Trial by Fire is a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of a tragedy that afflicted people from all walks of life. On February 20, 2003, the deadliest rock concert in U.S. history took place at a roadhouse called The Station in West Warwick, Rhode Island. That night, in the few minutes it takes to play a hard-rock standard, the fate of many of the unsuspecting nightclub patrons was determined with awful certainty. The blaze was ignited when pyrotechnics set off by Great White, a 1980s heavy-metal band, lit flammable polyurethane “egg crate” foam sound insulation on the club’s walls.

In less than 10 minutes, 96 people were dead and 200 more were injured, many catastrophically. The final death toll topped out, three months later, at the eerily unlikely round number of 100. The story of the fire, its causes, and its legal and human aftermath is one of lives put at risk by petty economic decisions―by a band, club owners, promoters, building inspectors, and product manufacturers. Any one of those decisions, made differently, might have averted the tragedy. Together, however, they reached a fatal critical mass.

This is a well written and thoroughly researched exploration of the chain of events leading up to the fire, the conflagration itself, and the painstaking search for evidence to hold the guilty to account and obtain justice for the victims. With newly uncovered evidence and interviews, and a narrative punctuated with the stories of some of the victims, James does a superb job of casting a critical journalistic eye over all parties involved. A compassionate, engaging and eminently readable work and investigative journalism at its finest. Many thanks to Thomas Dunne Books for an ARC.

A heart wrenching tragic story I remember hearing about the fire in the nightclub reading this book brings the horror alive.Told from many pints of view so much explained.Really well written drawing us in to the real story.#netgalley#st.martinspress

Being in Connecticut, I remember when this happened. It dominated the local news for weeks. Still hard to believe it happened. Trial by Fire has a lot of info about what happened that we never knew. I really enjoyed this book. Devastating to hear some of the first hand accounts. Thank you so much for letting me read this!

Seventeen years ago, a fire ripped through the Station nightclub in Rhode Island, taking the lives of a hundred concert-goers and injuring many more. Many of the survivors and victims’ family members felt that justice was never served; the nightclub owners never had the chance to tell their side of the story. Trial by Fire is the tell-all: Scott James has spent ten years researching and writing this book, and it presents the facts from every point of view.

Emotionally, this is an extremely difficult read, especially in the beginning. James begins by reconstructing the events of February 20th, 2003, detailing the actions of several attendees prior to the Great White concert, the moment when the band manager set off fifteen-foot-high pyrotechnics, the rush to escape the nightclub, and the aftermath of the fire. This is a significant portion, and the book is slow-paced, but for good reason; James takes his time providing biographies and information about the victims and the history of the Station and its owners. James’ work ethic and dedication to the story shines through the pages; the hundreds of hours he spent interviewing people connected to the fire really pays off.

Although James does his best for the victims and survivors, this book may upset many of them, because one of the main objectives of this book is to tell the owners’ side of the story. For years, the government, the press, and the survivors blamed Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, the brothers who owned the Station, for the fire. They were indicted for two hundred counts of involuntary manslaughter, but when they took a plea deal, their case never went to trial—which means that many of the facts and details that would have been revealed at trial never came to light. The Derderians expected to face a civil lawsuit, and assured people that they would share everything they knew there, but the civil trial never happened. This book includes all the details.

Those details paint the Derderians in a very sympathetic light, which many survivors may object to. James instead casts blame on the systems in place: the fire code that allowed the nightclub to increase their capacity, the fire marshal who inspected the Station multiple times and never found the extremely flammable foam on the walls, and corrupt Rhode Island politics. James brings us to the depressing conclusion that there may never be justice for the Station victims.

I know I’m painting a bad picture, but this book isn’t all doom and gloom. There are wonderful moments that show the bright light at the end of the tunnel—uplifting stories about some of the survivors, and a message of hope that prevails throughout. This is a book that will break your heart and build you back up again by the end, and it is one that will stay with you. It is one that I cannot recommend highly enough, and one that I hope will reach many, many readers.

**Note: my review will be posted via the provided link on Oct 27, 2020, at 7 am EST.

TRIAL BY FIRE
BY SCOTT JAMES

I remember hearing about this tragedy vaguely at the time it happened but nothing prepared me for the abject horror the victims survivors and those that perished endured. I had seen this band Great White perform in the early 1990's and I can't remember if they used pyrotechnics at that time. In Warwick, Rhode Island on February 20, 2003 at approximately at 11:07 PM 100 people lost their lives and many more were burned so severely that they had to be put in medically induced comas. Scott James has written an informative account of what happened to start the fire that was the worst night club fire this century.

