Triangle:the fire that changed America by David von Drehle

On March 26, 1911, 146 people -  mostly young immigrant women - died in the Triangle Shirtwaist fire.  While the details of the fire are part of the book, it is more a commentary on the times.  The rise of unions, the socialist movement, Tammany Hall, the growth of the immigrant life - all a part of the story.  It starts with a prologue titled "Misery Lane" - the story of life on Hester Street.  The final chapter is "The Trial" which follows the attempt to assign fault to the owners of the factory, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris.  There are pictures and horrible details of the fire itself as well as a complete list of the victims but the details of the society of the city of New York at the beginning of the 20th century are at least as interesting as the tragedy that society almost overlooked..