
Trial by Fire
A Devastating Tragedy, 100 Lives Lost, and a 15-Year Search for Truth
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Narrated by:
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Justin Spencer
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By:
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Scott James
About this listen
In only 90 seconds, a fire in The Station nightclub left 100 people dead or dying and injured hundreds more. It would take years to find out why - and who was really at fault.
All it took for a hundred people to die during a show by the hair metal band Great White was a sudden burst from four giant sparklers that ignited the acoustical foam lining the Station nightclub. But who was at fault? And who would pay? This being Rhode Island, the two questions wouldn’t necessarily have the same answer.
Within 24 hours the governor of Rhode Island and the local police chief were calling for criminal charges, although the investigation had barely begun, key evidence still needed to be gathered, and many of the victims hadn’t been identified. Though many parties could be held responsible, fingers pointed quickly at the two brothers who owned the club. But were they really to blame? Best-selling author and three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist Scott James investigates all the central figures, including the band’s manager and lead singer, the fire inspector, the maker of the acoustical foam, as well as the brothers. Drawing on firsthand accounts, interviews with many involved, and court documents, James explores the rush to judgment about what happened that left the victims and their families, whose stories he also tells, desperate for justice.
Trial by Fire is the heart-wrenching story of the fire’s aftermath because while the fire, one of America’s deadliest, lasted minutes, the search for the truth would take years.
©2020 Scott James (P)2021 Blackstone PublishingListeners also enjoyed...
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Don't fall for the negative reviews...
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Biased but still good
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Excellent
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Horrifyingly instructive
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Well Told - Depicted All Sides of a Horrific Tragedy. Sheri McCue Johnston Rhode Island
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What a great book
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Well done.
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James keeps the book moving and is orderly to help the reader understand the timeline. It’s reporting and not overly opinionated. I just finished and have all the feels. Anger, confusion, frustration, sadness, and more. There were no winners. There is no resolution. There is just truth. The raw truth that humans are hurting. I feel I have been educated on the story and can draw my own conclusions. It will make you think. Not just about fire safety but about government and politics and fairness and life. Worth the long read.
Wow but long but wow
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Very good well narrated
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Absolutely gut wrenching
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Riveting and honest account of a horrible tragedy
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