SAN FRANCISCO IS BURNING The Untold Story of the 1906 Earthquake and Fires

By telling the story of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fires through important but little known figures, Dennis Smith makes the catastrophe personal and heightens its impact. He focuses on a naval officer who helped save the wharves, the corrupt mayor, and the debonair city political boss. But he doesn't neglect the minute-by-minute details of the disaster. These portions translate especially well to audio and are the most compelling. Alan Sklar does a solid job of narrating, never resorting to false drama. However, a bit more emotion at times would have been more engaging. Also, the author inserts historical asides, which slow down the reading and leave the listener wondering why the author included them. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 06/ JAN 07]