JOURNAL ARTICLE

Sitting on a Keg of Dynamite: Father Bill, Texas City, and a Disaster Foretold by John Neal Phillips (review).

  • Published In: Southwestern Historical Quarterly, 2024, v. 127, n. 4. P. 464 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Andersen, Jack D. 3 of 3

Abstract

"Sitting on a Keg of Dynamite: Father Bill, Texas City, and a Disaster Foretold" by John Neal Phillips is a cautionary tale about the Texas City Disaster of 1947. The book focuses on the life of Catholic priest William "Bill" Roach and his efforts for social justice in a state dominated by nativism and traditional Southern attitudes. It highlights the dangers of deregulation in Texas and argues that the state is still the least effectively regulated in the United States. The book is well-documented with interviews and archival material, but some sections rely on flawed secondary sources. Overall, it is a timely story for historians of the Catholic Church and those interested in understanding Texas during a time of declining New Deal liberalism. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Southwestern Historical Quarterly. 2024/04, Vol. 127, Issue 4, p464
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:0038-478X
  • DOI:10.1353/swh.2024.a928848
  • Accession Number:177518424
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Southwestern Historical Quarterly is the property of Texas State Historical Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.