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Firefight: Inside the Battle to Save the Pentagon on 9/11
Amid all the stories of tragedy and heroism on September 11, there is one tale that has yet to be told–the gripping account of ordinary men and women braving the inferno at the Pentagon to rescue friends and co-workers, save the nation’s military headquarters, and defend their country.
Pentagon firefighters Alan Wallace and Mark Skipper had just learned the shocking news that planes had struck the World Trade Center when they saw something equally a twin-engine jetliner flying straight at them. It was American Airlines Flight 77, rushing toward its target. In his Pentagon office, Army major David King was planning a precautionary evacuation when the room suddenly erupted in flames. Arlington firefighters Derek Spector, Brian Roache, and Ron Christman, among the first responders at the scene, were stunned by the sight that met a huge flaming hole gouged into the Pentagon’s side, a lawn strewn with smoking debris, and thousands of people, some badly injured, stumbling away from what would become one of the most daunting fires in American history.
For more than twenty-four hours, Arlington firefighters and other crews faced some of the most dangerous and unusual circumstances imaginable. The size and structure of the Pentagon itself presented unique challenges, compelling firefighters to devise ingenious tactics and make bold decisions–until they finally extinguished the fire that threatened to cripple America’s military infrastructure just when it was needed most.
Granted unprecedented access to the major players in the valiant response efforts, Patrick Creed and Rick Newman take us step-by-step through the harrowing minutes, hours, and days following the crash of American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon’s western façade. Providing fascinating personal stories of the firefighters and rescuers, a broader view of how the U.S. national security command structure was held intact, and a sixteen-page insert of dramatic photographs, Firefight is a unique testament to the fortitude and resilience of America.
Pentagon firefighters Alan Wallace and Mark Skipper had just learned the shocking news that planes had struck the World Trade Center when they saw something equally a twin-engine jetliner flying straight at them. It was American Airlines Flight 77, rushing toward its target. In his Pentagon office, Army major David King was planning a precautionary evacuation when the room suddenly erupted in flames. Arlington firefighters Derek Spector, Brian Roache, and Ron Christman, among the first responders at the scene, were stunned by the sight that met a huge flaming hole gouged into the Pentagon’s side, a lawn strewn with smoking debris, and thousands of people, some badly injured, stumbling away from what would become one of the most daunting fires in American history.
For more than twenty-four hours, Arlington firefighters and other crews faced some of the most dangerous and unusual circumstances imaginable. The size and structure of the Pentagon itself presented unique challenges, compelling firefighters to devise ingenious tactics and make bold decisions–until they finally extinguished the fire that threatened to cripple America’s military infrastructure just when it was needed most.
Granted unprecedented access to the major players in the valiant response efforts, Patrick Creed and Rick Newman take us step-by-step through the harrowing minutes, hours, and days following the crash of American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon’s western façade. Providing fascinating personal stories of the firefighters and rescuers, a broader view of how the U.S. national security command structure was held intact, and a sixteen-page insert of dramatic photographs, Firefight is a unique testament to the fortitude and resilience of America.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
24 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 12, 2021
Taken from interviews and reports made by the firefighters, FEMA and FBI agents as well as some of the military, this is an excellent look at the confusion amidst the dedication of teams - from all agencies - as they try to extinguish a fire fed by hundreds of gallons of jet fuel.
From the moments before 9 a.m. as the firefighters from Arlington Fire Station 4 was watching the happenings in New York City to the worried air controllers who had lost communication with Flight 77 to the small fire crew stationed at the Pentagon that was horrified to see the airplane heading right for them and the boom as it impacted, scattering metal fragments literally everywhere. The book then goes practically minute by minute before the time periods begin to stretch out to hours and days. The authors admit that there were thousands of people involved and all of their stories could not be told.
But it does tell of how various agencies came together and managed to do their jobs - often breaking procedure in many cases. It was a crime scene so the FBI needed to get all the evidence even the pieces of metal that were mere millimeters in size until procedure changed - they KNEW it was a plane and the search for the black boxes and human remains became prioritized. East Coast firefighters are used to a incident that may keep them on site for hours only - not days at a stretch like many of the teams provided by stations from all nearby cities and towns - that was something more familiar to west coast firefighters and wildfires. The Old Guard - or 3rd Infantry Regiment - who just provided hundreds of soldiers that were ready to perform any duty needed - mostly debris removal with care for any remains found. All of them working with in a building section so damaged and delicately balanced that the slightest shift of concrete or cooling plastics could send a killing landslide of debris down onto workers.
