Pararescue: The Skill and Courage of the Elite 106th Rescue Wing--The True Story of an Incredible Rescue at Sea and the Heroes Who Pulled It Off (Mass Market Paperback)

by Michael Hirsh (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"So That Others May Live"

In December 1994, two gargantuan rogue waves struck the Salvador Allende, knocking down the 450-foot cargo ship in the mid-Atlantic. In the darkness and howling winds, in the midst of a horrific, impenetrable storm, the terrified survivors clung to their lives by the thinnest of threads-out of contact and out of the reach of any ship afloat.

A thousand miles away, one of the world's most elite rescue teams scrambled into action...

This is the gripping and unforgettable true adventure of an astonishing rescue at sea -- a tale of the unparalleled courage and skill of men who endured a record-breaking fifteen-hour, non-stop helicopter ride through bone-jarring turbulence to carry out a mission on the ragged edge of impossibility. It is the story of a unit of the New York Air National Guard, the 106th Rescue Wing, which includes the famed PJs, the Pararescuemen, whose training is so rigorous and standards so high that only a dedicated handful qualify to join; heroes without peer who were willing to brave a maelstrom of forty-foot waves and schools of killer sharks, to risk their own lives "so that others may live."

Includes 16 pages of authentic photographs.

About the Author
Pararescue is Michael Hirsh's first book. He spent much of his career as a broadcast journalist producing documentaries and specials for PBS and WTTW/Chicago, where he won a Peabody Award as well as a lot of other stuff his wife is tired of dusting. Hirsh served as an Army combat correspondent with the 25th Infantry Division at Cu Chi, Vietnam. He and his wife, Karen, live in Los Angeles with Kipper the Golden Retriever and Alfie the Aussie. Their two other children, Bill and Jennifer, work in New York.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Avon (January 9, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380810700
• ISBN-13: 978-0380810703
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #574,564 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another "Perfect Storm", January 6, 2001

By	John Corcoran (Calabasas, CA USA) - See all my reviews

"Pararescue" is a one-sitting book, a lightning-fast, can't-put-down, edge-of-your-chair read about a rescue that in complexity, excitement, and accomplishment makes "The Perfect Storm" aviation sequences seem like a lap around the flagpole. In many senses, it is a perfect followup to "The Perfect Storm," even involving the same unit and one of the same men who was involved in that tragic attempt to rescue sailboaters caught in the same storm as the doomed swordfishermnen. The Air Rescue service's motto is "That others may live' and never has it been on display more than in this undertaking. With helicopters pushed well beyond design limits, with amazing air to air refuelings in raging storms, with drama and conflict between elements of the unit, this is a tale demanding to be made into a movie. A true story, no one would believe it if it hadn't actually happened. A freighter has sunk, and 26 sailors are in the sea in a storm with hurricane strength winds some 900 miles from the 106th Rescue Wing's home base. Without hesitation, the pilots and pararescuemen of the unit are ready to make the risky rescue. Soon command reluctance to risk a dangerous mission--remember the unit lost a chopper and a parajumper in "The Perfect Storm" mission--postpones the flight. Will they make it on time? How can the sailors, some in deteriorating lifeboats, some alone in the water, survive? Michael Hirsch has had unlimited access to the crewmen who made the mission, plus a rescued sailor, who's own survival is amazing in its own right. Hirsch keeps the book moving at breakneck speed, but with a technical accuracy and attention to the human detail rarely seen in such action adventures. "Pararescue" has it all. Tension, storms, heroic pilots and parajumpers, moments of humor under enormous stress, shark attacks, and amazing flying and mission coordination. Most highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Inspirational Pararescue, July 25, 2001

By	SRVMcM (MA United States) - See all my reviews

The book really gave me an idea of the training and gratification that goes along with military rescue forces. Perhaps if you are not very interested in military, you will not find the same respect as I did for "Pararescue." If you are a military buff, read it!! I've been on the phones with the 106th talking about a flight slot!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping true adventure superbly told, March 9, 2001

By	"furmanlaw" (Freeport, Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews

This true story of a single adventure raised my concepts of courage and heroism to new levels. As a former journalist myself, I marveled at the author's attention to detail in exposing the gritty work of a group of men who dedicate themselves to saving lives through airborne rescue missions. The description of their elite training is worth the price of admission alone. But the tale of the rescue that is the focus of this book takes it over the top; it rivals the best adventure fiction you'll ever experience.

Another reviewer said Clint Eastwood will have a starring role in the movie they make from this book. My bet is that Harrison Ford will buy the rights to this All-American five-star thriller. Anyhow, read it now. Hollywood can't make the story any better.