A Great Day to Fight Fire: Mann Gulch, 1949
In his retelling of how a slowly escalating fire ravaged 5,000 acres, killed 13 firefighters and left indelible scars on its survivors, Matthews (Smoke Jumping on the Western Fire Line: Conscientious Objectors During World War II) relies on interviews and testimony from the three surviving smoke jumpers who parachuted into Mann Gulch to combat the 1949 blaze. Trapped within the confines of the narrow landscape, several of the men were consumed by the fire; some perished immediately, others were rescued but later died. The book's first half can be slow-going, with Matthews introducing firefighters and their families. Things pick up dramatically in the harrowing second half, which covers the growth and devastation of the fire, the search-and-rescue mission and the aftermath. A poignant subplot involves Julie Reba, who eventually committed suicide after her husband perished in Mann Gulch. Reader interest will likely be regional, though outdoors and survival buffs may want to give it a look.Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.