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Mudslingers: A True Story of Aerial Firefighting
The unique history of aerial firefighting as seen through the eyes of a pilot, former Navy SEAL, and current owner of one of the most successful aerial firefighting companies in the world.
Blending historical context and first-person narrative, Mudslingers tells the dramatic and colorful story of aerial firefighting in America, as seen through the eyes of a decorated former Navy SEAL, US Naval Academy graduate, firefighting pilot, and businessman who founded Montana-based Bridger Aerospace, one of the most successful aerial firefighting teams in the world. Part narrative nonfiction, part memoir, Mudslingers is a riveting account of one person’s journey from the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq to the front lines of a different but no less important battle on the home front—the war against the escalating threat of wildfire.
From the early days of the B-17 to the modern fleets of the twenty-first century, Tim Sheehy will take you on a ride through the history of aerial firefighting—the most hazardous and demanding aviation mission in the world. Mudslingers is a rollicking read, an enlightening journey, and a call to action for anyone who believes wildfires are not only one of the greatest threats facing modern civilization but a threat that has long been underestimated, misunderstood, and poorly addressed, despite repeated examples of bravery and innovation by those who choose to do battle with the flames.
Indeed, save for a few historic military engagements in the twentieth century, there is not a sustained aviation mission anywhere that comes close to encompassing the danger, precision, and unforgiving nature of aerial firefighting.
In telling this story, Sheehy takes readers into the cockpit and into the lives of his fellow pilots—past and present—as they struggle with the seemingly never-ending threat of wildfires. One hundred percent of author proceeds from this book are donated to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation and the United Aerial Firefighters Association.
Blending historical context and first-person narrative, Mudslingers tells the dramatic and colorful story of aerial firefighting in America, as seen through the eyes of a decorated former Navy SEAL, US Naval Academy graduate, firefighting pilot, and businessman who founded Montana-based Bridger Aerospace, one of the most successful aerial firefighting teams in the world. Part narrative nonfiction, part memoir, Mudslingers is a riveting account of one person’s journey from the battlefields of Afghanistan and Iraq to the front lines of a different but no less important battle on the home front—the war against the escalating threat of wildfire.
From the early days of the B-17 to the modern fleets of the twenty-first century, Tim Sheehy will take you on a ride through the history of aerial firefighting—the most hazardous and demanding aviation mission in the world. Mudslingers is a rollicking read, an enlightening journey, and a call to action for anyone who believes wildfires are not only one of the greatest threats facing modern civilization but a threat that has long been underestimated, misunderstood, and poorly addressed, despite repeated examples of bravery and innovation by those who choose to do battle with the flames.
Indeed, save for a few historic military engagements in the twentieth century, there is not a sustained aviation mission anywhere that comes close to encompassing the danger, precision, and unforgiving nature of aerial firefighting.
In telling this story, Sheehy takes readers into the cockpit and into the lives of his fellow pilots—past and present—as they struggle with the seemingly never-ending threat of wildfires. One hundred percent of author proceeds from this book are donated to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation and the United Aerial Firefighters Association.
352 pages, Paperback
Published August 6, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 30, 2024
Good story of starting a business in a tough industry, but I would have liked more fire fighting stories and less about his perceived failure of the US in Afghanistan.
March 14, 2024
A good book on the history of aerial wildland firefighting. The author has been in the industry for 10 years now and has a decent grasp of trying to sort through the federal bureaucracy related to contracts and deployments onto large project fires. I was surprised that he did not have a better idea of how the Federal government works after 16 years in the Navy and 10 as a contractor. The Agencies do not pass the laws related to federal contracting - Congress does. While I know that the USFS and other land management agencies are not well led these days - placing blame on them for things that stem from Congressional inaction and ineffectiveness is just misleading. It made me doubt the veracity of other sections of the book. Finally - in the closing chapters he moves to a supposedly "non-partisan" look at the tragedy related to our abandonment of Afghanistan and our allies there during the final withdrawal of troops and other US personnel in 2021. Completely glossing over the fact that the Trump and his administration laid the ground work for this horrific ending when it brokered a deal with the Taliban (without the input of senior military leaders from the US an Afghanistan). This ill considered agreement left Trumps successors holding the bag. Biden and the State department did a terrible job managing a completely screwed up mess that was initiated by, and whose ultimate path was laid by Trump and his band of idiots. I am thankful for the authors mentioning of his efforts and those of other former military members in circumventing the fiasco in helping some of our allies to escape the terror reign of Trumps buddies - the Taliban.
January 19, 2025
I enjoyed the detailed history of aerial firefighting. Tim Sheehy also writes about his military service and the challenges of starting his business. The Afghanistan withdraw in 2021 was also covered.
September 1, 2024
Very illuminating narrative of the modern state of aerial firefighting. Also a great story of how a single company is changing the way we approach the problem.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews