Amazon.com
Thirteen men from Engine 40, Ladder 35 firehouse initially responded to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001; only one survived. Located near Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the firehouse was known for its rich tradition and strong leadership. This gripping book details the actions of the 13 men on that horrific day and the heartbreaking aftermath--the search for the bodies, the efforts of their families to deal with overwhelming grief, and the guilt and conflicting emotions of the surviving members of the firehouse. The book is also about the men themselves and the tight bond and sense of duty and honor that held them together. David Halberstam does a masterful job of illustrating the inner workings of a firehouse, with its traditions, routines, and complex social structure that in many ways resembles a "vast extended second family--rich, warm, joyous, and supportive, but on occasion quite edgy as well, with all the inevitable tensions brought on by so many forceful men living so closely together over so long a period of time." He also explains why so many men choose this life despite the high risk, relatively low pay, and physical and emotional demands of the job.
Halberstam and his family live three and a half blocks from Engine 40, Ladder 35, and he writes of these 13 men in such a loving and precise way that he could be describing members of his own clan. Deeply felt and emotional, Firehouse is a tribute to these decent, honorable, and heroic men and a celebration of their selflessness not only as firefighters but also as husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, and friends. --Shawn Carkonen
From Publishers Weekly
Halberstam's gripping chronicle of a company of Manhattan firemen on September 11 is moving without ever becoming grossly sentimental an impressive achievement, though readers have come to expect as much from the veteran historian and journalist (author, most recently, of War in a Time of Peace). Engine 40, Ladder 35, a firehouse near Lincoln Center, sent 13 men to the World Trade Center, 12 of whom died. Through interviews with surviving colleagues and family members, Halberstam pieces together the day's events and offers portraits of the men who perished from rookie Mike D'Auria, a former chef who liked to read about Native American culture, to Captain Frank Callahan, greatly respected by the men for his dedication and exacting standards, even if he was rather distant and laconic (when someone performed badly at a fire he would call them into his office and simply give him "The Look," a long, excruciating stare: "Nothing needed to be said the offender was supposed to know exactly how he had transgressed, and he always did"). The book also reveals much about firehouse culture the staunch code of ethics, the good-natured teasing, the men's loyalty to each other in matters large and small (one widow recalls that when she and her husband were planning home renovations, his colleagues somehow found out and showed up unasked to help, finishing the job in record time). Though he doesn't go into much detail about the technical challenges facing the fire department that day, Halberstam does convey the sheer chaos at the site and, above all, the immensity of the loss for fellow firefighters.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The phrase "read it and weep" carries a flip connotation, but those who pick up this book will literally read it and weep. Pulitzer Prize winner Halberstam spent over two and a half months, beginning last October, at the Engine 40, Ladder 35 firehouse, located on Manhattan's West Side. On the morning of September 11 two rigs from that house had responded to the World Trade Center attack; 13 men went out, and one came back alive. Here, the author offers us short, personal looks at these men, with details provided by brother firefighters, spouses, family, and friends, and we see how 9/11 made its awful mark on the dozen who perished, those they left behind, and the one who survived. Ex-firefighter Dennis Smith's recent Report from Ground Zero paints a much broader and, owing to his background, more personal picture of the disaster, but if he captures its mind-boggling enormity Halberstam succeeds as well at emphasizing the individual grief it caused by focusing narrowly on just his 13 men. Recommended for all libraries. Jim Burns, Jacksonville P.L., FL Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From AudioFile
This is the story of the firefighters at one mid-Manhattan firehouse--Engine 40, Ladder 35. Of the 13 men who responded to the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, only one survived. The book is outstanding in its evocation of the culture of the firehouse and the men who create it. Mel Foster offers a sensitive reading, providing just enough emotion, and letting the fine writing tell the tale. The listener feels connected to the realness of the firefighters and their families, while being fascinated by their responses to the devastating events they share. Attention will never wander. R.E.K. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
From Booklist
Pulitzer Prize winner Halberstam lives on Manhattan's West Side, a few blocks from the Engine 40, Ladder 35 firehouse, which lost 12 of the 13 men sent to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Before that horrendous day, Halberstam had never been inside the firehouse; in writing this book, he spent two and a half months there, learning about the men who died and the nature of firehouse culture in general. The result is an uncomplicated, directly told, heart-stoppingly affective story of great personal sacrifice--not only the sacrifice of the men who never returned to the fire station from lower Manhattan that day but also the horrible rent torn in the lives of their families. We get to know the firemen as Halberstam got to know them: ordinary men who performed extraordinarily and whose lives are, fortunately, not left unsung. We also get to know their wives, children, parents, and siblings, who were called on to accept a tremendous loss. A difficult book to pick up but one that is equally difficult to put down. Brad Hooper
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