This book is well written, but it's dark and difficult and not for everyone. That's not an indictment of the book, it's just a difficult topic. It follows the tragedy of the fire at the Great White concert at the Station in which 100 people died. The author goes into a great deal of raw detail and does so very matter of factly. It's definitely a book I will only read once.

Trial by Fire is an extraordinary book that will stun and shock every reader. The untold facts of the deadly fire at The Station in Rhode Island are brought to life by author Scott James. A healthy skepticism of the justice system will emerge after reading this book. Inspiration can be found in the survivors stories as they struggled to overcome their unrelenting physical and emotional pain and scars. Hard to put down, difficult to forget, an incredible story. Thank you to the publisher.

4 stars
Trial by Fire by Scott James

This is a fascinating look at the 2003 horrific bar/concert fire featuring Great White with lead Jack Russell in Rhode Island. I remember when this fire occurred and the details that came swarming out from the media. I was unaware of the true facts on the case, the real lives which were destroyed by this fire, or the aftermath made so much worse by incompetent media, lawyers, and fire and law officials.
This book is a stunning indie look of what truly happened not just the bits and pieces of what was actually reported to have happened.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The views given are my own.

I was lucky to get a pre-release copy of this gripping, disturbing and in a way, hopeful book. Scott James recounts the 2003 fire in a nightclub in Warwick, R.I. that killed 100 people, making it one of the deadliest fires of the 21st century. James does a masterful job of telling the stories of some of the survivors. He uses details of how they got to the club that night, how they survived the flames and toxic fumes and how they put their lives back together after the tragedy to create a novel-like, page-turning book. More importantly, he shows how politicians, in a rush to judgment and a rush to make people "pay," decided early on that the two brothers who owned, The Station, had acted criminally. Scott peels back the hyperbole and digs into the facts to show that blaming the brothers was both a simplification of the situation but patently unfair. "Trial by Fire" also indicts The Providence Journal for publishing many inaccuracies about the fire and the brothers' ownership of the nightclub and never acknowledging its mistakes. I read this book very quickly as it moved along and kept drawing me in. It's heartbreaking and gripping.

the station nightclub fire took place in february of 2003. caused by pyrotechnics set off by the tour manager of band, great white, the fire spread to a flashover within one minute. when the fires ended, one hundred were dead and two hundred were injured and many people wondered, “what caused this?” best-selling author scott james investigates this fire in trial by fire, drawing on first-hand accounts, interviews, and documents. years after the fact, this book is a search for truth and justice for both victims and possible perpetrators of one of the worst nightclub fires in american history.

the station nightclub fire was a terrible tragedy that affected many people. with one hundred dead and even more left injured, it scarred both the community and the nation. though it’s been seventeen years since this fire, it remains fresh in the minds of many. scott james manages to give us a new look into the fire, into various players and issues, and he does so by making everyone human. all too often it’s easy to write off those who suffered as victims and those who made the tragic mistakes as villains, but james reminds us of the human lives behind the story. it was a wonderful read and brought so much new insight into an event i’ve been interested in for years. i’m happy to give this book a 5/5!

thank you to scott james, netgalley, and the publisher (st. martin’s press) for the digital arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

A true story of a horrible and tragic fire that took the life of 100 people. So many more were injured and facing years of trauma.
It is also a story that covers more than just what the news reporters covered. This time evidence is shared from the owners of the club, The Station.
I believe there was a rush to judgment and the full story was not told at the beginning. There were people involved that should have been charged.
This book may answer questions that many may be asking themselves.
Great job!

I had read another book on the Station fire years ago and have been fascinated by the disaster ever since. This book is so in-depth and tells so many sides of the story that, in my opinion, if you want to know as much as the truth as can be known, just read this book. Thank you Scott for telling the story.

This is an incredibly tragic and and heart-breaking story of the fire that occurred at The Station, a bar/live music venue in West Warwick, RI in February 2003 where heavy metal Jack Russell's Great White was performing. Fire works were set off to start the show and they quickly ignited the soundproofing foam that had been used on the walls and ceiling to control the noise. Over 100 fans died as they tried to escape and several hundred more were severely burned and injured.

The author did a fantastic job researching and writing this story. I remember when this happened but did not live in the area so I did not hear much after the initial first few days after the tragedy. I was hooked from the first page until the very end. I was glad the author referred back to some of the survivors and how they were doing, especially Gina Russo and college swimmer Phil Barr. This story, although very sad, really needed to be told to sort out what was fact and what was fiction.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this extraordinary story in exchange for an honest review. If I could, I would give t more than 5 stars.

