Rating: 
Summary: Great intro to Halberstam's classic style
Review: 'Firehouse' is a wonderful story of 12 men who perished while trying to save lives in the midst of chaos at Ground Zero. David Halberstam, America's finest non-fiction writer, painstakingly describes the unique atmosphere of the firehouse and the deep bonds that form between the men. Above all, they strive - when the hour calls - to be, above all else, 'calm' and to 'do the right thing.'On September 11th, these 12 men succeeded. David Halberstam tells you how these men made a difference to the people in their lives. If you don't know Halberstam's work that well, 'Firehouse' is a great intro for you. Clocking in 500 pages *less* than some of his classic masterpieces, you can get a feel for the master's classic 10+ page in-depth potrayals that cut to the essence of somebody's character. And you only need a couple of hours to tackle this short masterpiece. Read it now and pass it on. It's a great story to share.
Rating:
Summary: Great intro to Halberstam's classic style
Review: 'Firehouse' is a wonderful story of 12 men who perished while trying to save lives in the midst of chaos at Ground Zero. David Halberstam, America's finest non-fiction writer, painstakingly describes the unique atmosphere of the firehouse and the deep bonds that form between the men. Above all, they strive - when the hour calls - to be, above all else, 'calm' and to 'do the right thing.' On September 11th, these 12 men succeeded. David Halberstam tells you how these men made a difference to the people in their lives. If you don't know Halberstam's work that well, 'Firehouse' is a great intro for you. Clocking in 500 pages *less* than some of his classic masterpieces, you can get a feel for the master's classic 10+ page in-depth potrayals that cut to the essence of somebody's character. And you only need a couple of hours to tackle this short masterpiece. Read it now and pass it on. It's a great story to share.
Rating:
Summary: A very human tribute
Review: A beautifully rendered tribute to the firemen who lost their lives on September 11th. It owes much of its success to its concentration on life ... in essence, it serves as a celebration of the very human lives of the firemen at 40/35: portraying them as they were to their families, friends, and loved ones, as well as to each other within the house. Even though it culminates and is predicated on tragedy, Halberstam's book leaves its readers moved, saddened certainly, but more than a little uplifted. It proves that in a world full of so much evil, there is a lot that is good.
Rating:
Summary: AN APPROPRIATELY REVERENTIAL READING
Review: Actor/director/writer Mel Foster gives an appropriately subdued and reverential reading of the story of Engine 40, Ladder 35 and the firemen who lost their lives on a day America will never forget - September 11, 2001. As Frank McCourt commented, "If you have tears, prepare to shed them." I would add you may have difficulty stopping those tears. In this particular firehouse, which was dealt the most severe blows following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Towers, as in other firehouses the men live, work and eat together. Halberstam writes: "....they play sports together, go off to drink together, help repair one another's houses andmost importantly, share terrifying risks; their loyalties to each other must, by the demands of the dangers they face, be instinctive and absolute." Few could have dreamed of the danger in store. On that terrible morning two rigs carrying a total of 26 men left the firehouse; only 14 men would return. We are with the families as they wait for news of their loved ones and, in part, come to understand why men undertake such a perilous profession. "Firehouse" is history, a moving narrative of an earth shattering day. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: A Unique and Admirable Culture
Review: After the tragedies which occurred last September 11th, most of us have a much greater appreciation of those who serve in fire departments throughout the United States. At any moment, they can be called upon to save both lives and property. Many have perished while doing so. What is it like to live in a firehouse? What is involved in the selection and training of those who do? What are their thoughts and feelings about the sometimes life-threatening dangers they face together? Do they resent the fact that, except in an emergency when their courage as well as their skills are required, they tend to be taken for granted? How do the general public's attitudes toward them differ from attitudes toward police officers? Halberstam attempts to answer these and other questions as he focuses his attention on Engine 40, Ladder 35 which is located only a few blocks from his home in Manhattan. He was asked to write an article for a magazine. This book is an expanded account of what he experienced and learned while completing his work on that article. He was surprised and pleased to be accepted by the firemen. For me, everything I learned while reading this book was within the context. of the fact that thirteen firemen from Engine 40, Ladder 35 responded to the attack on the World Trade Center and only one did not perish. Obviously Halberstam greatly admires such men; also, he feels a profound gratitude for their efforts and a great respect for their deportment. (Firemen do not have to brag about their competence and courage. They KNOW.) I was surprised that most of them are so young. (I had the same reaction when reading about the men who flew in B-17s and B-24s during World War Two.) Presumably fitness usually found only in youth is required of those who must sometimes haul 80-100 pounds of equipment up and down the stairwells of Manhattan's tall buildings. Given the general subject of this book, I was also surprised by the nature and extent of humor which Halberstam shares. Much of the narrative is tragic, almost heart-breaking, but there is also much joy. These men love each other and thrive on what they do together. For that reason, their work is not just a "job" and their firehouse is not just a building. To the extent possible, especially given the events of September 11th, Halberstam enables his reader to understand and appreciate otherwise ordinary human beings who, with each alarm, are summoned to provide extraordinary public service...and do so while in harm's way.
