Status
Available
Genres
Publication
New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2011.
Description
History. Young Adult Nonfiction. HTML:On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City burst into flames. The factory was crowded. The doors were locked to ensure workers stay inside. One hundred forty-six peopleâ??mostly womenâ??perished; it was one of the most lethal workplace fires in American history until September 11, 2001. But the story of the fire is not the story of one accidental moment in time. It is a story of immigration and hard work to make it in a new country, as Italians and Jews and others traveled to America to find a better life. It is the story of poor working conditions and greedy bosses, as garment workers discovered the endless sacrifices required to make ends meet. It is the story of unimaginable, but avoidable, disaster. And it the story of the unquenchable pride and activism of fearless immigrants and women who stood up to business, got America on their side, and finally changed working conditions for our entire nation, initiating radical new laws we take for granted today. With Flesh and Blood So Cheap, Albert Marrin has crafted a gripping, nuanced, and poignant account of one of America's defining tragedies. Includes a bonus PDF of photographs and image… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member lilibrarian
The story of the Triangle Fire which killed 146 people in New York City. The book starts with the conditions of the factories before the fire, and the stories of the people involved, and continues after the fire with the creation of government safety regulations, the rise of unions and the
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continuation of sweat shops to the present day. Show Less
LibraryThing member skraftdesigns
This book did a very good job of detailing the history that lead up to the tragedy of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire. I also learned some good random facts to file away. (Russian Jewish immigrants came from the Pale region of Russia, they feared venturing 'beyond the Pale'. The part of a ship known
The author concludes the book with some interesting ideas. I don't agree with all of them. He says that when manufacturing jobs are outsourced to places like China they can make things cheaper for the same quality. I absolutely disagree with the quality aspect. I've finally learned that Chinese made goods are often inferior in quality, but also unsafe- an Chinese made electric sander I bought burst into flames on the first use. The author quotes someone from a country with sweatshops as saying that in order to bring up the level of worker's rights, that people should buy more things from sweatshops, not less. An interesting idea, but impractical for several reasons. Buying quality, locally made items makes sense in a stressed economy, being one of the more important reasons.
Aside from this I enjoyed the book. It was well written, and explained things clearly. I think a child reading this might be fascinated with the story.
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as 'Steerage' is called that because that's where the steering cables are. That one I probably should have known.)The author concludes the book with some interesting ideas. I don't agree with all of them. He says that when manufacturing jobs are outsourced to places like China they can make things cheaper for the same quality. I absolutely disagree with the quality aspect. I've finally learned that Chinese made goods are often inferior in quality, but also unsafe- an Chinese made electric sander I bought burst into flames on the first use. The author quotes someone from a country with sweatshops as saying that in order to bring up the level of worker's rights, that people should buy more things from sweatshops, not less. An interesting idea, but impractical for several reasons. Buying quality, locally made items makes sense in a stressed economy, being one of the more important reasons.
Aside from this I enjoyed the book. It was well written, and explained things clearly. I think a child reading this might be fascinated with the story.
Show Less
LibraryThing member foggidawn
Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy by Albert Marrin describes a major industrial tragedy of the early twentieth century: a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, which took many lives in a haunting, horrific way -- all because precautions we take for granted today either
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did not exist, or had been ignored by the factory's owners. The book was well-written, though certainly not a light or easy read due to the subject matter. There were a few places where I thought the author's personal bias was apparent, but not enough to destroy the book's credibility. I learned a lot from it, though it did leave me wanting to read lighthearted romantic comedies for my next several reads! Show Less
LibraryThing member STBA
One hundred years after the tragedy, Marrin uses the event as a focal point to discuss immigration, unions, and life in early 20th century New York City.
LibraryThing member kimberlyhebert
1. Written by Albert Marrin, Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy would best fit into the non-fiction category of documents, journals, diaries, and albums. Much primary source material can be found in the form of archival photographs, quotations, building diagrams, and
2.
Albert Marrin is an American historian, professor of history, and author of more than forty juvenile nonfiction books. He is certainly qualified to write a book on the Triangle Fire tragedy, and does so well. Released in 2011 to coincide with the centennial anniversary of the fire, Flesh and Blood So Cheap is emotionally charged but informative. While matter-of-fact in his language, the book still touches the reader at the core in terms of the event itself, and the injustice that caused it to occur in the first place. There is no stereotyping or sensationalism to be found in the back history of events leading up to the fire, but we do gain a sense of the struggle endured by the immigrant newly arrived in the United States.
