Triangle: The Fire That Changed America (2004) - Plot & Excerpts
We might grumble and complain about long work weeks, commuter traffic, an aloof boss, catty coworkers, inadequate perks, and/or uncomfortable working conditions such as non-ergonomic furnishings/equipment or privacy invasive cubicle farms. But none of that compares to dismal, deplorable conditions and starvation salary eighty-hour work weeks in factories during the early twentieth century. And it certainly doesn’t compare to lack of labor-reform laws judiciously/equitably enforced, that could have saved many (if not all) of the tragic young victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City’s garment district. March 25, 1911, 146 people perished in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire, 123 of those were women – some as young as fourteen-years-old. Most of which were Jewish immigrants from Russia or Italy. “The screams from above were getting worse. I looked up and saw the whole shaft getting red with fire . . . It was horrible. They kept coming down from the flaming floors above. Some of their clothing was burning as they fell. I could see streaks of fire coming down like flaming rockets.” Their deaths were horrific: asphyxiation, incineration, multiple fractures from jumping ten-stories to their deaths; partly due to unkempt/crowded pathways, poorly designed ventilation, locked exit doors, faulty fire escapes, and tightly-fitted room length work stations/tables lacking intermittent pathways, designed for thrift and efficiency rather than safety or evacuation. However, to a greater more hideous degree, if one follows the ripples of effects back to the pebbles, the ultimate cause of such fires were proprietor greed and widespread political corruption of Tammany Hall. In which David Von Drehle does an extraordinary job of shedding light on this tragedy and all that led up to it, with a good bit of background information concerning immigration, working/living conditions domestic and abroad, labor issues/strikes leading up to the fire, big business, the early garment industry, Tammany Hall key players, political and judicial corruption/injustices. “Clearly, Tammany Hall’s one-two punch – the police and the gangsters – remained squarely on the side of the owners.”Well-written, researched, cited, and formatted. “Triangle: The Fire that Changed America” is detail rich, honest and forthright, riveting and respectful. A power read of labor-rights and work-safety historical importance. A book that truly gave me pause, enlightened and sorrowed by what our predecessors (many of which were female) had to go through just to eke out an impoverished living. After reading this book, who can really complain about a forty-hour work week, non-ergonomic chairs, and minimal bonus perks – like vacation and retirement packages. That’s not to say all is perfect in the American workplace; there are some in blue-collar industries who still receive substandard pay in deplorable conditions, and for the most part, big business hasn't shirked its greed bug. But, hey, overall we've got it pretty darn good here in America. And Drehle’s “Triangle” is a pretty darn good read too. A bit overly microscopic and dry in the beginning for my tastes. All in all though, four applaud-worthy journalistic/historical stars.
146 people died in this fire. This 2003 book contains, in its appendix, a list of 140 victims, probably the most accurate list up to that time. Since then, a researcher has identified has identified the remaining six victims. Read about it here:http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/nyr...There is also a fascinating Cornell University website about this fire.http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/Trivial error spotting: In Chapter 8, Henry Morgenthau Sr. is incorrectly characterized as “a future secretary [sic] of the Treasury.” Morgenthau Sr.'s son, Henry Morgenthau Jr., became Secretary of the Treasury under Franklin Roosevelt. Morgenthau Sr. was U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and a political heavyweight, but never Secretary of the Treasury. (Hey, when you're done here, why not read my excellent review of Morgenthau Sr.'s memoirs Ambassador Morgenthau's Story?)It seems like many of the reviews here at Goodreads do not reflect the book's merit but the reader's personal feelings about labor unions, which figure prominently in the book. Rather than fight it, I'm going to pile right on. There are people in the U.S. who believe (with some justification) that today's unions are often Mafia-addled societies of layabouts, dedicated the obstruction of innovation. These people cannot bring themselves to believe that unions, sometime, somewhere, could have been necessary, even worthwhile. Well, they were. Every time you knock off work at five o'clock on a Friday evening, happy in the knowledge that you are free until Monday morning, thank a union. That's right: grubby strangers from impoverished foreign lands got beat up and killed long ago so you can enjoy your 5:30 TGIF Mojito. Ashamed? No? Well, there's not much hope for you, then.The proprietors of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory successfully fought off unions the year before the fire, and then locked their employees into a sweatshop where many either burned or jumped to their deaths during the fire. It's not a surprise that the owners seem villainous in this book. They were villainous. Later, the owners beat a richly-deserved manslaughter rap with the help of an expensive lawyer, who manipulated uneducated non-native-English-speaking witnesses until they looked like liars. It's hard to read about it without feeling outraged at the injustice. That's why the union story will continue to reach across the ages and appeal to people who have sympathy for the suffering of others. Get used to it, O modern-day union bashers, because the need for justice is deeply embedded in human nature and it's not scheduled to go away any time soon.
What do You think about Triangle: The Fire That Changed America (2004)?
One of the most fascinating books I've read in a long time. Highly recommended. The year was 1911. New York City was, like today, brimming with immigrants—from Russian Jews who escaped genocide to Italians who left hometowns that were destroyed by an erupting Mt. Vesuvius. They started their new lives in the land of opportunities. Some were fortunate enough to work their way up from poverty to become shop and factory owners, lawyers, and politicians. But most lived in tightly-packed tenements and worked nine days a week in crammed sweatshops. The author masterfully weaved together the social, economic, and political landscape of the time with personal stories of those who were involved before, during, and after the fire. It is with a heavy heart that one reads about the oppression of the working poor, their fight for social justice, and the lives of the fire victims. But there is also hope—and irony—in how the corrupt political system permitted the Triangle tragedy to be the catalyst for labor reforms that changed our country.
—Monica
A well researched holistic account not only of the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in 1911 in which 146 workers were killed, but also of what lead to the fire and what were it's long term historic repercussions. Von Drehle does a masterful job of creating the environment in New York City of not only the tenements and factories in which many of the workers lived and worked, but also the political environment - Tammany Hall, the Women's Trade Union League and the Consumer League which were all factors at the time of the fire both creating the situation which allowed the fire to happen, and also the organizational power to push to change things after the fire. One of the strengths of the book was also in the way von Drehle personalized many of the fire victims. They were not just a number (146) but also individuals, mostly young women who had others depending on the their work for a family's livelihood. Just wanted to mention that I finished reading this book on March 8th which is International Women's Work Day - certainly no more appropriate day possible for remembering this tragic and preventable event.
—Cflack
On March 25, 1911, just before closing time, a fire broke out at the Triangle Waist Company factory in New York City and quickly raged out of control. Due to a combination of poor building design, a lack of proper leadership, and the absence of any type of disaster preparedness or safety protocols, the fire would kill 146 people, some as young as 14 years of age. This book presents the events of that day, the progress of the fire and the ensuing panic in vivid and frightening detail. The background provided on many of the victims and survivors, heroes and villains of the disaster provides a very human element. This book seems to be very well-researched and presents the Triangle fire within the social and political context of the time, describing relevant developments with regard to the garment industry, the immigrant experience, labor reform and women's rights in appropriate detail. I found it to be a very compelling read and highly recommend it.
—☕Laura
