- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: Basic Books (Sep 4 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0465027407
- ISBN-13: 978-0465027408
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 19.3 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 839 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#1,508,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #31 in Books > Reference > Genealogy > United States > New York
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Writing with humor and passion and an understanding of the firefighter's mindset that comes from deep personal experience (his father, father-in-law, godfather and uncles were all firemen), New York Observer editor-columnist Golway (The Irish in America, etc.) takes readers inside the New York City Fire Department. As Golway's account follows the FDNY going back to its origins in New Amsterdam, points of familiarity emerge from the fine details: the need, even in 1731, to raise money for state-of-the-art equipment; the "respect and awe" felt by little boys for firefighters; the passion of firefighters for their work; the feverish search to recover the bodies of fallen brothers. Golway also provides vivid portraits of the city's worst conflagrations: the "ocean of fire" that destroyed 674 buildings in lower Manhattan in 1835, the tragic 1904 excursion boat fire that left 1,000 dead, the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and the 850 alarms reported on April 20, 1963, "the busiest day in FDNY history." Closing chapters are devoted to the 1993 and 2001 World Trade Center attacks. Centuries of heroism and bravery are documented here, along with profiles of firefighters famed within the organization, and many readers will see this as a compelling volume to shelve alongside Richard Picciotto's Last Man Down, David Halberstam's Firehouse and former Fire Commissioner Thomas von Essen's forthcoming autobiography, Strong of Heart. 70 b&w photos.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Review
"Firefighting is in Terry Golway's blood. So Others Might Live is a riveting, readable history of courage and tragedy." -- Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes and 'Tis
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
So Others Might Live,
By Brenda Warner (Westlake, Ohio) - See all my reviews
This review is from: So Others Might Live (Hardcover)
For someone who loves New York City and has an admiration for firefighters, this book would be a valuable addition to any library. While providing a fascinating account of the history of the FDNY, the book also gives the reader a wealth of information about the city itself. I would recommend it for firefighters, fire buffs, and any reader who is interested in a fascinating account of the Fire Department of the City of New York and the incredible men and women who have joined its ranks over the years.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A mirror of our history,
By Archie (Montréal, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: So Others Might Live (Hardcover)
I got the book out of curiosity... and I found myself looking at a mirror image of our firefighting history. The combat between the departement and the politic wing of the city, the urelenting tendency of the firefighters to oppose change and progress, the arrival of paid FD, of handdrawn to horsedrawn to engines... It plunged me into a world that I will never see "old time firefighting"...
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific, Moving, Insightful,
By Edward T. O'Donnell (Holden, MA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: So Others Might Live (Hardcover)
At first glance, Golway's book might appear to be a "buff" book - one aimed at firefighting enthusiasts. The truth - evident from the first pages - is that it's a book about much more than fires and firefighting. For in addition to telling the fascinating story of the FDNY's evolution from colonial times to the present, Golway relates many more -- the stories of New York City's growth and development, of technological change (both architectural and firefighting), of municipal politics, of labor disputes, of struggles by women and minorities for equal opportunity. Ultimately, it's a book about the stories of generations of firefighters and their day to day struggle, often overlooked before 9/11, to put their lives on the line in protecting the lives and property of the city's residents. Best of all, the book is beautifully written, reflecting the author's emotional attachment to his subject (he's the son of a firefighter), as well as experience as a journalist. You'll find this book an engaging read from the start - long before it tells the tragic story of the FDNY's darkest day, September 11.
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