Trials by Wildfire: In Search of the New Warrior Spirit [Paperback]

Peter M. Leschak (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1999

Journey with Peter Leschak, wildland firefighter, as he explores the warrior spirit--a genderless code emphasizing personal integrity, responsibility, patience, will, commitment, and inner courage, forged through life's "trials by fire."

Using his professional experiences fighting forest fires as a vivid metaphor for the warrior code, Peter weaves captivating tales of raging wildfires, the warm camaraderie and good-natured competition of a small-town tavern packed with smokejumpers, the clarity of the night sky, the subtleties of an ancient Chinese board game-all offering profound lessons in the quest for a new understanding of life and its purpose.

To each episode, Peter brings the soul of a poet contemplating life in the face of imminent death, as well as a professional firefighter's keen apprehension of hazardous operations and fascination with the seductive allure of a blazing inferno. Readers can dip into these pages for a vicarious jolt of adrenaline-or use Trials by Wildfire as a roadmap in their own search for life meaning.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

When he's not fighting forest fires somewhere in the world, Peter Leschak, veteran wildland firefighter and helitack crew leader, teaches wildfire fighting and safety. Over 200 of Peter's frequently ironic essays have been published in national, regional, and professional periodicals including Harpers, Astronomy, Outdoor Life, and National Fire and Rescue. His first book, Tales from Side Lake, received the Minnesota Book Award.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Experience faces a "twilight struggle" sometime, an episode where there are few straight and level paths, no easy situations, where allies and enemies dress in shades of gray, and double-edged swords are all that can be wielded.

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Pfeifer-Hamilton Pub (August 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570251983
• ISBN-13: 978-1570251986
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #845,147 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Throughly enjoyed this book in 2005, reading it again in 2011., August 31, 2011

By 

Ted Schulz (Northern New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Trials by Wildfire: In Search of the New Warrior Spirit (Paperback)

I wish Peter Leschak had more offerings here on Amazon. I have read Bumming with the Furies Bumming with the Furies Ghosts of the Fireground Ghosts of the Fireground : Echoes of the Great Peshtigo Fire and the Calling of a Wildland Firefighter, Hellroaring Hellroaring: The Life and Times of a Fire Bum, and this book, Trials By Wildfire: In Search of the New Warrior Spirit. I really enjoy Mr. Leschak's style of writing and thoughtfulness of situations. I too live in a rural area on the Canadian Border, am a Volunteer Fire Fighter, and have had the experience of fighting (actually mopping up) a wildfire in his neck of the woods in Superior National Forest. Although I have never met Mr. Leschak I feel like I know him through his writing. I enjoy many authors who write about fires in both a city setting and a rural setting but Mr. Leschak goes beyond much of the machismo "routines" and gives me a sense of what we are really feeling beyond the "kicking ass and taking names" bs that gets old, for me, quickly. For me his books are good reads packed with some fast paced life/death situations but also retrospective and slow areas where I can take a break and think about my own experiences/challenges. Mr. Leschak always seems to be making the best of any situation and I find motivation through his words. Thanks.