The Greatest Firefighter Stories Never Told

Rating:
Summary: A Good Book but a Little Insensitive
Review: The first reviewer is correct in saying that this is a very good book full of thrilling stories about firefighters which I have truly enjoyed.

However, I was surprised and disappointed in the story entitled, "A Weighty Matter", where a firefighter is justly concerned about how he is going to get a woman who weighs 75 lbs. more than he does out of a burning basement in a nightclub. That he is annoyed by this is understandable given that her life and his were in the balance.

His attitude towards her weight while human would have been better left out of the story, however. The other survivors and victims in this book were portrayed with compassion and respect while this terrified, overweight woman was not. The authors mentioned that the woman never came back to thank this firefighter. My guess is that she got out with her life but not with her dignity.

I am a great fan of firefighters and appreciate as much as any civilian can the dangers and uncertainties that they face every day. I can understand the firefighter's feeling the way he did about this woman and that he only joked with her to ease the tension. I can understand the comments he may have made about her size back at the firehouse where tension is released after the dangers faced every day. And mostly, he risked himself to save her life.

I just don't feel that his feelings and attitudes should have been published in this book. She deserves more respect than that.

Rating:
Summary: Good book... the greatest? Doubtful...
Review: This is a very good book, especially for those who dream of becoming a firefighter. This does little to tell the actual stories of firefighters, however. It is more a collection of tales to thrill rather than to give insight. Any book by former firefighters such as Dennis Smith would be a better read for firefighters.