Rating:
Summary: Halberstam: The Best and Brightest Writer
Review: Anyone who has read David Halberstam knows he is a fine journalist. He certainly does not disappoint in this small memorial of some of the brave men who lost their lives on 9/11, the day of infamy. FIREHOUSE is the account of the thirteen firefighters of Engine 40, Ladder 35 who answered the emergency call to go to the World Trade Towers. Of the thirteen who left on the mission, only one returned. Inside the front and back panels of the book is a reproduction of the actual list of firemen who were posted to answer the call on 9/11; their photographs are printed on the back cover. These become a makeshift memorial to these men not unlike the Vietnam Wall or the AIDS Quilt. I found myself looking back at their names and photographs as Halberstam introduces each of the thirteen. These men's bios are sketchy as are the actual facts of what they faced on 9/11. They were overwhelmingly white, most of them married or about to be, many of them the sons or brothers or cousins of other New York firefighters. An interesting tidbit: most of these men were fine cooks as well. There is hardly a negative statement about any of these men, a fact that shouldn't surprise anyone since Halberstam interviewed surviving relatives and colleagues shortly after 9/11. It is human nature to remember only the good of loved ones so recently after a tragedy. I did learn, however, that Jimmy Giberson, described as a natural leader, was separated from his wife. Certainly I, a complete stranger, do not need more details of his failed marriage. I'm much rather learn that in a video shot by a contract cameraman on 9/11 Giberson is identified as the man going into the south tower ahead of the captain, an unusual fact that at first puzzled the remaining firemen. But a close friend resonded: "Jimmy was always in front. Always. With those long legs, you couldn't keep up with him. And no one was going to stop him on something like this." We can reserve expose journalism for another day and another subject. There are poignant facts: the fireman who would have been on that truck had he not had a medical appointment, the friend who filled in for him. Especially sad are the brand new firemen fresh out of school, one of whom had never gone to a fire before. There is finally the accounts of the memorial services, often two: one before the body is found, the other after, sometimes months afterwards when the body has been identified. The body of one of these twelve men, Steve Mercado, had not been found when Halberstam wrote this book. I was so glad to see that Mr. Halberstam, no stranger to tragedy in his own life, did not take the view, so often taken by glib journalists, that the surviving friends and family of these brave men achieved "closure" by simply attending a service or identifying a body. Here is Halberstam's description of Jack Lynch, the father of Michael Lynch: "In the meantime, Jack Lynch understod that there was a void in his and his wife's lives, and in the lives of all their children, and that nothing else would be quite the same, that a part of them was missing. There would always be a part of them all that was missing.
The tragedy, he said, was the only thing in all his life that had truly challenged his faith." Apparently these men were just ordinary men doing what firemen routinely do: answering emergency calls that put them in harm's way. This sparse account of their walking into the south tower will break your heart.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Analysis Of Firefighter's World!
Review: As a veteran reader of 20th century history books, I've long considered David Halberstam to be one of the best and brightest of the contemporary historians publishing today. He is also, not so coincidentally, one of the most prolific, as well, having produced a steady stream of works covering such myriad historical and cultural subjects as a study of how both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations stumbled and blundered their way into the quagmire of Vietnam to more whimsical studies of pop-cultural aspects of American life such as major league baseball and the effects of the seasons on residents of the island of Nantucket off the Massachusetts coast. In this book, "Firehouse", Halberstam focuses on a subject more timely and more local than ever before, describing the lives and death of the men and women of the local fire station a few blocks from his home on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, people who figured so fatefully in the events of last September eleventh. As Halberstam so powerfully describes, only one of the thirteen men answering the first response for assistance at the World trade center survived the events of the day. This book deals with the specific nature of that response, the natural history of that day as events unfolded, and the fate of the men as well as the aftermath of their deaths for their families, friends, fellow workers, and the community at large. One of the most admirable qualities of this superb book stems from the fact that Halberstam is a "local", someone involved and participating in the day to life of the community. Consequently, he can authoritatively describe the rich and momentous history of the firehouse itself, and the centuries of tradition and community support that made it and the community of firemen and women so important in the life of the local area. For Halberstam, the Firehouse represents a kind of large and amorphous type of informal second family both for the firefighters as well as for the more general population at large. He writes convincingly of the ways in which the inner workings of a firehouse, with its own unique and interesting traditions, routines, and complex social structure provides support and succor for the whole community, becoming a vibrant, inviting, and warm environment for all involved. At the same time, he details the ways in which all those tensions that the job itself makes unavoidable spills out and adds an edgy dynamic to the social atmosphere. He also helps us to understand just why it is that men and women with other choice and other opportunities prefer to opt for this kind of life, despite the obvious risks and dangers, despite the relatively low wages and the stress and physical demands associated