That Others May Live : The True Story of the PJs, the Real Life Heroes of the Perfect Storm

Rating:
Summary: Exciting, enlightening, touching and TRUE!
Review: It is rare that one reads a true account that has moments of gripping excitement and touching personal moments, that provides a clear picture of the little-known world of the PJ's, and does it all while reading like a thriller. Their adventures while in the act of saving lives are as exciting as any adventure/thriller's hero's exploits...and in the PJ world, people can be seriously injured or killed. I read THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE after reading THE PERFECT STORM, the incredible account of how a helicopter of PJ's plunged into the sea during a tragic rescue attempt. The author of THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE was the PJ supervisor coordinating the rescue attempt. This book provides the background and the human side of the drama to answer the many questions that arise after reading or seeing the movie, THE PERFECT STORM. It's difficult to understand how anyone can maintain the discipline, athletic abilities, and commitment that are needed to remain a PJ for 20 years but Jack Brehm's life story proves it can be done - and those whose lives he touched are the better for it.

Rating:
Summary: Decent book, some errors
Review: On the whole, I thought this was an excellent view into the lives and mindset of PJs, as well as their families--and let's face it, family is important. Stress destroys relationships, and there's enough stress in this job for a dozen ordinary people.
Some of the more gut-wrenching moments include descriptions of rescues where the weather won't allow an air pickup, so a PJ jumps into the sea with the hope of being able to keep himself and the victims alive until the weather breaks. Not a job for cowards.
Some parts are a tad slow, but then, this is one of those jobs that consists of months of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror. It's an essential element, and I didn't find it to detract from the read.
My only complaint is that it seemed rushed into production and some technical errors slipped in. An F-15 rarely seats two people, never side by side, and doesn't have an "escape pod." That sounds somewhat like an F-111, and if the rescue was off the coast of Britain in the 1980s, a likely actuality. Obviously, Jack Brehm didn't make that mistake in print; it was probably an editor shuffling things around. Likewise, some of the parachuting technicals mentioned don't match my jump experience.
But then, this isn't a textbook for students, it's a view into the mind and lives of the men who risk death to save others, amidst the families, organizations and rivalry and the occasional mockery of wannabes. Well worth the read.
As to "The Perfect Storm" reference, there has to be some way to relate the content to a casual reader who would otherwise think of "Pajamas" when hearing "PJ."
It's "Pararescue Jumper," and they and the pilots and the Coasties are all on the same team.

Rating:
Summary: Decent book, some errors
Review: On the whole, I thought this was an excellent view into the lives and mindset of PJs, as well as their families--and let's face it, family is important. Stress destroys relationships, and there's enough stress in this job for a dozen ordinary people.
Some of the more gut-wrenching moments include descriptions of rescues where the weather won't allow an air pickup, so a PJ jumps into the sea with the hope of being able to keep himself and the victims alive until the weather breaks. Not a job for cowards.
Some parts are a tad slow, but then, this is one of those jobs that consists of months of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror. It's an essential element, and I didn't find it to detract from the read.
My only complaint is that it seemed rushed into production and some technical errors slipped in. An F-15 rarely seats two people, never side by side, and doesn't have an "escape pod." That sounds somewhat like an F-111, and if the rescue was off the coast of Britain in the 1980s, a likely actuality. Obviously, Jack Brehm didn't make that mistake in print; it was probably an editor shuffling things around. Likewise, some of the parachuting technicals mentioned don't match my jump experience.
But then, this isn't a textbook for students, it's a view into the mind and lives of the men who risk death to save others, amidst the families, organizations and rivalry and the occasional mockery of wannabes. Well worth the read.
As to "The Perfect Storm" reference, there has to be some way to relate the content to a casual reader who would otherwise think of "Pajamas" when hearing "PJ."
It's "Pararescue Jumper," and they and the pilots and the Coasties are all on the same team.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent read about the "Quiet Professionals"
Review: This book gives the reader some very up front information about the USAF PJ's --- in my opinion the best of all the U.S. "spec-ops" forces. The PJ's are unseen and unsung -- the SEALS are getting all the attention lately, but, after reading this book I've concluded that if I was in a dangerous situation and I had my pick of a Spec-Ops troop to accompany me there is no doubt I would choose a USAF PJ ---- they are the most diverse mission capable men in the US military. I found SMSgt Brehm's information about jumping and SCUBA to be most enlightening especially his description of "rapture of the deep". His story about 1991's "the Perfect Storm" and the aftermath was quite compelling. Especially the very difficult decisions that had to be made regarding the search for PJ Smith and the subsequent blame that was unfairly placed on Brehm by other PJ's after the operation was concluded. Brehm's emphasis on the importance of family is commendable but in my opinion the book would have been better without long passages about the trials and tribulations of maintaining a family life while also holding down a dangerous and demanding profession such as being a PJ. This is an excellent bio about a very dedicated man who "lives the motto" and would make an excellent motion picture.

Rating:
Summary: SLOW AND LAME
Review: WHAT A DISSAPPOINTMENT. WITH THE EXPERIENCE HE HAD, I HOPED BREHMS BOOK WOULD BE DECENT. IT WAS ANYTHING BUT. A TEDIOUS SLOW READ I POSED THE QUESTION TO MYSELF, "WHY AM I READING THIS?"

Rating:
Summary: SLOW AND LAME
Review: WHAT A DISSAPPOINTMENT. WITH THE EXPERIENCE HE HAD, I HOPED BREHMS BOOK WOULD BE DECENT. IT WAS ANYTHING BUT. A TEDIOUS SLOW READ I POSED THE QUESTION TO MYSELF, "WHY AM I READING THIS?"