This is an incredibly moving account of a recent tragedy that killed a hundred people and injured hundreds more. The Station was a prominent live music venue that hosted various bands in West Warwick, Rhode Island. In February 2003, a band called Great White set off fireworks at the start of their set, which caused the nightclub to catch fire and literally burn down in a matter of minutes. This book details the incident with precision while honouring the victims of this horrific event. What exactly happened? Why were so many trapped inside? And who is responsible? These questions and many more are explored in detail that help illustrate what happened that night and how it could have been prevented.

Having no previous awareness of this tragedy, I was hooked from the first chapter and eager to learn what happened to survivors and those responsible. It was a heartbreaking story that provided a glimpse of the pain, anger, guilt, and perseverance that the individuals involved experienced. It seemed incredibly well researched and written, providing a balanced perspective of that night and the events that followed. Readers who enjoy true crime will not want to miss reading this book.

A gracious thank you to St. Martin’s Press for offering me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Scott James handled this tragic story with precision, guts and compassion. Who knew little Rhode Island had so much corropution and because of that corruption the pain and suffering from that night at The Station was made even worse. Unimanigable pain was caused by all the mistakes and oversights that led to the deadly accidental fire. Scott James brings the owners story into the light in a way that doesn't let them off the hook.
Very informative yet difficult book to read.

I remember when this happened and this book paints a concise portrait of what happened and the tragic outcome.
A very detailed account and the justice that did not happen for the victims, survivors and their families.
This was very well written and I highly recommend it.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

#trialbyfire #scottjames #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview it took 90 seconds for #thestationfire to go up in flames. More than a hundred lives lost and twice that number affected. What an amazing story teller Scott is. He wrote this book with so much grace. Compassion. And. Emotion. It’s amazing. There’s just no way to say it. The truth of this book sucks. It was a perfect storm that could have happened to any of us. What the survivors have gone through. The people who perished. Those who lived. It’s so insane. If you remember #greatwhite #rhodeisland and the #thestation you will want to dive in to this. It wasn’t any one thing. It was many things. The guilt and the struggles that the owners feel. The horrifying stories from the survivors. What they went through. Their strength. He captures it so eloquently that at times it takes your breath away. This. This book should be read by all. It left me with such a sadness. I want to hug all involved. I want to go to #thestationfirememorial and weep. #truecrime #bookstagram #booklover #bookstagrammer

I remember when this happened and how shocking it was. Reading this book not only brought back the memory but made me feel like I was there. Those poor people. I'm so glad this book was written and I hope it brought some comfort to those who bravely told their story. Another great book published by St. Martin's Press. One of the few publishers who I can always count on for a good read. Highly recommend this book.

Trial by Fire is a heart wrenching accumulation of true stories from real people, who were present on that horrific night of February 20, 2003 at the Station Club in Warwick, Rhode Island. Scott James made the reader look at the incident from all perspectives and made them feel as if they were present on that very night. These are true stories from victims, survivors, family members and those who had the misfortune of watching this happen and not be able to do anything about it. Those 90 seconds it took for 100 lives to be lost were engraved in the minds of the Rhode Island community for the rest of their lives and Scott James did an amazing job in returning the humanity to the victims by sharing their life stories, dreams, and aspirations and not seeing them as another casualty.

I had not heard anything about this fire. The author wrote the accounts and details excellently. It was a book about truth and justice.

This book does a good job of covering the event, the search for the truth and the aftermath. I had not heard of this devastating fire prior, but it won't be leaving my memory anytime soon.

This is the interesting, emotional, true account of the worst rock concert fire in history. Being in my early 40's, I could have seen my friends and I going to this concert seventeen years ago. The author gave a neutral perspective about who was to blame and was not quick to point the finger towards the owner's of the Station, Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, but allowed the reader to develop their own opinions based on the facts he presented very well.

I loved reading about the determination of the survivors mentioned after having to deal with some great obstacles. Gina had severe burns and lost her fiancee in the fire and became a strong voice in providing help to the fire victims, both families of the deceased and the survivors and eventually convinced the land owner to donate his land to set up a memorial garden more than 14 years after the accident. Phil Barr, the youngest survivor, beat all odds after he was told he would never compete in swimming competitions at school again, and made a name for himself in the world of finance.

