Reader recommendation: The Johnstown Flood

Monitor readers share their favorite book picks.

The story of The Johnstown Flood is told in graphic detail by David McCullough. I read with growing dread of the inevitable collapse of the earth dam that burst in 1889, sending a wall of water into Johnstown, Pa., and killing more than 2,000 people. The deep sadness of this tragedy is alleviated somewhat by the stories of heroic rescues and the outpouring of compassion and support in its aftermath.