Fire and Brimstone

By Michael Punke,

Book cover of Fire and Brimstone: The North Butte Mining Disaster of 1917

Book description

The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, The Revenant -- basis for the award-winning motion picture starring Leonardo DiCaprio -- tells the remarkable story of the worst hard-rock mining disaster in American history.

A half-hour before midnight on June 8, 1917, a fire broke out in the North…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Fire and Brimstone as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Punke’s book chronicles a story of heroism and company greed that isn’t that far in the past of America’s labor battles. It tells of a fire that spread through the underground tunnels of the copper mines belonging to J.D. Rockefeller’s Anaconda company and others. The book centers on the men trapped underground who exhaust every possible option in a dire bid to survive, including some ingenious methods and some which hasten their demise. Punke touches as well on political, labor, and business wranglings that put the workers at risk. He also follows Butte’s history to present day, demonstrating that the…

Want books like Fire and Brimstone?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Fire and Brimstone.

Browse books like Fire and Brimstone

Book cover of Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water
Book cover of Buried Unsung: Louis Tikas and the Ludlow Massacre
Book cover of Empire Express: Building the First Transcontinental Railroad

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,210

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the American West, American frontier, and Montana?

The American West 137 books
Montana 80 books