"Better than fiction" type of non-fiction

books:

	• The Last Men Out: Life on the Edge at Rescue 2 Firehouse Tom Downey Henry Holt and Co., 2004 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 19 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A must read for firefighters

Tom Downey has written an honest and true account of life in a New York City firehouse. With a keen eye and great observational skills Downey has documented a world that most people will never enter or understand. He brings to life the men and their experiences working in the busiest rescue company in the city. Not since Dennis Smith's 1972 book "Report from Engine Company 82" has an author captured the true essence of the firefighters world. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the FDNY. These men are a throwback to the war years of the late 1960's and early 1970's - a quickly vanishing breed.

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awesome

the most moving book I have ever read.It takes the good with the bad. No sugar coating, all honesty.

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Motivation

I am a firefighter in a department much smaller than the FDNY. We do not run many calls and I was starting to get unmotivated and complacent. After reading this book I remembered the brotherhood of firefighters I am in and gained a new love for my job.

The Last Men Out

I read this book in three days. I have not read a book for enjoyment in years. Once I picked it up it was over. The stories make you TRY to relate to your own house. At the risk of sounding gay, It becomes a tear jerker.

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"Better than fiction" type of non-fiction

Great story about the history of one of America's greatest firehouses. Whether you are a veteran firefighter, or just looking for some exciting true life stories, you will enjoy this book. It explains firefighting in terms anyone could follow, while weaving in stories of inspirational courage and brotherhood. Certainly it contained one of the more touching recounts of 9/11 that I, as a firefighter, have ever read.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

The inside story of one of America?s most elite firehouses and the extraordinary brotherhood of men who face extreme danger every day

Firefighting is a world of absolutes: evil is a red devil that wants destruction and death, good is a charged hose line, full of water to fight the flames. The best and boldest firefighters in the country, the men of Rescue 2 are hand-picked to fight not just the biggest blazes but any other emergency New York can throw at them. The sheer adrenaline of the job is perfectly captured in the dramatic story of their firehouse, a model for others nationwide--dubbed "the cuisinart" because it slices up new recruits.

The story begins in the late 1990s as Phil Ruvolo takes command just a few years after the departure of Captain Ray Downey, a legendary FDNY leader. Ruvolo inherits a stubborn group of vets, many still loyal to Downey. He also steps into a firehouse mourning the recent loss of a brother-- Rescue 2's first fire fatality since the 1950s.

Tom Downey takes us into the fireman?s world: the smell of their coats after a good fire, the hardened eyes of a veteran after a fellow fireman?s death, the humor and camaraderie. His firemen are not cardboard heroes; they?re a group of gritty, larger-than-life personalities brought together by dedication and a mission to save lives. Rescue 2 doesn?t leave a fire until everybody?s safe. They?re the last men out. Theirs is an inspiring story destined to become a classic.

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