Non-fiction Disaster Books

101.
Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917
Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 3.84 avg rating — 2,042 ratings
102.
The Angola Horror: The 1867 Train Wreck That Shocked the Nation and Transformed American Railroads
The Angola Horror: The 1867 Train Wreck That Shocked the Nation and Transformed American Railroads 3.87 avg rating — 98 ratings
103.
Desperate Passage: The Donner Party's Perilous Journey West
Desperate Passage: The Donner Party's Perilous Journey West 4.10 avg rating — 3,343 ratings
104.
The Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire 3.86 avg rating — 49 ratings
105.
Caliban's Shore: The Wreck of the Grosvenor and the Strange Fate of Her Survivors
Caliban's Shore: The Wreck of the Grosvenor and the Strange Fate of Her Survivors 3.86 avg rating — 465 ratings
106.
No One Had a Tongue to Speak: The Untold Story of One of History's Deadliest Floods
No One Had a Tongue to Speak: The Untold Story of One of History's Deadliest Floods 4.25 avg rating — 44 ratings
106.
Death on the Ice: The Great Newfoundland Sealing Disaster of 1914
Death on the Ice: The Great Newfoundland Sealing Disaster of 1914 4.08 avg rating — 895 ratings
106.
Fault Lines: Views across Haiti's Divide
Fault Lines: Views across Haiti's Divide 4.27 avg rating — 48 ratings
106.
The Whiskey Au Go Go Massacre: Murder, Arson and the Crime of the Century
The Whiskey Au Go Go Massacre: Murder, Arson and the Crime of the Century 4.39 avg rating — 66 ratings
110.
As You Were: The Tragedy at Valcartier
As You Were: The Tragedy at Valcartier 4.14 avg rating — 37 ratings
111.
My Thoughts Be Bloody
My Thoughts Be Bloody 4.28 avg rating — 1,037 ratings
111.
In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette
In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette 4.29 avg rating — 24,759 ratings
113.
Nine Minutes Twenty Seconds
Nine Minutes Twenty Seconds 4.07 avg rating — 262 ratings
114.
The Buffalo Creek Disaster: How the Survivors of One of the Worst Disasters in Coal-Mining History Brought Suit Against the Coal Company--And Won
The Buffalo Creek Disaster: How the Survivors of One of the Worst Disasters in Coal-Mining History Brought Suit Against the Coal Company--And Won 3.69 avg rating — 2,562 ratings
114.
Floodpath: The Deadliest Man-Made Disaster of 20th-Century America and the Making of Modern Los Angeles
Floodpath: The Deadliest Man-Made Disaster of 20th-Century America and the Making of Modern Los Angeles 3.98 avg rating — 731 ratings
116.
Tracy
Tracy 4.15 avg rating — 47 ratings
117.
An Unbroken Bond: The Untold Story of How the 658 Cantor Fitzgerald Families Faced the Tragedy of 9/11 and Beyond
An Unbroken Bond: The Untold Story of How the 658 Cantor Fitzgerald Families Faced the Tragedy of 9/11 and Beyond 4.03 avg rating — 97 ratings
118.
Final Voyage: The World's Worst Maritime Disasters
Final Voyage: The World's Worst Maritime Disasters 3.42 avg rating — 50 ratings
118.
Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago
Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago 3.91 avg rating — 1,231 ratings
120.
Brutal Journey: The Epic Story of the First Crossing of North America
Brutal Journey: The Epic Story of the First Crossing of North America 3.98 avg rating — 582 ratings
120.
Lusitania: Triumph, Tragedy, and the End of the Edwardian Age
Lusitania: Triumph, Tragedy, and the End of the Edwardian Age
by: Greg King
3.73 avg rating — 554 ratings
122.
Storm of the Century: New England's Great Blizzard of 1978
Storm of the Century: New England's Great Blizzard of 1978 3.70 avg rating — 10 ratings
122.
A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster
A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster 3.94 avg rating — 3,771 ratings
122.
Trapped!: The Story of Floyd Collins
Trapped!: The Story of Floyd Collins 4.05 avg rating — 338 ratings
125.
Warning, The Story of Cyclone Tracy
Warning, The Story of Cyclone Tracy 3.45 avg rating — 85 ratings
126.
River of Darkness: Francisco Orellana's Legendary Voyage of Death and Discovery Down the Amazon
River of Darkness: Francisco Orellana's Legendary Voyage of Death and Discovery Down the Amazon 4.21 avg rating — 3,613 ratings
126.
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey 4.21 avg rating — 74,678 ratings
128.
The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny
The Best Land Under Heaven: The Donner Party in the Age of Manifest Destiny 4.23 avg rating — 2,603 ratings
129.
No Apparent Danger: The True Story of Volcanic Disaster at Galeras and Nevado Del Ruiz
No Apparent Danger: The True Story of Volcanic Disaster at Galeras and Nevado Del Ruiz 4.13 avg rating — 313 ratings
130.
Plutopia: Nuclear Families, Atomic Cities, and the Great Soviet and American Plutonium Disasters
Plutopia: Nuclear Families, Atomic Cities, and the Great Soviet and American Plutonium Disasters 4.13 avg rating — 1,370 ratings
131.
Poisoned: The True Story of the Deadly E. Coli Outbreak That Changed the Way Americans Eat
Poisoned: The True Story of the Deadly E. Coli Outbreak That Changed the Way Americans Eat 3.93 avg rating — 642 ratings
131.
A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America's Hurricanes
A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America's Hurricanes 4.07 avg rating — 1,643 ratings
133.
The Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World
The Potato: How the Humble Spud Rescued the Western World 3.61 avg rating — 556 ratings
134.
A Brave Vessel: The True Tale of the Castaways Who Rescued Jamestown and Inspired Shakespeare's The Tempest
A Brave Vessel: The True Tale of the Castaways Who Rescued Jamestown and Inspired Shakespeare's The Tempest 3.60 avg rating — 321 ratings
134.
Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe
Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe 4.18 avg rating — 18,439 ratings
136.
The Last Days of St. Pierre: The Volcanic Disaster That Claimed 30,000 Lives
The Last Days of St. Pierre: The Volcanic Disaster That Claimed 30,000 Lives 4.11 avg rating — 64 ratings
136.
The Great Fire of Rome: The Fall of the Emperor Nero and His City
The Great Fire of Rome: The Fall of the Emperor Nero and His City 3.72 avg rating — 218 ratings
138.
The Mercy of the Sky: The Story of a Tornado
The Mercy of the Sky: The Story of a Tornado 4.15 avg rating — 965 ratings
139.
Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World
Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World 3.91 avg rating — 7,931 ratings
140.
Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free
Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free 3.92 avg rating — 11,838 ratings
141.
Into the Raging Sea: Thirty-Three Mariners, One Megastorm, and the Sinking of El Faro
Into the Raging Sea: Thirty-Three Mariners, One Megastorm, and the Sinking of El Faro 4.22 avg rating — 4,806 ratings
142.
The Year Without Summer: 1816 and the Volcano That Darkened the World and Changed History
The Year Without Summer: 1816 and the Volcano That Darkened the World and Changed History 3.43 avg rating — 1,264 ratings
142.
Fatal North: Murder and Survival on the First North Pole Expedition
Fatal North: Murder and Survival on the First North Pole Expedition 4.18 avg rating — 1,259 ratings
142.
Denali's Howl: The Deadliest Climbing Disaster on America's Wildest Peak
Denali's Howl: The Deadliest Climbing Disaster on America's Wildest Peak
by: Andy Hall
3.88 avg rating — 4,098 ratings
145.
Last Man Out: The Story of the Springhill Mine Disaster
Last Man Out: The Story of the Springhill Mine Disaster 4.04 avg rating — 294 ratings
145.
In the Wake of Madness: The Murderous Voyage of the Whaleship Sharon
In the Wake of Madness: The Murderous Voyage of the Whaleship Sharon 3.71 avg rating — 749 ratings
147.
The Raging Sea: The Powerful Account of the Worst Tsunami in U.S. History
The Raging Sea: The Powerful Account of the Worst Tsunami in U.S. History 3.70 avg rating — 125 ratings
147.
Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean
Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean 4.09 avg rating — 4,523 ratings
149.
Island on Fire
Island on Fire 3.85 avg rating — 824 ratings
150.
F5: The Devastating Tornado Outbreak of 1974
F5: The Devastating Tornado Outbreak of 1974 3.96 avg rating — 412 ratings
151.
K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain
K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain 4.01 avg rating — 6,764 ratings
152.
The Great Hurricane: 1938
The Great Hurricane: 1938 3.94 avg rating — 1,313 ratings
153.
Cascadia's Fault: The Coming Earthquake and Tsunami That Could Devastate North America
Cascadia's Fault: The Coming Earthquake and Tsunami That Could Devastate North America 4.18 avg rating — 740 ratings
154.
Land on Fire: The New Reality of Wildfire in the West
Land on Fire: The New Reality of Wildfire in the West 4.06 avg rating — 215 ratings
155.
The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet
The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet 3.92 avg rating — 1,985 ratings
156.
Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire
Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire 4.16 avg rating — 1,527 ratings
157.
Earth-Shattering Events: Earthquakes, Nations, and Civilization
Earth-Shattering Events: Earthquakes, Nations, and Civilization 3.88 avg rating — 41 ratings
158.
Sultana: Surviving the Civil War, Prison, and the Worst Maritime Disaster in American History
Sultana: Surviving the Civil War, Prison, and the Worst Maritime Disaster in American History 3.81 avg rating — 277 ratings
159.
The Poisoned City: Flint's Water and the American Urban Tragedy
The Poisoned City: Flint's Water and the American Urban Tragedy 4.15 avg rating — 2,842 ratings
159.
Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators
Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death, and Ecological Wreckage in a Land of Vanishing Predators 4.23 avg rating — 2,065 ratings
161.
Island in a Storm: A Rising Sea, a Vanishing Coast, and a Nineteenth-Century Disaster that Warns of a Warmer World
Island in a Storm: A Rising Sea, a Vanishing Coast, and a Nineteenth-Century Disaster that Warns of a Warmer World 3.77 avg rating — 117 ratings
161.
The Price We Paid: The Extraordinary Story of the Willie And Martin Handcart Pioneers
The Price We Paid: The Extraordinary Story of the Willie And Martin Handcart Pioneers 4.28 avg rating — 1,229 ratings
161.
Unseen Danger: A Tragedy of People, Government, and the Centralia Mine Fire
Unseen Danger: A Tragedy of People, Government, and the Centralia Mine Fire 4.10 avg rating — 50 ratings
161.
The Deep Dark: Disaster and Redemption in America's Richest Silver Mine
The Deep Dark: Disaster and Redemption in America's Richest Silver Mine 4.16 avg rating — 683 ratings
161.
Disasters
Disasters 3.40 avg rating — 5 ratings
161.
Collision Course: The Classic Story of the Collision of the Andrea Doria and the Stockholm
Collision Course: The Classic Story of the Collision of the Andrea Doria and the Stockholm 4.16 avg rating — 884 ratings
161.
The Story of the Titanic As Told by Its Survivors
The Story of the Titanic As Told by Its Survivors 4.17 avg rating — 873 ratings
161.
Surviving Sandy: The Superstorm That Reshaped Our Lives
Surviving Sandy: The Superstorm That Reshaped Our Lives 4.46 avg rating — 13 ratings
161.
Shipwreck: The Strange Fate of the Morro Castle
Shipwreck: The Strange Fate of the Morro Castle 3.97 avg rating — 352 ratings
161.
Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City
Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City
by: Jed Horne
3.89 avg rating — 622 ratings
161.
One Year Of Hell: The Heart-Breaking True Story Of The 1880 Seaham Colliery Disaster
One Year Of Hell: The Heart-Breaking True Story Of The 1880 Seaham Colliery Disaster it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
161.
Spanish Influenza: The Story of the Epidemic That Swept America From the Newspaper Reports of 1918
Spanish Influenza: The Story of the Epidemic That Swept America From the Newspaper Reports of 1918 3.44 avg rating — 55 ratings
161.