I felt reading this that the author has tried to give a balanced account as possible letting the reader decide just who was at fault and who acted irresponsibly in the aftermath. The victims and the police and prosecution were quick to criminalize the fire that broke out at the nightclub called The Station. I feel that the owners of the nightclub got a raw deal in what I read. I think that the band Great White and the member of the band that set the pyrotechnic's was more culpable than the night club owners. I feel that the owners were unfairly demonized and they had no idea that the band was going to use pyrotechnic's that set the fire. There is mention of the highly combustible foam to soundproof the nightclub surrounding the stage combined with the flames that shot 15 feet high with twelve foot ceilings was the cause of the rapidly highly inflatable fire. The fire inspector failed to illuminate that the sound proofing foam could be a fire hazard yet he was not blamed.

This is definitely a horrific part of history and my heart goes out to all of the innocent people in the club that night both the survivors whose lives were changed forever and those poor souls who perished. I also feel bad for the owners of the nightclub and don't feel like it was their fault because they had not given the band Great White permission to use pyrotechnic's during their concert. Furthermore they didn't have any idea that the foam sound proofing that they had installed was highly combustible. I think that the person who set off the fireworks was more culpable than the owners and also Jack Russell the singer of the band was never held responsible. I am basing these thoughts on the narrative of this book which is said to have used court documents and eyewitness testimony. I feel badly that such a horrible incident happened but feel that the band should have been held more responsible because they did not have permission or a fire permit and I feel like the owners were treated unfairly.

Publication Date: October 27, 2020

Thank you to Net Galley, Scott James and St. Martin's for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TrialByFire #ScottJames #StMartin's #NetGalley

Trial by Fire by Scott James is a superb read! It is an engrossing page turner of a read well worth the time spent

I have always wondered what happened with this case. It seemed as though the band wanted to help when this first happened and then after reading this book I actually saw a different side to all of those involved. Whether it was the sheer number of people killed that had them placing blame on the others or the fact they wanted to save face, all sides really should have jumped to help. The band, I felt, should have been more ready to financially help but it is a little bit sketchy still. The author has done a great amount of research for this book and has been able to provide a lot of info to the reader. I feel that the pace was perfect and it was not over done or drawn out. It certainly is an interesting read

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Trial by Fire by Scott James is a truly horrific and heart wrenching account of the Station Club fire that happened on February of 2003. It is a hunting detail of the fast paced fire that caused so much damage in such a short amount of time. This book is so well researched. it is an emotionally telling book of hows and the whys and the whats. A really incredible read.

Trial by Fire is a heart breaking and devastating story of the worst fire in modern American history.

Scott James has told the story so well with empathy, truth and facts that will be beyond comprehension at times.

The statistics presented are unbelievable.

The people that died and those that survived and their families , there will never be justice for them.

The people that walked away with no consequences is horrific. Can you really live with yourself at the end of the day.?

It is also a story of determination, courage and remembering history so it will not happen again.

Scott James did an excellent job and I highly recommend Trial by Fire.

This book will stay with me for a very very long time.

It was my privilege to read and review Trial by Fire. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press , Thomas Dunne books for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you Thomas Dunne Books and NetGalley for an ARC of Trial by Fire by Scott James. This was very well written and gut wrenching to read about The Station Fire in Rhode Island. The details of the fire and the investigations to find the cause of the fire and the multiple deaths, and stop this from ever happening was in depth and detailed. The descriptions of the carnage was devastating and made me feel I was an eyewitness.
#Netgalley #ThomasDunneBooks #ScottJames #TrialbyFire

This book talks about the tragic fire that occurs almost twenty years ago in the station night club. I was not aware of this story, but I am glad to read the book. The 90 seconds devastating and horrific fire incident claimed the lives and injured so many people. The author did great in researching and elaborating on essential facts and information mainstream media failed to show to people. Finding who's responsible wasn't an easy task as well. There are various points that were look out and explained. And what breaks my heart even more is the effect of this traumatic experience to the survivors who found themselves enslaved with fear, anxiety and other post traumatic stress disorder. It was difficult to go back to normal and pretend it didn't happen. This book is heartrending, eye-opening and remarkably written.
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Thank you, St. Martins Press for my arc

•B O O K R E V I E W•

read #TrialByFire to start off my October #thrilleroctoberv2 reading list. And this #arc from @stmartinspress was exactly what I needed to get out of my reading slump.

