Mountain of Fire: The Daring Rescue from Mount St. Helens

Creation Adventure

by Paul Thomsen

Following the eruption of Mount Saint Helens, two National Guard helicopter pilots make several dangerous rescue missions and uncover the mysteries of God's creation.

Genres: Christian

74 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 1990

Reviews

[Yibbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short book about the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980. It focuses on the heroic rescue efforts of Lieutenant Mike Cairns and his crew as they flew National Guard helicopters into the clouds of ash and steam immediately following the first explosion. Then it breaks for a bit and introduces a Christian geologist who is searching for a method that could have formed the Grand Canyon within a Biblical time period.
It is action packed and extremely fast-paced. The story includes several descriptions of combat, burns, and dead people. It might be too much for younger children. I would recommend it for older children or teens.
I was a bit surprised that it has two substitute curse words, one of which is a British curse word. While most people in America don’t deem them inappropriate, I don’t see that it is necessary to include them in a Christian children’s book. I have blacked them out in my copy.

[Kaylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true adventure story! Ideal for young men; though better for ages 14+ due to the intensity of the account. I removed a star due to two bad words used, one brief mention of native American spirit legends, and a slightly disjointed feel to the writing.

A fast-paced and inspiring account!

[Lo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can see some liking this book. There are some exciting, descriptive passages. For me, it was hard to picture the different types of helicopters referenced in the action. The author did not deem it necessary to describe the difference between a cobra and an AK47 tracer.
The characters in the book see evolution and God-created, young earth to be mutually exclusive. Further, they say that the Bible says the earth was created in literal 24-hour days, which is adding to the Scripture.

[Ruthe Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Mountain of Fire" by Paul Thomsen tells the true account of recovery helicopter pilots who, in grave danger themselves, rescued people off Mount St. Helens right after its eruption. It also details the years of scientific research after the eruption. This is a highly informative and exciting book that will benefit anyone from 8 to 108! I highly recommend it.

[Marlise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting way to tell the story of Mt. St. Helens. It was, however, a difficult read. There were many run-on sentences. Even my advanced 13 year old had trouble following the flow of the author.