The scope of Marrin’s book is wide---he does not merely discuss the Triangle Fire itself, but also the people who fell victim to the tragedy—Russian and Jewish immigrants (mostly women) who had come to the United States seeking a better life but in turn found a sharp divide between the haves and have-nots. The reader gains a considerable understanding of the general background of the Triangle fire victims and the social conditions around the factory: not only do we become familiar with the disaster as it were, but also of the causes and implications of it. The book concludes with a look at present day social conditions in the sweatshops of developing countries, and how this parallels those found during the days of the Triangle Fire.
The book is written for young adults, with larger print, many pictures, and language that is easy to read and follow. However, the events discussed within are of a very adult-minded nature: the violent deaths of many victims, the development and rise of organized crime in the garment factory trade after the Triangle Fire, and the horrors of past and present-day social conditions both in the United States and more particularly, poor developing countries. The tone of Marrin’s book is informative but emotionally gripping, and ends with a sense of inquiry about present-day social conditions in sweatshops abroad: what is to be done?
Marrin's book opens with a chilling Prelude as he describes that sunny spring day in New York; March 25, 1911, and then cues Frances Perkins, a future activist, bearing witness to the horror as victims began jumping from windows at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Chapter 1 opens with an introduction to the immigrants who provided a workforce to factories like the Triangle Shirtwaist, along with the reason for emigrating their home countries, and then a description of the disparity that existed between classes in New York during that time. Chapters are titled with provoking chapter quotes, and many pictures allow the reader to see old New York, the immigrant population, and the stark reality of their primitive and simple living conditions. Aside from the Prelude, chapters flow in chronological order. We learn of Clara Lemlich and the Uprising of 20,000; the beginnings of unionization in the garment industry, and the events leading up to the fire. After the fire occurs, the book picks up speed, giving a quick overview about the involvement and rise of organized crime within the garment industry. We learn that this is in part responsible for the rising internationalism--much of the garment production industry has been outsourced to poor and developing countries, where sweatshops and factories reminiscent of the Triangle Fire days exist. Marrin concludes with a commentary on these present conditions, stressing how humans must take responsibility for their actions. Back material of the book includes a bibliography, source notes, and an index.
The cover design of the book is striking, using the black, orange, and red--almost as though to symbolize the colors of the fire itself. On the left half of the cover is an archival photograph of young women laboring in a factory. You can see rows of women as far as the eye can see, and it is painful to imagine the chaos that ensued when the fire broke out and everyone began to flee for their lives. Often, in fires such as this those that don't suffocate or burn often perish due to panicked trampling from others. Indeed, it was due to this fire that social conditions were bettered in many such factories--mandatory rules calling for red exit lights, doors that must swing outward, fire drills, and sprinkler systems were enacted (while much of this technology already existed at the time, it was more economical for factory owners to forgo it). Additionally, capacity limits were set for buildings, based on size of rooms and numbers of available exits.
Much primary source material can be found in the form of archival photographs, quotations, building diagrams, maps, and detailed timelines. While a disaster like the Triangle Fire could seem simple at first glance, we learn the nuanced-details and complexity of just how a tragedy like this could occur in the first place. Through the usage of direct quotes from many survivors, the reader can feel on a very personal level the horror of what was taking place. The title itself of “Fear and Blood So Cheap” is actually a direct quotation from Jacob Riis, the photographer who produced How The Other Half Lives (1890). The archival photographs used throughout the book are extremely compelling, painting an accurate picture of the immigrants themselves, the workplace they endured, and the home environment in which they lived.
The layout of the book is very aesthetically pleasing, with interesting typeface used to accentuate chapter titles. Maps and diagrams allow the reader to see layouts of factory buildings in which immigrants worked, and illustrations from the time period that capture events like women being sent to a workhouse on Blackwell's Island serve the book nicely. All of the visual elements in Marrin's book not only bring the Triangle Fire into perspective, but New York during that time as a whole.
The back material of suggested reading and source notes allow the reader to not only further research about the Triangle Fire, but also observe just how much primary source material was used in the making of this book. Additionally, the extensive index allows readers to quickly locate anything relating to specifics of the Triangle Fire, the immigrants, or the events following the fire with relative ease.
I intend to use this book for my own discipline, as I feel it very well bridges the gap within US history between colonial and modern times. Often students have a difficult time understanding how politics and government involvement evolved from colonial times, and I feel this book will help to put that into perspective. While our founding fathers advised as little government participation as possible, events such as the Triangle Fire proves that government and private citizens must work symbiotically to ensure the safety and equality of its citizens.
3. I most certainly would use Marrin’s book the book in my discipline, which is Social Studies. Not only is this book an account of the tragedy that was the Triangle Fire; it is just as much about immigration and the people who came to the United States looking for a better life. Also interlaced is an overview of the social conditions that existed during the time of the tragedy, and additionally how the legacy would change these social conditions for the better in many ways. Such a book would also be particularly useful in a US History course.
