By John U. Bacon, audiobook narrated by Johnny Heller, 2017, Harper Collins Publisher

This is a detailed account of the disaster that occurred in 1917 when a ship, loaded with ammunition to be sent to Europe, blew up in Halifax Harbor, killing about 4,000 people.

I wasn’t aware of this event so it was interesting to hear the story. I was surprised at the level of support and disaster relief that the City of Boston provided and that Halifax in thanks has sent a Christmas tree for display on Boston Common every year since the mid-1970’s.

The book goes into great detail regarding the stories of many individuals who were impacted by this disaster. While this level of detail seems too much at times, it helps relate how so many of the residents were affected. The book also analyzes the factors that led up to the explosion and how the results could have been prevented.

The narration of the audiobook was well done. I believe that the author is a great supported of Canada and I felt that the narrator conveys the same spirit.

Overall, I am glad I listened to this as it gave me an appreciation of the ties that bind our two countries, but I am not sure I would enthusiastically recommend the book to others.