I am not normally a non fiction reader however when a book captivates me and I feel like im reading a story rather than a bunch of facts, I’ll read true crime/nonfiction all day.

Scott James’ ability to make the reader care and connect with your subjects of his story is truly remarkable. I felt like I was there through this nightclub tragedy even though I was in 5-6th grade. This would be something I would follow on the news if it happened today.

I thought this was amazingly written and told the story of The Station well and throughly

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5

In only 90 seconds, a fire in Rhode Island's Station nightclub killed 100 people and injured hundreds more after the sparklers used by the hair metal band, Great White, ignited the acoustical foam lining used in the nightclub. But who was at fault? Trial By Fire is truly a heart-wrenching story about one of the deadliest fires in American history--one that was horrifyingly captured on video.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for sharing this powerful story with me!

#book #bookstagram #bookreview #stmartinspress #trialbyfire #scottjames #thestation #rhodeisland #iowabookstagram #nonfiction #thriller #netgalley

A pretty daring non-fiction premise: the owner of a Rhode Island nightclub where 100 people lost their lives in a 2003 fire is the sympathetic victim. I admired the author for taking this thesis on. (To be clear, that is NOT sarcasm.) The author will probably get some unpleasant mail from the families of those who were killed or badly injured in the fire and I'm sure, to this day, believe that all those responsible got off lightly.

Some surely DID get off lightly, including (1) the aging metal rocker who led the over-the-hill band whose fireworks caused the fire (never saw the inside of a courtroom), (2) the fire inspector whose neglect allowed highly flammable material to be used as soundproofing (promoted and allowed to retire on a generous pension), and (3) the newspaper that published inaccurate information about the number of people who lost their lives (corrected themselves very quietly and with great reluctance).

And don't even get me started on the politicians.

This book was a serious but fun read, although parts at the beginning, describing those trapped, injured, or burned to death in the fire, were sometimes nightmare-inducing reading if consumed too close to bedtime. The parts toward the end, when the book becomes more of a courtroom drama, are a little less gruesome.

But also nightmarish, in a different sort of way, is being caught in the gears of the justice system, as both the accused and the accusers seem to be very badly served by the way things are. Only people with a sense of low cunning and an ability to manipulate the system avoid the worse outcomes.

As I enter my seventh decade, moments when someone attempts to flatter me are becoming a little thin on the ground, so when I got an email with a unusually friendly and personal touch from a marketing person at St. Martin's Press inviting me to download a free egalley review copy from Netgalley, I chose to encourage such behavior by doing as asked. I was glad I did

In Trial By Fire, Scott James looks at the events of The Station nightclub fire in Rhode island. It has taken many hours of research, interviews and studying of the video tapes, the transcripts and the statements of the many witnesses to this tragedy to try to give us some answers as to how and why this happened. Who exactly was responsible for the fire? Was it negligence on the part of the owners, a blatant disregard for rules by the band or faulty materials used in the club. What matters is that in less than 2 minutes in 2003, 100 people died and hundreds more were injured in a tragic fire. No amount of money will ever bring back the dead, the suffering of the survivors goes on to this day whether it is from burns sustained in the fire, PTSD or just the loss of a loved one.
I remember hearing about this fire and the aftermath but the author has brought so much into this book. While it is investigative and non fiction, he makes it read like a novel and I found myself in tears of some of the survivors and all they have been through trying to rebuild their lives. Thank you NetGalley, St.Martin's Press, and Thomas Dunne Books for this copy in exchange for a fair review.

“Ninety seconds marked the moment between life and death on the night of February 20, 2003, at The Station, a scruffy, low-slung roadhouse nightclub in the old New England mill town of West Warwick, Rhode Island. Tragedy started with a song.”

And this is what Trial by Fire is about. It is a heart wrenching and moving account of a devastating fire that occurred during Jack Russell’s Great White rock concert, killing 100 people and injured hundreds. This fire was one of the deadliest fires in American history and the search for the truth that will take more than a decade.

My thoughts:
I am beyond words after I finished this book. Honestly, I find it difficult to review this book. I feel sad, infuriated, disgusted, and just emotional. The aftermath of the fire left both the victims’ families and survivors physically, emotionally, and financially devastated.

