Customer Reviews

The Last Men Out: Life on the Edge at Rescue 2 Firehouse

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is incredible. The author does a fantastic job of mixing in detailed accounts of historic fires along with the day to day part of the job. Of course the real heros are the fireman, a special breed. There are several anecdotes that show they don't want recognition (in one case, a man wanted to pay them $2000 for saving his mother, but they told him to save his money and buy a smoke detector!), just to do their job. The love of fighting fires comes across in spades as does the work ethic, the humor, the comraderie and the intense drive of the rescue 2 group. The characters are unforgettable. I wanted to cry when one of them in particular died (I forgot his name, but he was the gentle, quiet one who would give neighborhood boys free 10 point checks when they came in to get air in their bike tires.). I was left with great sadness that these dedicated men, everyday heros, are left with very little money for their efforts and most have to struggle by taking second jobs even with their insane hours. We should rise up and honor these men by paying them better salaries and honoring their work. They make our lives possible. By all accounts, this is a riveting book and a great piece of NY/Brooklyn/Queens history.

Only one other book I've read truly captures the true lives of firefighters and their community to the depth and extent that The Last Men Out does. It is called Braving the Waves - Rockaway Rises... and Rises Again, by Kevin Boyle. Boyle and Downey ought to get together and write a TV series that would give us the real, funny, tough, tragic, duty-bound stories of New York firefighters. Good job, Tom Downey!

I think this is well worth the read. Downey captures a tremendous amount of rich detail about blue collar life in New York. By recording the oral history of a few men, some of them lost on 9-11, Downey captures the cadences, rhythms, foods, and attitudes of working class Brooklyn. It's a mini-history of New York and firefighter lore - told by an author who studied that world before it was shattered by 9-11 and has watched the struggle to rebuild it. It's amazing to think that if Downey hadn't written this book, this oral tradition may have been lost to the rest of us.

Having been a firefighter for 13 years now, I am always suspicious of new books about firefighting. None seem to ever get the feel, the energy, the smells and tastes of firefighting, especially when the author is an outsider. In Tom Downey's book, he takes us into the heart of Rescue 2, the rescue company which covers Brooklyn. As a frequent traveler to NYC and to work with the FDNY, I have a different view on things than most people, but I believe the non-fire person and fire people (buffs and smoke eaters alike) will enjoy this book. Not only is this a history of R2, but it gives great insight to what it means to join a real brotherhood, the bonds which are made, sacrifices people choose to take so they may serve others and hopefully save lives. Ray Downey, the author's father was a work acquaintance of mine, and I miss him greatly. Turns out I knew little of the man after reading this book. This is an easy read and would be a nice addition to any firefighting library.

As an aspiring firefighter applicant, I have tried to grab and read every book, story, article that I can about the "job" as so many call it. I must say that of those I've found, this one has touched me the most. Downey takes you into the private lives of these men and tells you each of thems story to the point that you feel if you saw them somewhere you've known them for years. Being allowed, not formally accepted by these fireman of Rescue 2, to invade their private home away from home behind the closed bay door (with the tribute to one of their fallen brothers that you get to know...no name dropping here) is an amazing feat on it's own. But to put you in his place as you read his words and feel the emotions these men felt has left me speechless. There are times when you can almost smell the smoke and feel the heat of the flames flickering above the heads of the men trudging through buildings looking for victims and just as you start to feel that little twinge of fear...you are injected with a bit of sharp humor to lighten your stress but to also show you how these men were able to become known as THE rescue unit the world looks up too. They truly have fun working in the most intense of heat and the darkest of dark (smoke so dark and dense that you cant see your hand that you KNOW is right in front of your mask, but you feel it adding weight to your bunker gear as it rest on your shoulders.). This book is a true testament of the character of a FF.

I can go on for days about how this book is one of the best i've read and resons why. But I wont. I'll just tell you to click on the "add to cart" button and see for yourself once you get your copy.

Bless those that fallen on the job and their families left behind. It takes a lot to be willing to give your life to save a complete stranger that may or may not be there.

Downey balances lots of firefighting action with a sure sense of characters. When they burst on the scene to do their work, you remember each guy from ordinary life: the guy with the great pasta recipe, the one who's addicted to cartoons, the ballbuster, the loyal friend. It's this attention to detail, plus great details on the techniques of firefighting, that makes the unit's ups and downs so involving.

The stories in "The Last Men Out" rival those in "Black Hawk Down" for their intensity and telling detail. Tom Downey did a remarkable job reporting this moving, excellent book.

A really phenomenal book which is as much a New York story as it is a unique look at the lives and work of an amazing group of firemen. Many of Downey's stories present as interesting a view into a changing city through the second half of the twentieth century as they do into the development of an elite rescue capability within the fire department.

This well written book tells the story of NYC fire fighters. Had trouble putting it down because it was so exciting. A tribute to those who save lives.

Perhaps what moves me so much about this book is that I've spent my entire adult life working in public service. I have felt the heat of the fire and known the joy of brotherhood that comes with facing danger and overcoming. This book is the embodiment of that feeling set down on parer. The story of the men or rescue 2 pulls you in and makes you feel like you know them. They are men like other men you know who face danger knowing the risks but do it anyway. The Last Men Out shows what it is like with so many paid professional fire fighters, the job is not what they do, it is who they are. It will not be a feel good happy ending read, but a book that will make you feel an honor for these men who went into those buildings when everyone else was running out and would do it again if things had turned out different. The self sacrifice of the brave(real)people in this book is humbling.