with the profession. This book is somewhat of a departure for Halberstam in the sense that it one more fraught with emotional overtones than his usual subject matter. Yet when dealing with the provocatively intense subject of these thirteen souls who answered the call last September, in describing their immediate fate, the exhausting search for their bodies, and the efforts on the part of their families, both individually and collectively, to come to terms with their loss and their grief, it is hard to avoid such intensity. He also deals thoughtfully with the issue of survivor's guilty on the part of the surviving firefighters in the firehouse, and the complex ways in which their conflicting feelings of guilt and relief are being handled and discussed. Indeed, this is a riveting book, one that well deserves the wide reading it will certainly enjoy. Halberstam's treatment is so personal, so well documented, and so meticulously narrated that one finds himself swept along with the tide of events of that day last year when the world seemed to stand still, when all of us watched in horror as the massive evil manifested on that day came to full fruit. The book carries the signature trademark qualities of all of Halberstam's work, being meticulously researched, powerfully narrated and beautifully described. It focuses on an aspect of one of the most profoundly memorable days in contemporary history, and gives powerful testimony to the power of care, compassion, and sacrifice and why we must continue to honor and appreciate those who fell in the line of duty both on that fateful day, and in the days that followed and will continue to do so as we continue to prosecute the war against terrorism. I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: Another great book by Halberstam
Review: David Halberstam has written an engrossing and touching tribute to not just the FDNY but to firefighters everywhere. He does a masterful job of bringing us inside the firehouse and showing what life is like for the men and women who put their lives on the line every day. This is classic Halberstam and a very satisfying read. I wish it had been a little longer but it's still a superb book.
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Summary: Uncommon Courage By Ordinary People
Review: Engine 40/Ladder 35 leave their firehouse, near Lincoln Center, the morning of September 11th. 13 brave men head for the World Trade Center. Only one shattered survivor returns. "Firehouse" by David Halberstam is a short and emotional journey into the lives, families, culture and backdrop of this tragic event. The author effectively blends the events of the 11th with personal glimpses of each victim. What is most interesting is the perspectives of their families and their colleagues from the firehouse that were not on call that terrible day. The reader gets a sense of the extreme emotions of pride, anger, sorrow, guilt and loss by those remaining in this terrible void. David Halberstam is a gifted reporter and writer who uses simple prose to effectively describe a complex and horrible situation. Hundreds of fireman were among the thousands lost at the WTC. By personalizing this small team, Halberstram enables us to better appreciate all of the heroes and victims of the attack. His best description about them is ". . . acts of uncommon courage by ordinary people."
Rating:
Summary: A lasting memorial to those brave firefighters
Review: Expecting a well-composed book from a popular and proficient historian, it was no surprise that it was memorable! Every word, every page was profoundly interesting, whether details were sadly moving or funny, the message was clear! This is a short and meaningful read.
As a person who was geographically distant, Colorado, from the tragedy, the horror effected the nation and me emotionally. When I learned that Pulitzer Prize winner and author Halberstam had written a book about that specific firehouse that lost 12 men, I wanted to read it.
Once you begin reading, you easily learn who the firemen were, their decisions to become firemen, their odd quirks, their funny moments, their other jobs, their passions, and of course their family. What is moving is the strong sincere bond they share, unique friendships, caring people willing to give their time to help each other out.
It was the talk that Joseph Ginley, whose firefighter son John Ginley died that made a profound impression. The father told them firefighting was a good life, you lived with other men in genuine camaraderie, and you ended up, almost without realizing it, having the rarest kind of friendships, ones with men who were willing to die for one another.
I came with a strong understanding of how a firefighter truly becomes this spirit of humanity and someone willing to give up their life for you.
On the inside cover is a memorial, the original blackboard with the names and their assignments. It's eerie. And as Halberstam begins, he shares just enough facts about the firehouse in Manhattan, it's origin and renovation. We learn the dynamics of highrise firehouses versus suburban firehouses and its firemen.
Then, you are immersed into a personal portrayal of each firefighter. And it isn't just an account of each man, the details offer more than you bargained for. The information is weaved strategically and suttle. It's very clear that Halberstam conducted a serious number of interviews, because he got such remarkable information that doesn't come with one or two interviews, it comes for a volume of detail about a person. Upon reading these intimate details, as you delve deeper into what made this fireman, his values, friendships, faith, family, etc., you can't help but keep looking at the pictures, putting a face with the name.
Clearly, the writing is what really made this a special account. What a warm feeling I get from these men who are strangers to me, but I learned about a "true fireman" and am reminded by what veteran fireman Ray Pfeifer said, "People think they know what we do, but they really don't know what we do." I say..people..... educate yourself here, because those faces on the back are real people, real firemen, the firemen we really don't know or understand. And when you finish this book, you will look at firemen differently..... ...MZ RIZZ
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