The author has done an incredible amount of research in this gripping case and there is so much to unpack in this book. It is so well-written and I really liked how the author writes objectively, capturing the point of views of all parties, including the club owners, the Derderians brothers.

I always believe that there are three sides to a story – my truth, your truth and the truth. However, in this case, the truth is tainted by corruption, politics and even the legal system as you will see that sometimes the law fails to protect the people. ““People think the legal system is a search for the truth. It is not. “It’s a search for a result.””

I have not heard of the hair metal band Great White before (and I am glad I am not a fan!). I have no idea about the fire either. So, this book is absolutely insightful and informative. I learnt quite a bit about fire and how dangerous polyurethane foam is. I’m paranoid about going to clubs now (but then again, I am a person with a lot of irrational fears!) and whenever I find myself in a building, I will make sure to know where the fire exits are.

Pub. Date: Oct 27, 2020

***Thank you St. Martin’s Press, author Scott James and NetGalley for this gifted review copy in exchange for an honest review.***

In February 2003, excited fans went to The Station nightclub to see the concert by the band Great White. It was held in the small town of West Warwick in Rhode Island where most people knew each other. As over 300 people gathered inside, the band got prepared and gerbs or large sparklers, were going to highlight the start of the show. As the lead singer Jack Russell took his place on stage, the gerbs were lighted and long sparks flew out and touched the sides of the narrow stage and ignited the foam insulation starting a fire that quickly spread to the ceiling and caused thick black smoke. At first the fans thought it was all part of the show, but very quickly panic took over and the large crowd surged towards the doors where they had entered. There was much confusion and the smoke made it impossible to see or to breathe. People were trampled in their efforts to escape. One hundred people lost their lives that night and many others were badly burned and injured. One journalist did capture the awful moments on video. Who was to blame - this question and subsequent trial took years,
The fire is very well documented and describes in detail that terrible night.

This book offered a new perspective on The Station Fire. While other accounts have been biased against the Derderian brothers, this book seemed a bit biased toward them, attempting to absolve them of fault. Even so, I appreciated seeing their side of the story, as well as all the new information about the fire this book presented. This book did a nice job chronicling a few of the survivors as well as tackling the aftermath of the fire and the criminal charges and civil suits. Overall, while somewhat biased, this is definitely a book I would recommend, with a couple others, to anyone interested in learning about The Station Fire.

Incredibly moving, eye-opening telling of a terrible tragedy. I didn't know much about the Station fire before I read this book, but Scott James drew me in from the first page, weaving the many layers of this story together, starting with the personal experiences of victims and survivors, and ending with uncomfortable truths about the American legal system. The fire itself is recounted with meticulous detail from multiple individual perspectives, introducing characters we'll come to know intimately, who, tragically, won't all make it out alive. It reads like a novel, but every word is, terrifyingly, true.

In the aftermath of the accident, secrets continue to be revealed. We're offered various perspectives on the media and legal battles that followed, with new insights and information that have never seen the light of day. Trial by Fire is prescient in its depiction of issues that are as problematic today as they were then, with the media influencing major decisions, and a legal system that is more interested in saving time/money than telling the truth. Through all of that, Scott James never forgets his goal in investigating and telling this story in the first place, to honor the grief and trauma of the victims' families and the survivors.

An illuminating and haunting book that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing this ARC. This is an excellent work of investigative reporting on the 2003 Rhode Island Station Fire. I remember when this tragedy happened, but I think I’ve only heard details in the broadest sense. This book captures details regarding the state and the press’ rush to judgment and uncovers many facts that were not publicized at the time, casting serious doubts on the culpability of the club owners. This is also the first time that the owners have spoken at length about the fire as there was no trial in which they could present their side of the event. Depressingly, I think a similar situation could easily happen today (perhaps not the fire, given some improvements in fire safety codes) but definitely the political and emotional aftermath. The book is disturbing and graphic in some parts describing the fire and the dead and survivors. Recommended for those who enjoy non fiction and investigative journalism.

The gripping and tragic story of the true events involving the fire at the Station Nightclub in 2003. What should have been a night of fun resulted in the death or injury of over 100 people. This book will have you immersed from start to finish; well researched and includes multiple perspectives of people personally affected by the tragedy. Dark and disturbing but difficult to put down. Highly recommend this one for lovers of true crime. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC.