Includes bibliographical references (p. [281]-286) and index.

At 5:12 a.m. on the morning of April 18, 1906, San Francisco was struck by one of the worst earthquakes in history, instantly killing hundreds. The ensuing fires that ravaged the city for days were responsible for the deaths of as many as 3,000 more. In all, 522 blocks and 28,188 buildings were leveled, and some 200,000 people dislocated. This watershed event in American history has never before been told with the richness of historical detail and insight that firefighter and fire historian Smith brings to it. Smith recounts the tragedy through the stories of the people who lived through those terrible days. Throughout, he reveals many previously unknown details about the event, from the city's great vulnerability to fire--due to its corrupt and hasty building practices--to the widespread racism the quake unleashed and the atrocities committed by national guardsmen.--From publisher description.