A daughter’s inspiring biography of her father, who lost his sight in a massive maritime disaster—and went on to build a rewarding life and career. Eric Davidson was a beautiful, fair-haired toddler when the historic Halifax Explosion struck, devastating the Nova Scotia capital and killing almost two thousand people while seriously injuring thousands more. Eric lost both eyes—a tragedy that his mother never fully recovered from. Eric, however, was positive and energetic. He also developed a fascination with cars and how they worked—and he later decided, against all likelihood, to become a mechanic. Assisted by his brothers, who read to him from manuals, he worked hard, passed examinations, and carved out a decades-long career. This is the true story of his remarkable life and relentless determination, as told by his daughter.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER The "riveting" (National Post) tick-tock account of the largest manmade explosion in history prior to the atomic bomb, and the equally astonishing tales of survival and heroism that emerged from the ashes “Enthralling. ... Gripping. ... A captivating and emotionally investing journey.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette After steaming out of New York City on December 1, 1917, laden with a staggering three thousand tons of TNT and other explosives, the munitions ship Mont-Blanc fought its way up the Atlantic coast, through waters prowled by enemy U-boats. As it approached the lively port city of Halifax, Mont-Blanc's deadly cargo erupted with the force of 2.9 kilotons of TNT—the most powerful explosion ever visited on a human population, save for HIroshima and Nagasaki. Mont-Blanc was vaporized in one fifteenth of a second; a shockwave leveled the surrounding city. Next came a thirty-five-foot tsunami. Most astounding of all, however, were the incredible tales of survival and heroism that soon emerged from the rubble. This is the unforgettable story told in John U. Bacon's The Great Halifax Explosion: a ticktock account of fateful decisions that led to doom, the human faces of the blast's 11,000 casualties, and the equally moving individual stories of those who lived and selflessly threw themselves into urgent rescue work that saved thousands. The shocking scale of the disaster stunned the world, dominating global headlines even amid the calamity of the First World War. Hours after the blast, Boston sent trains and ships filled with doctors, medicine, and money. The explosion would revolutionize pediatric medicine; transform U.S.-Canadian relations; and provide physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who studied the Halifax explosion closely when developing the atomic bomb, with history's only real-world case study demonstrating the lethal power of a weapon of mass destruction. Mesmerizing and inspiring, Bacon's deeply-researched narrative brings to life the tragedy, bravery, and surprising afterlife of one of the most dramatic events of modern times.

At 9:06 in the morning of December 6, 1917 in the City of Halifax, Nova Scotia two ships collided. Minutes later there was an apocalyptic explosion followed by a blizzard of flying glass, splintered wood and white hot metal falling from the sky. In an instant almost 2,000 people lay dead and another 9,000 wounded and thousands left homeless. This set in motion the greatest rescue mission ever known at the time between the United States and Canada. Within hours, without authority or hesitation the City of Boston and the State of Massachusetts pulled together all their medical resources and went to the aid of Halifax. This is the story of unprecedented compassion, mercy, and heroism. It speaks of the eternal friendship and helping hands across the border between the State of Massachusetts and the people of Nova Scotia. This humanitarian rescue mission was never forgotten. Every year a special thank you gift is sent to Boston from the people of Nova Scotia. This gift symbolizes peace on earth, hope and light in the darkness..... a giant fifty foot Christmas tree!

On December 6, 1917, two ships collided in Halifax Harbour. One ship was loaded top to bottom with munitions and one held relief supplies, both intended for wartorn Europe. The resulting blast flattened two towns, Halifax and Dartmouth, and killed nearly 2,000 people. As if that wasn't devastating enough, a blizzard hit the next day, dumping more than a foot of snow on the area and paralyzing much-needed relief efforts. Fascinating, edge-of-your-seat storytelling based on original source material conveys this harrowing account of tragedy and recovery. This thoroughly-researched and documented book can be worked into multiple aspects of the common core curriculum.