4. I highly suggest keeping this book in the collection. Marrin’s book on the Triangle Fire was both well researched and highly informative. While published for middle school aged readers, I would recommend this book to anyone 12 and over. It gave me much deeper insight into a tragedy that I previously knew very little about, and a better understanding of its legacy in reforming social conditions. Also, this is the only book of its kind currently in the Destiny collection--the only other book which deals specifically with the Triangle Fire is not nearly as detailed, and intended for elementary (K-2) aged readers.
5. My assessment seems to more or less parallel that of the professional reviewer. Most reviewers also take note of Marrin’s ability to speak informatively and emotionally, which has an effect of truly engaging readers. So enthralled was I with this book that I read it cover to cover, and I felt that many professional reviewers felt the same—it averaged nearly five stars in most reviews. Marrin has successfully bridged the gap between expository writing and emotionally charged content.
Show More
detailed timelines. Back material of the book includes a bibliography, source notes, and an index. 2.
Albert Marrin is an American historian, professor of history, and author of more than forty juvenile nonfiction books. He is certainly qualified to write a book on the Triangle Fire tragedy, and does so well. Released in 2011 to coincide with the centennial anniversary of the fire, Flesh and Blood So Cheap is emotionally charged but informative. While matter-of-fact in his language, the book still touches the reader at the core in terms of the event itself, and the injustice that caused it to occur in the first place. There is no stereotyping or sensationalism to be found in the back history of events leading up to the fire, but we do gain a sense of the struggle endured by the immigrant newly arrived in the United States.
The scope of Marrin’s book is wide---he does not merely discuss the Triangle Fire itself, but also the people who fell victim to the tragedy—Russian and Jewish immigrants (mostly women) who had come to the United States seeking a better life but in turn found a sharp divide between the haves and have-nots. The reader gains a considerable understanding of the general background of the Triangle fire victims and the social conditions around the factory: not only do we become familiar with the disaster as it were, but also of the causes and implications of it. The book concludes with a look at present day social conditions in the sweatshops of developing countries, and how this parallels those found during the days of the Triangle Fire.
The book is written for young adults, with larger print, many pictures, and language that is easy to read and follow. However, the events discussed within are of a very adult-minded nature: the violent deaths of many victims, the development and rise of organized crime in the garment factory trade after the Triangle Fire, and the horrors of past and present-day social conditions both in the United States and more particularly, poor developing countries. The tone of Marrin’s book is informative but emotionally gripping, and ends with a sense of inquiry about present-day social conditions in sweatshops abroad: what is to be done?
Marrin's book opens with a chilling Prelude as he describes that sunny spring day in New York; March 25, 1911, and then cues Frances Perkins, a future activist, bearing witness to the horror as victims began jumping from windows at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Chapter 1 opens with an introduction to the immigrants who provided a workforce to factories like the Triangle Shirtwaist, along with the reason for emigrating their home countries, and then a description of the disparity that existed between classes in New York during that time. Chapters are titled with provoking chapter quotes, and many pictures allow the reader to see old New York, the immigrant population, and the stark reality of their primitive and simple living conditions. Aside from the Prelude, chapters flow in chronological order. We learn of Clara Lemlich and the Uprising of 20,000; the beginnings of unionization in the garment industry, and the events leading up to the fire. After the fire occurs, the book picks up speed, giving a quick overview about the involvement and rise of organized crime within the garment industry. We learn that this is in part responsible for the rising internationalism--much of the garment production industry has been outsourced to poor and developing countries, where sweatshops and factories reminiscent of the Triangle Fire days exist. Marrin concludes with a commentary on these present conditions, stressing how humans must take responsibility for their actions. Back material of the book includes a bibliography, source notes, and an index.
The cover design of the book is striking, using the black, orange, and red--almost as though to symbolize the colors of the fire itself. On the left half of the cover is an archival photograph of young women laboring in a factory. You can see rows of women as far as the eye can see, and it is painful to imagine the chaos that ensued when the fire broke out and everyone began to flee for their lives. Often, in fires such as this those that don't suffocate or burn often perish due to panicked trampling from others. Indeed, it was due to this fire that social conditions were bettered in many such factories--mandatory rules calling for red exit lights, doors that must swing outward, fire drills, and sprinkler systems were enacted (while much of this technology already existed at the time, it was more economical for factory owners to forgo it). Additionally, capacity limits were set for buildings, based on size of rooms and numbers of available exits.
Much primary source material can be found in the form of archival photographs, quotations, building diagrams, maps, and detailed timelines. While a disaster like the Triangle Fire could seem simple at first glance, we learn the nuanced-details and complexity of just how a tragedy like this could occur in the first place. Through the usage of direct quotes from many survivors, the reader can feel on a very personal level the horror of what was taking place. The title itself of “Fear and Blood So Cheap” is actually a direct quotation from Jacob Riis, the photographer who produced How The Other Half Lives (1890). The archival photographs used throughout the book are extremely compelling, painting an accurate picture of the immigrants themselves, the workplace they endured, and the home environment in which they lived.
