Report from Engine Co. 82: The American Firefighting Classic

Dennis smith's worldwide bestselling account of life as a fireman in the world's busiest firehouse, "Report From Engine Co. 82", still resonates. Bringing the reader ruthlessly into the raging fires that sweep through tenements, he describes in painful detail what it feels like to fight a fire in freezing cold, to enter a collapsing building, or to save a life. Meals interrupted by false alarms, injuries ranging from a burned hand to a broken back, and the knowledge that "this could be the night" are all vividly portrayed in Smith's gripping day-to-day journal. After 25 years, "Report From Engine Co. 82" remains the most brutally honest, poignant account of firefighting ever.