Rescue Men

By Kenney, Charles

Publishers Summary:
The men in Charles Kenney's family have been drawn to firefighting since his grandfather Charles "Pops" Kenney joined the Boston Fire Department in 1932. In his working class, Irish-Catholic neighborhood, there were other jobs that offered a decent wage, but none had the sense of belonging that comes with being a fireman, or the purity of purpose that comes with saving lives. Pops was on the scene of the notorious Cocoanut Grove fire in 1942; the author's father, "Sonny" served with distinction until an explosion blew him from a third-story window; and two of the author's brothers were "sparks" as children, amateur firefighters, whose career goals were thwarted by a court order integrating the Boston fire department and changing the rules for employment forever. One became a cop, the other a paramedic and rescue man with an elite squad sent to Ground Zero in the aftermath of the collapse of the World Trade Center. Spanning sixty years of firefighting history in America, Rescue Men captures what it's really like to be a fireman.

 Not Rated. Be the first to rate this product!

ISBN
978-1-58648-310-4
Publisher
PublicAffairs


REVIEWS

Library Journal

Reviewed on February 15, 2007

Novelist and formerBoston Globe journalist Kenney (The Last Man ) tells the story of his family's lifelong involvement with the Boston Fire Department (BFD) and other emergency services. The narrative begins and ends with the tragic 1942 Boston fire at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub that claimed nearly 500 lives, for which Kenney relies heavily on the recollections of his firefighter grandfather, "Pops," who said "it was a job with a rare purity, a beautiful simple mission, to save lives." Pops was a member o...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Become a Pro


This feature is only available to Pro subscribers. Please log in, or upgrade your subscription.

Add To My List

cover
by

This feature is only available to Pro subscribers. Please log in, or upgrade your subscription.

Export


This feature is only available to Pro subscribers. Please log in, or upgrade your subscription.

Save List Search Query


This feature is only available to Pro subscribers. Please log in, or upgrade your subscription.

Follow Lists


This feature is only available to Pro subscribers. Please log in, or upgrade your subscription.