The layout of the book is very aesthetically pleasing, with interesting typeface used to accentuate chapter titles. Maps and diagrams allow the reader to see layouts of factory buildings in which immigrants worked, and illustrations from the time period that capture events like women being sent to a workhouse on Blackwell's Island serve the book nicely. All of the visual elements in Marrin's book not only bring the Triangle Fire into perspective, but New York during that time as a whole.
The back material of suggested reading and source notes allow the reader to not only further research about the Triangle Fire, but also observe just how much primary source material was used in the making of this book. Additionally, the extensive index allows readers to quickly locate anything relating to specifics of the Triangle Fire, the immigrants, or the events following the fire with relative ease.
I intend to use this book for my own discipline, as I feel it very well bridges the gap within US history between colonial and modern times. Often students have a difficult time understanding how politics and government involvement evolved from colonial times, and I feel this book will help to put that into perspective. While our founding fathers advised as little government participation as possible, events such as the Triangle Fire proves that government and private citizens must work symbiotically to ensure the safety and equality of its citizens.
3. I most certainly would use Marrin’s book the book in my discipline, which is Social Studies. Not only is this book an account of the tragedy that was the Triangle Fire; it is just as much about immigration and the people who came to the United States looking for a better life. Also interlaced is an overview of the social conditions that existed during the time of the tragedy, and additionally how the legacy would change these social conditions for the better in many ways. Such a book would also be particularly useful in a US History course.
4. I highly suggest keeping this book in the collection. Marrin’s book on the Triangle Fire was both well researched and highly informative. While published for middle school aged readers, I would recommend this book to anyone 12 and over. It gave me much deeper insight into a tragedy that I previously knew very little about, and a better understanding of its legacy in reforming social conditions. Also, this is the only book of its kind currently in the Destiny collection--the only other book which deals specifically with the Triangle Fire is not nearly as detailed, and intended for elementary (K-2) aged readers.
5. My assessment seems to more or less parallel that of the professional reviewer. Most reviewers also take note of Marrin’s ability to speak informatively and emotionally, which has an effect of truly engaging readers. So enthralled was I with this book that I read it cover to cover, and I felt that many professional reviewers felt the same—it averaged nearly five stars in most reviews. Marrin has successfully bridged the gap between expository writing and emotionally charged content.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Sullywriter
Excellent history that places the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 in the context of tenement life for new immigrants in early 20th century New York City and the rise of the labor movement.
LibraryThing member amkj
3Q, 2P. The book explores the society and events that lead to the Triangle Fire, the labor movement, and current social rights issues. I found the writting to be fairly dry, disjointed and more like a textbook than a story, although some of the quotes are striking. The book does have an appeal for
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people interested in Jewish and Italian immigrant history or labor rights, but otherwise would be a hard sell. Show Less
LibraryThing member susiesharp
This was an interesting look into the Triangle Fire and the political repercussions. It goes into a lot about the strikes of garment workers and did get a little political. The fascinating part is all the laws that were put into place because of this fire, laws we take for granted in the present
This is a juvenile non-fiction that may get a little boring in the middle for the younger kids, but I enjoyed the story and even if you are an adult I think you will like this one.
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day.This is a juvenile non-fiction that may get a little boring in the middle for the younger kids, but I enjoyed the story and even if you are an adult I think you will like this one.
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LibraryThing member GR8inD8N
Very educational. excellent photos. pulls in history and applies it to current day and age. Not just a book about the incident, but gives before and after information to put the situation in context.
LibraryThing member Beammey
5 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. It was heart wrenching at moments, but I think it had to be. This was a serious time and a lot of people died and it's one way to make sure the story and what happened stays with you and isn't just forgotten to history. Albert did an amazing job and I
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loved the photos because it made me connect to the story even more. I would recommend this to anyone who likes history. Amazing book. Well done. Show Less
LibraryThing member Brightman
Worst side of capitalism
LibraryThing member reader1009
teen nonfiction; history: triangle shirtwaist fire. Appears to be well-written, providing thorough background on immigration, living and working conditions, etc.
Subjects
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — Young People's Literature — 2011)
Sydney Taylor Book Award (Mass Import -- Pending Differentiation)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Recommended — 2014)
Arkansas Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2013)
Flora Stieglitz Straus Award (2012)
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction (Nominee — 2012)
CCBC Choices (2012)
Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 (Selection — 2012)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Kids (Informational Books for Older Readers — 2011)
Language
ISBN
9780375868894
Local notes
young readers