Under a Flaming Sky Audiobook By Daniel James Brown cover art

Under a Flaming Sky

The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894

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Under a Flaming Sky

By: Daniel James Brown
Narrated by: Mark Bramhall, Daniel James Brown
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About this listen

On September 1, 1894, two forest fires converged on the town of Hinckley, Minnesota, trapping over 2,000 people. Daniel J. Brown recounts the events surrounding the fire in the first and only book to chronicle the dramatic story that unfolded.

On September 1, 1894, two forest fires converged on the town of Hinckley, Minnesota, trapping over 2,000 people. Daniel J. Brown recounts the events surrounding the fire in the first and only book to chronicle the dramatic story that unfolded.

Whereas Oregon's famous "Biscuit" fire in 2002 burned 350,000 acres in one week, the Hinckley fire did the same damage in five hours. The fire created its own weather, including hurricane-strength winds, bubbles of plasmalike glowing gas, and 200-foot-tall flames. In some instances "fire whirls", or tornadoes of fire, danced out from the main body of the fire to knock down buildings and carry flaming debris into the sky. Temperatures reached 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit - the melting point of steel.

As the fire surrounded the town, two railroads became the only means of escape. Two trains ran the gauntlet of fire. One train caught on fire from one end to the other. The heroic young African American porter ran up and down the length of the train, reassuring the passengers even as the flames tore at their clothes. On the other train, the engineer refused to back his locomotive out of town until the last possible minute of escape. In all, more than 400 people died, leading to a revolution in forestry management practices and federal agencies that monitor and fight wildfires today.

Author Daniel Brown has woven together numerous survivors' stories, historical sources, and interviews with forest fire experts in a gripping narrative that tells the fascinating story of one of North America's most devastating fires and how it changed the nation.

©2016 Daniel Brown (P)2016 Penguin Audio
Americas Environment Natural Disasters Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science State & Local United States Transportation Railroad Emotionally Gripping Scary Heartfelt
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Masterful Storytelling • Vivid Descriptions • Excellent Narration • Thorough Research • Historical Authenticity
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Daniel James Brown is just a terrific author. His research of the historical and scientific details make his books fascinating.

In this book, the details are so tragic, so heartbreaking, that for me, the story was at times a little difficult to read. I really enjoyed the epilogue. Learning a little of the author's journey and his relationship to that tragic event lent a deeper appreciation for the story.

Almost too much drama.

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The writer did a wonderful job of pulling me into the event and characters. I was also very pleased with the narrator's work.

Excellent historical event writing

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A nonfiction nightmare story I had a hard time setting aside to accomplish my goals for the day. We had recently had our own tragedy with fire in Paradise.

First class page turner

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I love Daniel James Brown writing. This was such a sad story, yet he memorializes these people with such a beautiful book. He brings you into the town and the lives of these people with his descriptions of individual stories. You can actually visualize the chaos of the moments. I always take away so much from his books, not just a history lesson but an applicable life lesson.

Read This!

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I'm a big fan of the works of Daniel James Brown. He makes the human story of this tragic incident come alive in gruesome data. A true story of perseverance and heroism on a scale that many 21st century Americans will find hard to believe.

Brown's word paint a vivid picture.

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Intense but can’t put down. So many hero’s and hard working people offering much generousity

Amazing story

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Well, researched and well put together story. At times I felt like I was running away from the fires. It drew a clear picture in my mind of the horror it must’ve been living through that.

Historical novel, that was also riveting at times

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Such an incredible story . I’d never heard of this, but love anything Daniel Brown writes.

The horror and the history

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A bit slow at the beginning but once fire started, pace was relentless. Narrator's voice was pleasant and he had appropriate pauses between scene shifts.

The author did his research well provided rich scientific and historical details.

I know Minnesota had a greater and more tragic fire around Cloquet some years later. This was touched on only briefly. I wish there was some discussion about why the Hinckley fire is the more famous.

After fire started, I couldn't stop listening

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The story of historical facts from the personal survivors point of view brought it to realization. The heroes in life events are often forgotten after a period of time, so thank you for including the black porter.

great work of history.

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