Early Thursday: A War, A Hurricane, A Miracle!
Early Thursday: A War, A Hurricane, A Miracle! 4.62 avg rating — 42 ratings
161.
Epidemics and the Modern World
Epidemics and the Modern World 3.95 avg rating — 21 ratings
161.
Fire in the Night: 20 Years Since the Piper Alpha Disaster
Fire in the Night: 20 Years Since the Piper Alpha Disaster 4.47 avg rating — 376 ratings
161.
Mountain of Fire: The Daring Rescue from Mount St. Helens (Creation Adventure Series)
Mountain of Fire: The Daring Rescue from Mount St. Helens (Creation Adventure Series) 3.64 avg rating — 11 ratings
161.
A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks
A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks 3.42 avg rating — 1,449 ratings
161.
Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation
Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation 4.23 avg rating — 834 ratings
161.
Tinder Box: The Iroquois Theatre Disaster 1903
Tinder Box: The Iroquois Theatre Disaster 1903 4.09 avg rating — 432 ratings
161.
The Wager Disaster: Mayhem, Mutiny and Murder in the South Seas
The Wager Disaster: Mayhem, Mutiny and Murder in the South Seas 4.08 avg rating — 61 ratings
161.
Without Warning: The Tornado of Udall, Kansas
Without Warning: The Tornado of Udall, Kansas 4.37 avg rating — 65 ratings
161.
The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slavery
The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slavery 4.41 avg rating — 51 ratings
183.
Last Hours on Everest
Last Hours on Everest 3.76 avg rating — 423 ratings
183.
Fire and Brimstone: The North Butte Mining Disaster of 1917
Fire and Brimstone: The North Butte Mining Disaster of 1917 4.08 avg rating — 1,121 ratings
183.
One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway
One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway 4.42 avg rating — 12,704 ratings
183.
No Time to Lose: A Life in Pursuit of Deadly Viruses
No Time to Lose: A Life in Pursuit of Deadly Viruses 3.84 avg rating — 981 ratings
183.
The 911 Commission Report
The 911 Commission Report 3.65 avg rating — 4,628 ratings
183.
438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea
438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea 4.34 avg rating — 14,448 ratings
183.
Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present
Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present 4.40 avg rating — 912 ratings
183.
The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans and Our Quest to Understand Earth's Past Mass Extinctions
The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans and Our Quest to Understand Earth's Past Mass Extinctions 4.29 avg rating — 5,875 ratings
183.
The Lost Men: The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party
The Lost Men: The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party 4.15 avg rating — 1,938 ratings
183.
And Hell Followed with It: Life and Death in a Kansas Tornado
And Hell Followed with It: Life and Death in a Kansas Tornado 4.42 avg rating — 182 ratings
193.
Devil's Gate: Brigham Young and the Great Mormon Handcart Tragedy
Devil's Gate: Brigham Young and the Great Mormon Handcart Tragedy 4.04 avg rating — 511 ratings
193.
Ships Gone Missing: The Great Lakes Storm of 1913
Ships Gone Missing: The Great Lakes Storm of 1913 3.82 avg rating — 33 ratings
193.
Explosion at Orly: The Disaster that Transformed Atlanta
Explosion at Orly: The Disaster that Transformed Atlanta 3.78 avg rating — 37 ratings
193.
1 Dead in Attic: Post-Katrina Stories
1 Dead in Attic: Post-Katrina Stories 4.11 avg rating — 3,920 ratings
193.
Pentagon 9/11
Pentagon 9/11 4.09 avg rating — 11 ratings
193.
Buried Truths and the Hyatt Skywalks: The Legacy of America’s Epic Structural Failure
Buried Truths and the Hyatt Skywalks: The Legacy of America’s Epic Structural Failure 4.12 avg rating — 51 ratings
199.
South: The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914-1917
South: The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914-1917 4.20 avg rating — 11,072 ratings
199.
Disaster Drawn: Visual Witness, Comics, and Documentary Form
Disaster Drawn: Visual Witness, Comics, and Documentary Form 3.87 avg rating — 39 ratings
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