $20.99 | Sale: $14.70
Club: $10.49

When the Dancing Stopped
The Real Story of the Morro Castle Disaster and Its Deadly Wake

Author: Brian Hicks

Narrator: Dick Hill

Unabridged: 12 hr 34 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 12/01/2006


Synopsis

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

About Brian Hicks

Brian Hicks, a senior writer with the Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, is the coauthor of two previous books on maritime subjects: Raising the Hunley: The Remarkable History and Recovery of the Lost Confederate Submarine and Into the Wind: The Story of the World's Longest Race. The recipient of the South Carolina Press Association's award for Journalist of the Year, Hicks lives in Charleston with his wife and their son.


Reviews

AudiobooksNow review by Debra on 2014-05-14 21:14:35

This was a most excellent read or listen to in my case. it kept my attention, was fascinating and interested me enough to dig for more on the internet.

Goodreads review by Sue on June 19, 2021

This was a solid 3.5 rating. (Also note that I paused reading on vacation, taking ‘beach reads’ with me, leaving this at home) It took me a while to get into this book, which is the true story of a disaster at sea, in the vein of The Devil and the White City. But once things started moving, so to spe......more