Bath Massacre: America's First School Bombing

All the details of the 1927 school bombing are laid out in this book along with some background information on Andrew Kehoe, the man who systematically planned and carried out the murder of 45 people, 38 of them children.The facts are here but it’s not the most well written narrative. Sometimes it’s choppy with short, unrelated paragraphs and at times it’s overly dramatic (“Frances struck a match…and the world changed in an instant.” The ‘world’ did not change. Irrelevant information is also peppered here and there, e.g., actors that were popular in the movies at this time, a hawk flying over the Kehoe property.At other times, dubious claims are made or thoughts/feelings are imbued into people that can’t possibly be substantiated. “It was as though Anna willed her children’s safety.” “Once the officers had her students, Weatherby gave in to death.” The worst case was relating the last conversation Kehoe had with Principal Huyck. Seeing that everyone in that vicinity at the time was blown to bits, there would have been no witnesses to that conversation.Shortly after the disaster in 1927, a citizen of Bath, M.J. Ellsworth, quickly wrote up a version of the events that transpired and sold them to “tourists.” This author states the booklet was rife with errors but then continually draws from it for this book. Later he describes it as a “fairly accurate account” of the event (there are two copies of the Ellsworth booklet available on Amazon for $321.01 and $325.00). Wikipedia is also cited as a source of information.All that being said, there is some fascinating information included, like the role the KKK played in blaming the bombing on the Catholic background of Kehoe. And one unconscious boy was treated by giving him sips of whiskey that allegedly brought him out of his coma.If you are looking for multiple accounts of this tragedy, by all means include this one. If you want to read just one book, read “Maniac” by Harold Schechter.

I got this book yesterday, started it this morning, couldn't put it down, and finished it this afternoon.I bought my copy used from Amazon and was pleased to see that it's an autographed copy. That adds to it.The non-fiction story deals with the deterioration of what might have been a marginally sane man. I believe his "split" occurred when he witnessed the hideous burning death of his stepmother, who caught fire from an exploding stove. The author seems to feel that the man in question was adept with explosives and might well have rigged the stove. We'll never know. But he is without doubt responsible for what follows in 1927 in a school that was full of children, which was a precursor to recent school events here in the US.The book is well-written, well-documented, and extraordinarily gripping. It's also incredibly sad.

It’s amazing when you come across the historical stories of small towns in your area. This is a compelling account of one of those small town’s devastating history caused by one man. The stories about the effects of this devastating event had on this small farming community will bring a tear to your eyes. Losing young people to such a tragic event has affected this community for years. The personal accounts in stories made you truly understand the gravity of the feelings that has affected this community. This book is a reminder that it can happen anywhere, tragedies of evil have no limits to where they can occur. This book is a great account of this horrible tragedy and I highly recommend it to other readers.

I never knew anything about this bombing, or that it was the first of its kind. It’s tragic what those children, and their families went through. It was a wonderful read though, despite the tragic history of a town rocked to its core by something so Terrible. Children should always feel safe in their school, and as parents we should feel safe sending out children to school and hoping that the Lord keeps a watchful hand over them whenever they are not with us.

….the story about a man whole killed his wife and bombed a school killing many children near where we lived. I do not know how I came upon the book in Amazon ‘Bath Massacre’. I knew right away this was the story Mom told me over 65 years ago. Of course I had to read it! The research was extensive, and as sad as the massacre was, the individual stories were very hard. I am so glad I read the book, and encouraged by the resolve to move on as best the survivors and families could!

This book was FANTASTIC! I wish it were on audiobook.Until Oklahoma City, this was the largest "terrorist" act in the USA. I live in Illinois and I had never heard of it before. I only came to learn about the massacre when I stumbled across a song about it on You Tube. Looking for more, I came here and found this book. It is WONDERFULLY written and while the pictures are gruesome, it certainly provides insight into the mind of a madman.Given the recent tragedies in places like Aurora and more similar, Sandy Hook, it takes you into the mind of the families who are left behind to grieve, as well as into the mind of the killer himself.If you like well written books about dramatic historical events, this is for you. It is a not a book that "sensationalizes" the massacre. It explains it. It documents it. It uses many different sources, all well documented, to explain this long forgotten event. I have no idea why more people do not know about this but just because it happened so many years ago does not mean the lessons it can teach are any less relevant or the lives of those lost, any less important.If I could recommend one book I have read in the last 5 years....this would be it.

... su di un episodio terribile ed atroce della storia degli USA che pure gli americani fanno fatica a ricordare.Molto prima dell'11 settembre 2001, molto prima di Oklahoma City (1995), molto prima dei tanti massacri nelle scuole, come quello famoso alla Columbine High School (1999)... Era il 1927 e a Bath, Michigan, tal Andrew Kehoe, un proprietario terriero rispettato e inserito nella comunità, fece saltare in aria la propria fattoria e subito dopo la scuola della cittadina, uccidendo 45 persone, in maggioranza bambini che assistevano alle lezioni. Il motivo: non era d'accordo sul fatto che i servizi pubblici, come la scuola, fossero mantenuti attraverso la tassazione dei residenti. Un vero liberista americano!