The true story of one of the greatest tragedies in New York history On June 15, 1904, the steamship General Slocum was heading from Manhattan to Long Island Sound when a fire erupted in one of the storage rooms. Faced with an untrained crew, crumbling life jackets, and inaccessible lifeboats, hundreds of terrified passengers--few of which were experienced swimmers--fled into the water. By the time the captain found a safe shore for landing, more than 1000 people had perished. It was New York’s deadliest tragedy prior to September 11, 2001. The only book available on this compelling chapter in the city’s history, Ship Ablaze draws on firsthand accounts to examine why the death toll was so high, how the city responded, and why this event failed to achieve the infamy of the Titanic’s 1912 demise or the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. Masterfully capturing both the horror of the event and heroism of men, women, and children aboard the ship as the inferno spread, historian Edward T. O’Donnell brings to life a bygone community while honoring the victims of that forgotten day.

There were few experienced swimmers among over 1,300 Lower East Side residents who boarded the "General Slocum" on June 15, 1904. It shouldn't have mattered, since the steamship was chartered only for a languid excursion from Manhattan to Long Island Sound. But a fire erupted minutes into the trip, forcing hundreds of terrified passengers into the water. By the time the captain found a safe shore for landing, 1,021 had perished. "Ship Ablaze" draws on firsthand accounts to examine why the death toll was so high and how the city responded. Masterfully capturing both the horror of the event and the heroism of men, women, and children who faced crumbling life jackets and inaccessible lifeboats as the inferno quickly spread, historian Edward T. O'Donnell brings to life a bygone community while honoring the victims of that forgotten day.

A young Englishman embarks on history’s most daring naval assault Thomas Spyre wields his rapier like an expert, but his blade has never drawn blood. A surgeon’s apprentice in Elizabethan London, young Thomas spends his days learning the most modern medical techniques—from amputation to bloodletting—and by night he tries to keep his master from gambling away their earnings at bear fights. When a bad bet leaves their purse emptier than ever before, Thomas fears they are destined for the poorhouse. But a strange stroke of luck is about to whisk them away from England toward one of the greatest adventures of all time. Thomas and his master are called upon by Sir Francis Drake, the legendary swashbuckler, to accompany him on a daring raid of the Spanish port of Cadiz. As a surgeon aboard the ship, Thomas will have to learn the nature of manhood, medicine, battle, and espionage—all while the cannons fire.

The new novel in the New York Times bestselling Imager series.

For much of the industrial era, asbestos was a widely acclaimed benchmark material. During its heyday, it was manufactured into nearly three thousand different products, most of which protected life and property from heat, flame, and electricity. It was used in virtually every industry from hotel keeping to military technology to chemical manufacturing, and was integral to building construction from shacks to skyscrapers in every community across the United States. Beginning in the mid-1960s, however, this once popular mineral began a rapid fall from grace as growing attention to the serious health risks associated with it began to overshadow the protections and benefits it provided. In this thought-provoking and controversial book, Rachel Maines challenges the recent vilification of asbestos by providing a historical perspective on Americans’ changing perceptions about risk. She suggests that the very success of asbestos and other fire-prevention technologies in containing deadly blazes has led to a sort of historical amnesia about the very risks they were supposed to reduce. Asbestos and Fire is not only the most thoroughly researched and balanced look at the history of asbestos, it is also an important contribution to a larger debate that considers how the risks of technological solutions should be evaluated. As technology offers us ever-increasing opportunities to protect and prevent, Maines urges that learning to accept and effectively address the unintended consequences of technological innovations is a growing part of our collective responsibility.

From colonial times to the modern day, two things have remained constant in American history: the destructive power of fires and the bravery of those who fight them. Fighting Fire! brings to life ten of the deadliest infernos this nation has ever endured: the great fires of Boston, New York, Chicago, Baltimore, and San Francisco, the disasters of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, the General Slocum, and the Cocoanut Grove nightclub, the wildfire of Witch Creek in San Diego County, and the catastrophe of 9/11. Each blaze led to new firefighting techniques and technologies, yet the struggle against fires continues to this day. With historical images and a fast-paced text, this is both an exciting look at firefighting history and a celebration of the human spirit.

Success will destroy elemental magic. Failure condemns this world and the next. Pick up the award-winning series, nominated for Best Book of 2017 and winner of Best Worldbuilding, and enter a story described as “Brilliantly contrived and beautifully executed, it reminds us why we love the genre” and, “This was pure magic and 'Epic Fantasy' at its very best.” Six months after a tragic war, the world of Myrrah has found peace. But many of the heroes have not. When Zhao’s reluctant homecoming sparks a battle over the fate of Elementals among his people, he calls on his friends for help only to find they are busy with new problems of their own. And one has the potential to end all magic. For nearly destroying the world in an ancient war, the Ashanti were cursed by the Goddess Mhyrah with lifespans of less than a decade. To regain normal lives for his people, Beh’kana, the Ashanti King, will defy the traditions handed down since the dawn of time, even if that means rekindling an ancient feud—one that nearly destroyed the world before it fully began. His quest to conquer death and gain control of the source of all elemental magic—the spirit realm—threatens to burn the world to ashes. Lavinia did not seek to be named Guardian of the Spheres when she touched each to gain control of elemental power. But now that choice has propelled her to being the key to stopping the Ashanti. She controls the gates that allow magic into the world, and she must close them to prevent the Ashanti from crossing into the spirit realm and gaining power beyond imagination—enough to enslave or destroy the world they once sought to rule. But with the closure of each gate, an elemental power is lost, and those who stand against the Ashanti are less able to fight a threat that seeks control over life and death. Welcome back to the world of Myrrah, full of elemental magic and epic fantasy adventure! The fate of the world hangs in the balance, and the sacrifice to save it might be elemental magic. Discover this exhilarating tale that has received praise such as “It is the sort of read that reminds us how great fantasy can be.” and, “Strong characters and a beautiful world hold up a fine story. We love Ms. Birt’s work, we only wish we’d found her sooner.” The Games of Fire Trilogy bundle contains all three books of the series: Spark of Defiance, Fantasia Reviews 2017 nominated book of the Year Gates of Fire & Earth, and A New Goddess PLUS the Untold Stories of the World of Myrrah that contains novellas and short stories set in the same world (and often featuring familiar characters!).

Commander Edward John Smith's career had been a remarkable example of how a man from a humble background could get far in the world. Born to a working-class family in the landlocked Staffordshire Potteries, he went to sea at the age of 17 and rose rapidly through the ranks of the merchant navy, serving first in sailing vessels and later in the new steamships of the White Star Line. By 1912, he as White Star's senior commander and regarded by many in the shipping world as the 'millionaire's captain'. In 1912, Smith was given command of the new RMS Titanic for her maiden voyage, but what should have been among the crowning moments of his long career at sea turned rapidly into a nightmare following Titanic's collision with an iceberg. In a matter of hours the supposedly unsinkable ship sank, taking over 1,500 people with her, including Captain Smith.

Shares stories of eight young men and women whose selfless heroism and refusal to deny their faith led to their becoming saints of the Christian church, including Saint Teresa of the Andes, Saint Stanislaus Kostka, and Blessed Pedro Calungsod.