Granite Mountain
By Brendan McDonough & Stephan Talty
- Release Date: 2016-05-03
- Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Description
The true story behind the events that inspired the major motion picture Only the Brave.
A "unique and bracing" (Booklist) first-person account by the sole survivor of Arizona's disastrous 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire, which took the lives of 19 "hotshots" -- firefighters trained specifically to battle wildfires.
Brendan McDonough was on the verge of becoming a hopeless, inveterate heroin addict when he, for the sake of his young daughter, decided to turn his life around. He enlisted in the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a team of elite firefighters based in Prescott, Arizona. Their leader, Eric Marsh, was in a desperate crunch after four hotshots left the unit, and perhaps seeing a glimmer of promise in the skinny would-be recruit, he took a chance on the unlikely McDonough, and the chance paid off. Despite the crew's skepticism, and thanks in large part to Marsh's firm but loving encouragement, McDonough unlocked a latent drive and dedication, going on to successfully battle a number of blazes and eventually win the confidence of the men he came to call his brothers.
Then, on June 30, 2013, while McDonough -- "Donut" as he'd been dubbed by his team--served as lookout, they confronted a freak, 3,000-degree inferno in nearby Yarnell, Arizona. The relentless firestorm ultimately trapped his hotshot brothers, tragically killing all 19 of them within minutes. Nationwide, it was the greatest loss of firefighter lives since the 9/11 attacks.
Granite Mountain is a gripping memoir that traces McDonough's story of finding his way out of the dead end of drugs, finding his purpose among the Granite Mountain Hotshots, and the minute-by-minute account of the fateful day he lost the very men who had saved him. A harrowing and redemptive tale of resilience in the face of tragedy, Granite Mountain is also a powerful reminder of the heroism of the people who put themselves in harm's way to protect us every day.
Reviews
Fantastic
5By wii22222Great read! Courage to you Brendan! I pray your future is blessed. Thank you for sharing.Dude
5By MedicOneI’m a (young) career structural firefighter/paramedic of 9 years and have just started to get into the wildland firefighting scene. I remember hearing about Yarnell when it happened but didn’t know too much about it. I’m not a macho guy, by any means; I’m also not a wussy. But this book......this book jerked tears right out of me several times. I love how candidly this book is written and how there was nothing held back. You already know how it ends but it doesn’t matter. Great book.Great
5By Shaqtus50Amazing read!Inspiring story
5By graveltechI couldn’t put it down. Really helped me appreciate the sacrifices that are being made out unseen in the wilderness.Thank you, Brendan!
5By Not SavvyThis book brings to life the men of the Granite Mt. Hotshots and what it was like to be one of them. Brendan's life story, true feelings and accounts help those of us who knew members of his 19 Brothers understand what happened that fateful June day. Thank you, Brendan, for sharing what you went through and continue to feel in order to help us heal, too.