Trial by Fire
A Devastating Tragedy, 100 Lives Lost, and a 15-Year Search for Truth
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Trial by Fire
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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...
What listeners say about Trial by Fire
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs. G. Moynihan
- 26-09-21
Learning from disaster, is this an alien concept?
This is a first class piece of journalism, an excellent book that I encourage anyone to read.
It’s gripping and thorough, perhaps gripping because it’s thorough. The book commendably talks to the question we continually face, not just in the US but also the UK, in fact any country with an adversarial system of criminal justice: Can the full facts, with no ‘convenient’ procedurally necessary exclusions ever come out in such an adversarially based system?
Is the French, inquisitorial based system better, in such situations as this book carefully depicts? I think it might be.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Peter Murphy
- 11-09-21
Moving and Exceptional
Extremely sad. However this was narrated perfectly to express that sadness and devastating loss.
it is detailed and informative narration into the fire and the causes and although hard to listen to, the individual stories of people who didn't make it and the survivors was gut reaching.
Bravo to the author in somehow managing to inform on a very emotive and personal tragedy.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S L Jones
- 07-03-22
Considered & balanced journalism
No doubt a hard listen at times (gut wrenching in places) but not only a skilled narration but a story that raises the “trial by media” times we now find ourselves in and how small actions by a number of people leading up to such an event can often be the cause of heart ache for EVERYONE involved.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Melmo25
- 25-11-21
Harrowing, tragic and very informative
Fascinating. How an accident , mistake , stupidity, call it what you will, can cause so much devastation and destruction. The author was fair and balanced to all involved. It made me cry, horrified me but also inspired me too.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Quentin
- 29-04-22
Great Reporting
Superbly written. This book is the heartbreaking account of how a series of seemingly insignificant oversights can lead to tragedy. Everyone gets a chance to put their side and the understandable hope for a guilty party being held accountable and how unsatisfactory that sometimes can be.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jo Shap
- 20-02-23
Excellent journalistic account
An excellent journalistic account. Eloquent, fairly reported, depicting all sides of the story.
Written eloquently and narrated wonderfully. A tragic story but should be heard by all. Highly recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Shane canning
- 13-12-21
very good i must say
will never forget seeing this on youtube the screaming and dying from people and burning i can only imagine what a nighmare for all rip
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Nell P
- 22-09-21
a horrific topic deserves a better narrator
I had to listen to this at x1.30-1.45 speed just to survive this narration. it's excruciatingly slow - like treacle dipped in tar wrapped in toffee. the book is well written and researched, and I think its bias is at worst ambiguous. having read it, I don't feel 100% decidedly on the "side" of any party, which I feel is a strong indication that the overall objectivity was relatively good.
... but for the love of all things holy, don't listen to this at x1. 00 speed. you'll wish you could watch grass grow instead.
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