- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; First Edition edition (Jun 1 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0805071695
- ISBN-13: 978-0805071696
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16.3 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 612 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #448,855 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Deputy Chief Ray Downey, the most highly decorated firefighter in the history of the FDNY, died during the World Trade Center rescue operations, but months earlier, he had arranged for his nephew, filmmaker Tom Downey, to make a documentary on the emergency experts of Brooklyn's Rescue Company No. 2, the "most active firefighting unit in the city." After the completed film, Still Riding: Rescue Company New York City, aired on September 11, 2002, Tom Downey continued his research, writing about firefighters for the New York Times. For this book, he follows the efforts of the new captain, Phil Ruvolo, to take command and establish a rapport with his men. Interweaving the history and lore of landmark fires with daily chores and rituals, Downey recreates the firehouse's kitchen table banter and sardonic humor. He probes the physical toll and psychological problems firefighters experience, along with the job's dangers: "Crawling in for a job, a fireman would feel the linoleum, think it was safe to enter, and then fall through." Limning individual personalities and capturing the company's camaraderie with amusing anecdotes, Downey's descriptions burn into the pages with searing intensity. Writing with verve and energy in a gritty style, he explores all extremes of the firemen's world, from triumphant moments of heroism to bitter tragedies. The concluding chapters document 9/11 and its aftermath from the firemen's point of view: the "horrible losses" resulting in a massive shortage of qualified firefighters to fill the ranks of the rescue and squad companies.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Downey's father and uncles were firemen, and the late chief Ray Downey, an uncle, was in command of Brooklyn's Rescue 2 for 14 years. Rescue 2 firefighters are experts in every kind of emergency; if you are trapped under a train, pinned in a car wreck, or buried in a building collapse, these are the people with the tools and the knowledge to save your life. The author lived in the firehouse for months, spending night shifts cruising the borough with them. He had just started to work on the book when the 9/11 disaster struck, but most of it deals with the years before that tragic event. He profiles several of the firefighters and their families; he lets us in on their taste for practical jokes and the merciless hazing that recruits face, as well as the make-work chores they carry out between fires. And he explains the procedures in fighting a fire and defines firehouse jargon, all of which adds to an intimate look at the daily lives of veteran firefighters. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
FIREFIGHTING HAS ITS OWN LANGUAGE, cadences, dreams. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
FIREFIGHTING HAS ITS OWN LANGUAGE, cadences, dreams. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inside look to life in The Rescue,
By Mike "Squirrel Nutkin" (Fairfax, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Last Men Out: Life on the Edge at Rescue 2 Firehouse (Hardcover)
Having been a firefighter for 13 years now, I am always suspicious of new books about firefighting. None seem to ever get the feel, the energy, the smells and tastes of firefighting, especially when the author is an outsider. In Tom Downey's book, he takes us into the heart of Rescue 2, the rescue company which covers Brooklyn. As a frequent traveler to NYC and to work with the FDNY, I have a different view on things than most people, but I believe the non-fire person and fire people (buffs and smoke eaters alike) will enjoy this book. Not only is this a history of R2, but it gives great insight to what it means to join a real brotherhood, the bonds which are made, sacrifices people choose to take so they may serve others and hopefully save lives. Ray Downey, the author's father was a work acquaintance of mine, and I miss him greatly. Turns out I knew little of the man after reading this book. This is an easy read and would be a nice addition to any firefighting library.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great story of NY's heros,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Last Men Out: Life on the Edge at Rescue 2 Firehouse (Hardcover)
This well written book tells the story of NYC fire fighters. Had trouble putting it down because it was so exciting. A tribute to those who save lives.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must for firefighters and those who love them...,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Last Men Out: Life on the Edge at Rescue 2 Firehouse (Hardcover)
Only one other book I've read truly captures the true lives of firefighters and their community to the depth and extent that The Last Men Out does. It is called Braving the Waves - Rockaway Rises... and Rises Again, by Kevin Boyle. Boyle and Downey ought to get together and write a TV series that would give us the real, funny, tough, tragic, duty-bound stories of New York firefighters. Good job, Tom Downey!
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