Explosion at Orly: The Disaster that Transformed Atlanta

The 1962 Air France crash at Orly Airport was the worst airplane disaster to date. One-hundred-thirty passengers and crew perished. Many were prominent Atlantans who had just completed a tour of Europe, organized by the Atlanta Art Association. "Explosion at Orly" is more than the chronicle of a catastrophe; this narrative recreates a period of volitile change when Atlanta was the center of the Civil Rights Movement.

Ann Uhry Abrams' new book highlights Atlanta life in the early sixties, closely following the passengers of the ill-fated flight as they departed from their luxurious suburban homes through their tour of Europe. It also discusses the impact of the crash on Atlanta and the establishment of a Memorial Arts Center(now the Woodruf Arts Center)dedicated to the victims, which became one of the South's most important cultural enclaves.