Do You like book Firehouse (2003)?
Our entire country suffered on 9/11. Much of it was our innocence being taken away. Fighting during wartime was one thing, but most of that happened overseas, so civilians were somewhat removed. We've all heard so many personal stories about that day. Many of those I've heard, though, have been from people far away from New York on that day.I was in high school in Indiana and was taking the ISTEP when the news started covering the planes flying into the World Trade Center towers. My homeroom teacher turned on the TV, and we sat and watched during breaks from testing. None of the victims was someone I knew or loved.The people profiled by David Halberstam not only had a loved one perish in the fire; their loved ones ran in when everyone else ran out. The courage and heroism shown by the FDNY on 9/11 is unparalleled. If you think of just their heroism and courage, though, you only get a stereotype of the men. You don't experience the anguish of individuals being lost. That's what "Firehouse" offers: a close-up look at each of the firefighters of Engine 40 Ladder 35 and how the loss of these individuals affected their families and community.
—Jaymie Shook
An incredibly intimate portrait of a Manhattan firehouse who lost 11 firefighters on 9/11. Halberstam studies the FDNY as a whole, the culture and honor of its members, including the wives and families of firefighters. By interviewing the widows, the surviving members of 35/40, and even neighbors of the firehouse, Halberstam put a remarkably personal face on the tragedy. I admit I'm partial, as being married to an FDNY firefighter brings it all a bit closer to home for me, but I'm marking this book as required reading.
—Caitlin Mccaskey
Every once in a while, I read a book that just stuns me. "Firehouse" is one of those rare finds that found me, not the other way around.It's 2013 and we have just been through the worst financial crisis MOST of us have ever experienced. We've all struggled over these past five years in one way or another. And, unfortunately, for most of us, that struggle has been self oriented (job, money, debt, investments, etc.) "Firehouse" acts as a stark, yet passionate reminder of who we Americans REALLY are, and what should matter most in our lives.Some of you may not ever want to revisit September 11, 2001. Certainly that's understandable. It was painful to us all in one way or another. However, I believe that there is much to be learned from history and personal stories, and it seems to me that revisiting a day like 9/11 can be both purposeful and healthy.I will warn you in advance, you cannot read this book without shedding more than a fear tears. I didn't realize that 9/11 was still such a visceral thing for me. It was hidden deep. However, Halberstam has a unique talent of digging deep into the rubble of ones soul and hitting a sensitive nerve (or two.) I've read a large number of books that David Halberstam has written, and I believe he is one of the finest authors of my lifetime. However, I know for a fact that nothing of his that I have read, ever moved me like this book has. He has reminded me of how blessed I am to have been permitted to be a husband, a father, a brother, an uncle, a friend; to be healthy; to have two professions that I am passionate about; and MOST of all, how very privileged I am to have been born an American.
—John
