Synopses & Reviews
Mann Gulch, Montana, 1949. Sixteen men ventured into hell to fight a raging wildfire; only three came out alive. Searing the fire into the nationandrsquo;s consciousness, Norman Maclean chronicled the Mann Gulch tragedy in his award-winning book
Young Men and Fire. Still, the silence of the victimsandrsquo; families robbed Macleanandrsquo;s account of an essential personal dimension. Shifting the focus from the fire to the men who fought it, Mark Matthews now provides that perspective.
Not until 1999andmdash;the fiftieth anniversary of the fireandmdash;did people begin to talk openly about Mann Gulch. Matthews has garnered those thoughts to reveal how devastating the fire was to the firefightersandrsquo; family members, coworkers, and friends. In retelling the story of Mann Gulch, he draws on the testimony of the three survivorsandmdash;including never-before-published insights from the last living member of the teamandmdash;and interviews with former smoke jumpers of that era. The result is a moment-by-moment, heart-stopping re-creation of events.
The Mann Gulch tragedy provoked the Forest Service to develop safety equipment and training programs, but fighting wildfires is still a perilous job.
Matthewsandrsquo; stirring account renews our respect for one of natureandrsquo;s primal forces. A heartbreakingly human story, it still haunts a firefighting communityandmdash;and keeps todayandrsquo;s firefighters forever on guard.
Synopsis
A story of lost youth, broken hearts, and mankind's inability to conquer nature
Synopsis
Mann Gulch, Montana, 1949. Sixteen men ventured into hell to fight a raging wildfire; only three came out alive. Searing the fire into the nationandrsquo;s consciousness, Norman Maclean chronicled the Mann Gulch tragedy in his award-winning book Young Men and Fire. Still, the silence of the victimsandrsquo; families robbed Macleanandrsquo;s account of an essential personal dimension. Shifting the focus from the fire to the men who fought it, Mark Matthews now provides that perspective.
About the Author
A former wildland firefighter and freelance journalist, Mark Matthews is the author of Smoke Jumping on the Western Fire Line: Conscientious Objectors during World War II and A Great Day to Fight Fire: Mann Gulch, 1949.