Family of Fighters Firehouse By David Halberstam Four Stars Firehouse is a heartbreaking book of compelling quality that keeps you turning page after page. David Halberstam writes an emotional account about the lives of the thirteen firefighters sent out to fight 9/ll by Engine 40, Ladder 35. This book is a great way to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice to save the innocent victims of 9/11. Only one of the thirteen men sent out survives. Halberstam gives backgrounds and information about the men as told by their family, friends, and fellow firefighters. At many times during the book, he switches telling their stories from before, during, and after 9/11. He tells about their family, and how they react on that fateful day. By the end of the second chapter you feel like you've known these men all your life, and by the end of the book you are sobbing your eyes out over their deaths. Throughout the book, there is a recurring theme of brotherhood. These firefighters find family in each other, and as you read the book you can really see how close they are. “It incorporates how the men live with one another day in and day out, and surprisingly the degree to which, whether they realize it or not, they come to love one another (sometimes even as they dislike one another)- because love is a critical ingredient in the fireman's code, which demands that you are willing to risk your life for your firehouse brothers (14).” Firehouse is written smoothly with great detail and imagery. This helps Halberstam honor the men, in a way this book is like a memorial to all that died on September 11th. It allows you to connect to the men and their families. Halberstam discusses many topics and ideas throughout Firehouse. He talks about the closeness within the firehouse, and how many of the men came to be firefighters. “ 'It's passed on father to son, and sometimes grandfather to father to son (12).' ” He elaborates on how firefighters seem to run in the family. In fact most of the 40/35 firefighters had fathers, grandfathers, uncles, or brothers who are also firefighters. However, I wish that Halberstam put in perspectives from men who survived the blaze of 9/11. It may not have followed the theme of all the fighters coming from 40/35, but it can add to the emotional aspect of the book. It will give the reader an idea of the horrors inside of 9/11. It can give us an idea of the terror of the last sight these men would ever live to see. I really enjoy getting to know the men and their families. I learn about the inner workings of a firehouse, and the brotherhood that goes with it. All of these men would die for each other if it came down to it. In the end, sometimes it does. Halberstam honors these men greatly, and I believe that everyone should have a chance to read this book. It will give them an inside view of the courage and bravery it takes to be a firefighter. Overall I give this book four stars.

• How accurate was the on site description of the product? fairly accurate

Reading Firehouse, by David Halberstam, sparks all kinds of emotions. He tells sad stories, funny stories, happy stories, and a lot of inspiring stories. But they are not his stories. They are the stories of 12 men from Engine 40 Ladder 35 in New York City. The 12 men were firemen who died in the September 11th attack in 2001. David writes the book from his point of view but with all the stories from the men’s coworkers and family members. He and his family had lived down the street from the fire station when he was little. He was an outsider looking in on what all these people will never forget. These people were the only way the men will be remembered. David puts all the memories into a book that will touch your heart as you flip through the pages. Firehouse was a very well-written book. But, David left out a few details while writing. He could have added more quotes from the coworkers and family members instead of turning everything they said into a story about the men. There were a good amount of quotes but I felt that more would help emphasize how all the coworkers and family members remember the men. He also could have put more feeling in from the firefighters who were alive. He made everything they told him into another fact he can tell about the men and not a way to show how everyone felt about him being gone. Frank Callahan was the captain of the firehouse and was one of the 12 men that passed away. His wife was very involved with helping David, but you could only tell because there was a lot of information on his life, not because there were quotes throughout the book. The best part of the book was when he wrote about Frank Callahan. Every person at the firehouse had so much to say about him. His wife had so many stories to tell. I think David Halberstam liked what he heard about Frank Callahan because he wrote about him a lot. My least favorite part of the book was when it told us all the calls the men made to their families before they left. Some of them knew what was coming, while others didn’t. David Halberstam set the right mood when he told that part and they were very touching. Firehouse is a book I will never forget. It is very touching and David Halberstam wrote it very well. The few things I mentioned that could have been changed were things that the book did fine without. This is a book I will always remember and will always recommend to someone.

• How did the image on site compare with the actual product? very well
• How accurate was the on site description of the product? very accurate
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. very well