Tuesday,
September 23, 2008
Book: Centennial of the
The
ANNOTICO Report
We
in the US, know all about the San
Francisco Earthquake of 1906 with 3,000 casualties.Yet, little
thought is given the Messina
Straits Earthquake of 1908, that claimed over 200,000 victims.Seventy
Times greater!
The
San Francisco Earthquake was the
most destructive quake and one of the worst natural disasters in
On
December 28, 1908,
at approximately 5:20am, Europe
The
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rescue/peopleevents/pandeAMEX99.html
Salvatore
LaGumina spotlights the generous help of the
The Great Earthquake
Salvatore
J. LaGumina
OUTSTANDING
REVIEW "One hundred years after the earthquake, Salvatore LaGumina tells a story that has un-fortunately been
forgotten. Using first-hand accounts, from survivors and witnesses, including
American
sailors, Italian peasants, priests, and journalists, he vividly
recounts the utter destruction caused by the earth-quake and tidal wave and the
subsequent aid rendered by the U.S. Navy. At the same time, his narrative is
gripping, disturbing, and inspiring. We owe an immense
debt of gratitude to him for helping us remind our-selves of the force for good
that our nation is, has always been, and always will
be." The Honorable Richard
Greco
Jr.,The Assistant Secretary of
the NavyFinancial Management and Comptroller20042006
History / Italian American Studies
6
x 9" Softcover Level: College & General
Readership
256
pages October 2008 US$29.00
ISBN:
9781934844069
*
Includes several rare photos
Description
The
earthquake that struck the Messina Straits on December 28, 1908, was
This
book provides important insight into many aspects of the calamity and its
subsequent impact. It also lends us some perspective on more recent natural
disasters, such as the Indonesian tsunami of 2004 and Hurricane Katrina of
2005.
In
"The Great Earthquake: American Comes to
and practically demonstrated.
This
book also illustrates a valuable example of the use of military might that that
saw navy fighting vessels converted into instruments of compassionthe
equivalent of the biblical expression, "turning swords into
plowshares." (Micah, 4:3) It constituted a unique instance of employing
instruments of war not as means of destruction but as creative tools for
mankind.
This
volume shows that Italian American response to the Italian ordeal was
unparalleled in that notwithstanding traditional regional provincialism, as
well as disparate political and social class views, this disaster witnessed an
early if infrequent example of cohesiona rare instance in which Italian
immigrants coalesced and worked together to alleviate the pain and distress in
the Italian homeland. In doing so, they were able to influence American
political and business leadership to play a large and meaningful role in
assisting
The
religious dimension of the
Jewish
responded generously to appeals for aid.
The
humanitarian role played by the
It
was soon realized that recovery from the horrific devastation would require
much more assistance, and thus began a little known but important chapter in
Italian/American relations in the form of extensive house-building projects
that were critically needed. American naval personnel became vigorously engaged
in erecting the homes that became known as "the American village."
The operation that lasted for weeks elicited genuine appreciation from Italian
officials. It also required a delicate temporary relinquishment of national
sovereignty by the Italian government to an American camp within
This
study constitutes the first comprehensive volume that specifically explores the
extensive and admirable role played by the
Table
of Contents
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter
1:
Chapter
2: An Appalling Upheaval
Chapter
3: Initial Response
Chapter
4: Answering the Need
Chapter
5:
Chapter
6: The
Chapter
7: Recovery on the Horizon
Chapter
8: The Legacy
Chapter
9: Conclusion
Index
About
the Author : Dr. Salvatore J. LaGumina, Director of
the Center for Italian American Studies at Nassau Community College, has
written and edited eighteen books and dozens of articles, most of which deal
with the Italian American experience.
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