The Cocoanut Grove was considered THE place to go for nightlife in Boston. But on Saturday evening, November 28, 1942, fire flashed through the Grove. It was the deadliest fire in Boston history, killing nearly 500 people.

This book shows us the factors which made the Cocoanut Grove a disaster waiting to happen, including: a labyrithine floorplan, abundant flammable materials (even fabric hanging from the ceilings), crowding far beyond capacity, and inadequate/locked/blocked fire exits -- plus, the main entrance was a revolving door. And, in the background, there was plenty of the political corruption for which Boston was famous in the mid-20th century.

A diagram of the nightclub helps the reader to understand just what a fire trap the Cocoanut Grove was. I would suggest that readers look for this diagram as they begin to read the book, to better visualized the club's layout; it is at the center of the book, with the photographs. The photographs themselves are haunting; after some shots of people involved in the case, we begin to catch glimpses of the deadly pandemonium which broke out on that long-ago Saturday night.

I was somewhat disappointed in this book; there is no bibliography, and notes are spotty. (I was almost halfway through the book before I saw any actual footnotes.) There were some mentions of sources of information in the Acknowledgments. On the pages of the book which recount the events of the fire itself, there are boxes with brief quotations from the Boston Fire Dept. Report. I found that particular format somewhat annoying; I assume they are intended to add "official" confirmation to the general account of how the fire progressed, but they represent only the most basic facts compared to Esposito's more detailed narrative. I am left to assume that the fuller details were discovered somewhere in the Fire Dept.'s archives to which Esposito refers in the acknowledgment, but there is rarely an indication as to specific source documents.

The writing is fairly straightforward. The author provides background on the nightclub’s history, introduces us to some of the people who were at the Grove that night, and offers a sometimes gripping account of the fire, rescue/recovery efforts, and the legal and political wrangling that followed it all. There is a chapter about the human panic response in crowds, which was such a factor in the tragedy. He also shows us the proverbial “silver lining” of it all – improvements to fire codes and burn treatments which grew out of the tragedy.

Esposito also demonstrates how poorly the lessons from the Grove fire were taken to heart. He closes his book with an account of the 2003 Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island – a fire which has unsettling similarities to the Cocoanut Grove conflagration. He aso adds tips for readers to assess the fire safety of public buildings in which they may find themselves.

For those wanting a basic narrative of the Cocoanut Grove fire and its aftermath, this book is more than adequate. If you're interested in source documentation, however, you will probably find this book lacking. ( )

On November 28, 1942, Boston's Cocoanut Grove nightclub caught on fire. Trapped by flames and deadly fumes, 492 people died in what was ultimately the worst nightclub fire in United States history. "Fire In The Grove" details the events of not only the fire, but the events leading up to it: shoddy construction; the use of flammable materials; overcrowding; blocked exits; the employment of minors; and the willingness of public officials to overlook the violations. The book also covers the stories of the victims and survivors; some survivors were forced to leave loved ones behind as they fled the fire. Treatment of burn victims is also described; doctors tried new treatments on the burns, which eventually revolutionized how burn victims are treated. The book also covers the trial of the owner of the Cocoanut Grove; readers will no doubt be outraged at how all involved basically got away with little penalty. Finally, the book covers the 2003 fire at The Station nightclub in Rhode Island where 100 people died in eerily similar circumstances.

"Fire In The Grove" is an extremely well written and touching book. Having grown up in the Boston area, I had heard about the fire which happened before I was born, but not until I read the book did I realize the full extent of the tragedy. The survivor's stories, especially those that had to leave behind loved ones are especially moving. The book also gives a clear picture of what politics in Boston were like at that time and what the nightclub life was like. There are plenty of pictures, including a diagram of the Cocoanut Grove, showing what a firetrap it really was. The picture of the truckload of caskets shows the enormity of the death toll and is hard to take.

"Fire In The Grove' is well worth reading. ( )

This was interesting and sad. I learned a lot. Not the best but still interesting. ( )

The Cocoanut Grove was a high-end nightclub in Boston. In 1942, on completion of a major expansion, the Grove was a complicated labyrinth of inter-connected rooms, with inadequate exit capacity. Building codes had been upgraded after earlier catastrophic fires (1903 Iroquois Theater in Chicago, 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Co in New York, etc.), but the owner had connections with corrupt local politicians, and the building codes were ignored.

On November 28, the place was packed to approximately double its legal capacity. When a fire broke out on the lower level, the combustible decorations reached flashover within minutes. Occupants stampeding for the exits were trampled. Exits had been compromised, to prevent anyone from leaving without paying. Some were hidden behind paneling or curtains; others were locked, or even welded shut. The revolving door at the main entry became jammed with bodies. A total of 492 people died in the fire or afterward.

Esposito describes the history of the club, the layout of the building, the development of the fire, the treatment of burn victims, and the eventual investigation and trial. He includes personal histories of some of the occupants. The author concludes with an overview of the 2003 Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island, where 100 people died for many of the same reasons.

Moral of the story: If you are going out partying, or if you are staying in a hotel, always check the exits. If you can't find at least two working exits, leave immediately, and go somewhere else, where they care about your safety.

Online archives of the fire are maintained by The Boston Globe, NFPA Journal, and Fire News. ( )