Fire in the Heart of the City - by David Conrad-Pérez (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A compelling and original narrative history of New York's Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, exposing how New York's elite transformed the tragedy into the foundation of modern American charity.

Fire in the Heart of the City details the riveting story of what happened when a tragic fire in Greenwich Village threw Adolph Ochs, the ambitious new publisher of the New York Times, and Rose Schneiderman, a defiant young labor organizer, against each other in a momentous conflict. Following the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire-the worst disaster New York City had ever experienced-a significant feud emerged between New York's wealthy elite and labor rights' activists over who should organize the city's response: a nascent charity sector led by the city's wealthiest bankers or the reform-focused unions of Lower Manhattan.

A revelatory account that captures the rapid ascent of modern charity in America, this deeply researched book recreates what happened next, a watershed moment when a handful of charities on the brink of irrelevance were suddenly recast as New York's best answer to addressing the social and economic conditions responsible for the fire-a story long buried by destroyed files and hidden partnerships. Drawing on newly released archival documents, previously confidential reports, private diaries and interviews, David Conrad-Pérez uncovers the unprecedented campaign that advanced a small group of bankers and social elites, and their idea for a new type of charity, as experts on the very problems they were blamed to create, saving the reputations of everyone involved-for now.

An absorbing portrait of an extraordinary moment, Fire in the Heart of the City takes readers inside the most influential event in the formation of modern American charity, bringing new light and nuance to this profoundly dangerous and misunderstood legacy.

Review Quotes

"In this fascinating new book, David Conrad-Perez offers penetrating insights into the Progressive era, a remarkable period of American history. It's an unusual work of riveting non-fiction prose, crammed with colorful vignettes about the powerful personalities who played roles in those pivotal events. But this book is not just a reflection on the past. It is also a preview of today's world, illustrating how major financiers, well-funded charity organizations and the New York Times have conspired through the decades to advance corporate interests and impoverish America's working poor."--Kirsten Downey, author of The Woman Behind the New Deal

About the Author

David Conrad-Peréz is a media historian and the research director of the Center for Media & Social Impact at American University.