Who I did not like in this book was the lead singer of the band Great White, Jack Russell. It is his band and his manager who illegally brought fireworks/pyrotechnics across state lines to shoot them off in a bar way too small for it to not be a fire hazard. While the building was blazing, he got on the TV and was promoting his summer tour, either he did not realize how serious the fire was or maybe he didn't care. I realize he is an old rocker has been who was not drawing the crowds like he did in the 80's and 90's, but for him, it seemed all about greed. He would not even talk to the author of this book without monetary compensation and turned down an interview once he found out he would not be paid. Matt Lauer was asked by the Derderians to help host a benefit concert for the victims, but refused to do so, yet held the exact same concert for hurricane victims years later. I watched the notorious video out of curiousity while reading this book and I couldn't help but notice how the cameraman Brian Butler was filming, but would not get out of the way as people tried to escape. He claimed he had tried to help get people out, but no such evidence exists. It's like the kids these days who record something terrible happening on their smartphones, for a few minutes of YouTube fame.

I felt sorry for the brothers as they had to take the brundt of the blame, and they never really got to tell their part of the story until this book was published. Everyone mentioned should have took some of the blame, the band and their manager, the owners of the Station, the salesman who sold the brothers flamable foam, the camera man, and the fire marshall for deeming the bar as safe, when in fact it was not. Just a terrible tragedy all around, but it made a very intrugiung read. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to sample this book!

This story about a tragedy in a club back in 2003 really got to me once I started reading it. I don’t know how you could read it and not be affected by it, really. It is so well-researched and told that you almost feel a part of things as you read along. I couldn’t help but feel for both the owners of the club, the brothers, but also the victims, those who got out, the ones who were injured and survived, the ones who perished; and the families of all of them. There was a lot to this story, it wasn’t so cut and dried and I found it fascinating. I plan to do more reading on it as I plan to find some of the other books that are mentioned about it in this book. I’ve already seen the video that was captured that night it happened by pure happenstance, and it was horrifying to see it after reading the book. It's totally haunting to watch anytime, knowing that 96 souls died in that space, with 4 more losing their battle in the hospital later.

I highly recommend this for anyone wanting to learn more about this famous case, perhaps ready for a fresh perspective, or interested in this type of non-fiction book.  Just be warned that it is very heavy subject matter if you are of delicate nerves.  Advanced electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, the author Scott James, and publisher for my unbiased review.

This book tells the story of The Station fire in 2003. It tells you the unheard side of the story, that of the Derderian brothers, the club owners and ultimately the ones that took the fall for the disaster.
If you like investigative reporting on the likes of John Carreyrou's "Bad Blood", this is the book for you. The author uses facts and differing sources to present his information but at the same time expresses the feelings of different people involved that agreed to have interviews with him. When you read this book even though you know the conclusion you are invested and want to learn more about the characters and the circumstances. It makes you intrigued and makes you want to find out more about the topics presented such as fire safety and the legal system.

A thorough, thoughtful, harrowing account of the Station nightclub fire and aftermath. Despite living in Boston when it happened, I was in a college student bubble so I knew of the fire generally but few of the details. I think that helped me, going in somewhat cold. The book largely exists as a way to give a thorough accounting of all "sides"--including from people who have never been formally interviewed before. Ultimately, the book is an accounting of what happened, as well as an analysis of the aftermath and how government corruption in Rhode Island, as well as high emotions in the media impacted how those responsible were held to account--or not.

James is a Rhode Island native, and he infuses the book with tons of character and context, re: the place and the people. James anchors the book with three profiles: survivors Gina Russo and Phil Barr, and nightclub co-owner (and survivor) Jeffery Derderian. Jeffery and his brother Michael, co-owner of the club, are really the central focus of the book--they were vilified by the media and victim's families, and this book is them setting the record straight. (That is not to cast any blame on said victim's families--they believed what they heard and were justifiably angry, but the media and government officials should be ashamed.)

That said, the book doesn't suffer from an abundance of bias. James is a meticulous reporter--he counters false claims (made in the media, in particular the Providence Journal) with facts from both primary sources and multiple sources. Meaning, the things that help to clear the brothers' names, in part, are straightforward pieces of evidence that were withheld from the public and deserve to be shared/known. He also is fair--negative aspects of the brothers' and other individuals are included along side positive. The book offers a nuanced understanding of what happened, particularly after the fire.

And then the survivors: I was on the edge of my seat at the beginning, as James pulls you in to interweaving stories of that night but you don't know who lived or died, or to what degree anyone was or wasn't injured. I cared so deeply about everyone, and the book made me cry multiple times, especially at the end. If you are sensitive to tragedy and graphic depictions, this book may be too much. It is a harrowing and haunting read, worth it if you can push through the horror of that night. James puts humanity on display--the good, bad, ugly, and the beautiful--the way all the best pieces of narrative journalism do. The dichotomy between survivors and victims' families, the differences in grief styles, feelings over the outcome of the trial, and the callous responses from Jack Russell himself were especially fascinating.

This book will stay with me. I highly recommend it.