One surprise is that the Pentagon is so big - and perhaps it's construction helped - that when the plane impacted between corridor 4 and 5, the other side of the complex felt the building shiver and heard a slight boom. Likely the concussion wave from the explosion. Otherwise, they had no idea what happened until the building ventilation system distributed various concentrations of smoke throughout. Even then there was no "rush" to evacuate. In fact, parts of the building continued to work even as firefighters were pouring millions of gallons of water on the impact site and devastated area hopefully to keep the flames from spreading,
An excellent book to read as a remembrance of 9/11 as well as a reminder that Americans can work together with respect, unity and compassion.
2021-188
From the moments before 9 a.m. as the firefighters from Arlington Fire Station 4 was watching the happenings in New York City to the worried air controllers who had lost communication with Flight 77 to the small fire crew stationed at the Pentagon that was horrified to see the airplane heading right for them and the boom as it impacted, scattering metal fragments literally everywhere. The book then goes practically minute by minute before the time periods begin to stretch out to hours and days. The authors admit that there were thousands of people involved and all of their stories could not be told.
But it does tell of how various agencies came together and managed to do their jobs - often breaking procedure in many cases. It was a crime scene so the FBI needed to get all the evidence even the pieces of metal that were mere millimeters in size until procedure changed - they KNEW it was a plane and the search for the black boxes and human remains became prioritized. East Coast firefighters are used to a incident that may keep them on site for hours only - not days at a stretch like many of the teams provided by stations from all nearby cities and towns - that was something more familiar to west coast firefighters and wildfires. The Old Guard - or 3rd Infantry Regiment - who just provided hundreds of soldiers that were ready to perform any duty needed - mostly debris removal with care for any remains found. All of them working with in a building section so damaged and delicately balanced that the slightest shift of concrete or cooling plastics could send a killing landslide of debris down onto workers.
One surprise is that the Pentagon is so big - and perhaps it's construction helped - that when the plane impacted between corridor 4 and 5, the other side of the complex felt the building shiver and heard a slight boom. Likely the concussion wave from the explosion. Otherwise, they had no idea what happened until the building ventilation system distributed various concentrations of smoke throughout. Even then there was no "rush" to evacuate. In fact, parts of the building continued to work even as firefighters were pouring millions of gallons of water on the impact site and devastated area hopefully to keep the flames from spreading,
An excellent book to read as a remembrance of 9/11 as well as a reminder that Americans can work together with respect, unity and compassion.
2021-188
April 21, 2023
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “THE INSTANT ITS NOSE STRUCK THE OUTER WALL OF THE PENTAGON, FLIGHT 77 CEASED TO BE AN AIRPLANE!”
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“THE NOSE OF THE PLANE HIT THE FACADE JUST BELOW THE TOP OF THE FIRST STORY, ABOUT 14 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, GOING 530 MILES PER HOUR. A DEAFENING BOOM SHOOK THE MORNING AS A VIOLENT CONCUSSION TORE THROUGH THE AIR, JARRING BYSTANDERS. THE COLLISION PRODUCED A FORCE ON THE PASSENGERS FAR GREATER THAN THAT FROM ANY HIGH-SPEED CAR CRASH. PEOPLE BECAME PROJECTILES. BONE SEPARATED FROM FLESH. BODY PARTS FLEW AS IF FIRED FROM A CANNON.”
----------------------------------------------------------
September 11, 2001 the day America was violently and savagely attacked by terrorists on its own soil in the Continental United States. A preponderance of all the publicity that has followed the multiple attacks has been directed toward the World Trade Centers. After all, that was the first attack and had many more casualties, and the Pentagon which manages our worldwide military forces, has uncounted security issues, which by all common sense should not have as free access by the outside world. And that’s what makes this book by author’s Patrick Creed and Rick Newman even more remarkable in its detail and scope.
When the Pentagon’s design was unveiled in 1941, “its size and secrecy had made it one of the most intriguing buildings in the world. The structure was notoriously huge – its SIX MILLION SQUARE FEET of office space was three times larger than the Empire State Building.” After the crash of Flight 77, fire crews were alerted from all over the Washington area, and as they all headed to the Pentagon, many of the men and women involved weren’t even aware of what had transpired at the World Trade Centers. From this point out is where this story will add another dimension to every American’s memory of this historical day of terrorist evil. When you are done reading this testimony to the way America’s citizens, including but not limited to Firemen, Military, FBI, FEMA, construction workers, crane operators, policemen, and everyday American citizens, responded to our countries darkest hour, you will forever be able to see a ‘GIANT-SILVER-SIDE” to this dark cloud of cowardice against our citizens. I purposely said “SILVER-SIDE” instead of “lining”, because the way our beloved American’s performed was too bright to be nothing but a lining.
As the Firemen arrived at the scene there were people running in and out of buildings, fire and smoke billowing to the sky, portions of the Pentagon were destroyed, multiple floors had pancaked down upon each other, and some floors were hanging by unknown forces. There were critically injured and burned people in need of immediate medical attention. Captain Jennifer Glidewell, an Army nurse along with an assistant tried to give medical care right in the main court yard. As things slowed down for a moment, a scene played out that made me proud to be an American, and I believe set an example for the type of spirit and teamwork that America needed to recover and fight back as a country. A man approached Captain Glidewell in a blue Air Force uniform. He was THREE-STAR-GENERAL P.K. Carlton, who was the Surgeon General of the Air Force, the service’s top doctor who was at a meeting on the other side of the Pentagon when the building shook. He didn’t know what had happened. General Carlton was on the way to the clinic to see if he could help. “On the way, he ran into two burn victims, their clothes and skin smoldering. Carlton was wearing a flame-retardant vest, and he hugged each of them to put out the remaining fire.” “By the time Carlton found Glidewell, most of the initial urgent care patients had been evacuated.” “An enlisted man came racing out of the building and said: “General, if you want to see where the dying is, come with me.” The General said, “I’m going in!”
Craig Powell was a Navy Seal at the Pentagon in civilian clothes when the plane hit. He saw two women on the second floor trapped by fire. He had no way of reaching them to get them out. Craig gathered several people around and told them to form a human net. Five or six people gathered around and put out their arms. Powell told the first lady to jump and “the moment she jumped, however, the human net disintegrated. Some of the people jumped back; human instinct, Powell knew. Unless you were trained for it, it was extremely difficult to overcome bodily instincts and stand in the path of a heavy object descending upon you.” “The woman ended up coming straight down at Powell, who caught her by the hips and brought her to the ground, roughly but safely. A second woman appeared in the window. “Come on!” Powell shouted, even though he was now a one-man net. As she climbed out, he could see that she was very large. “Oh man,” he said, preparing himself. “This is gonna suck.”
There are countless individual stories of heroism, bravery, street-sense-survival, and more than anything, the absolute refusal to give-up. The problems and humongous obstacles that are encountered, range from “BLAST-RESISTANCE-WINDOWS” that had been installed in most of the Pentagon’s windows, and in many cases it’s a shame they worked. Employees couldn’t get out through them and Firemen couldn’t get in. They also had the laws of Physics working against them. The fire was well over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit… water turns to steam at 212 degrees Fahrenheit… at 1,000 degrees water can EVAPORATE IN MID-AIR! It was so hot that cement was melting from the ceilings.
Incredibly, right when the workers are finally making headway, they get ordered to evacuate the Pentagon because they are told a second high-jacked plane is within twenty minutes of Washington D.C. The tale is so gripping that the reader almost forgets that “we” (readers) historically know what happened to that plane, and yet, you’re literally on the edge of your seat as shaken as the workers.
In addition to all the physical issues, there was also the problem of protecting documents that were “MORE” classified than top-secret! The military had over 300 classified safes that had either melted closed so the combinations wouldn’t work, or they were (just like you see in the movies) safes that needed two people to open, and one of the people were dead or missing. And the deeper into the firefight and salvaging the Pentagon they got, the more pieces of human bodies they would find, often in heart-breaking-gut-wrenching condition. As I read this book, I was so engrossed in this unrelenting story, that when I had already read over one hundred pages, I couldn’t believe that the story had only reached the first two hours after the crash. This narrative, will literally transport you from wherever you are reading it, into the inferno at the Pentagon. The best compliment I can give to the author’s, is to relate a sports analogy: When you go to a ballgame, when it’s over, if you don’t even remember anything about the umpires or referees, they’ve done a great job, because the game isn’t about them. This book is so well written, and so finely researched and documented, that you never even think about the writing style… because you are “THERE!”
THIS IS A LANDMARK EPIC BOOK! CONGRATULATIONS TO THE AUTHORS!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
“THE NOSE OF THE PLANE HIT THE FACADE JUST BELOW THE TOP OF THE FIRST STORY, ABOUT 14 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, GOING 530 MILES PER HOUR. A DEAFENING BOOM SHOOK THE MORNING AS A VIOLENT CONCUSSION TORE THROUGH THE AIR, JARRING BYSTANDERS. THE COLLISION PRODUCED A FORCE ON THE PASSENGERS FAR GREATER THAN THAT FROM ANY HIGH-SPEED CAR CRASH. PEOPLE BECAME PROJECTILES. BONE SEPARATED FROM FLESH. BODY PARTS FLEW AS IF FIRED FROM A CANNON.”
----------------------------------------------------------
September 11, 2001 the day America was violently and savagely attacked by terrorists on its own soil in the Continental United States. A preponderance of all the publicity that has followed the multiple attacks has been directed toward the World Trade Centers. After all, that was the first attack and had many more casualties, and the Pentagon which manages our worldwide military forces, has uncounted security issues, which by all common sense should not have as free access by the outside world. And that’s what makes this book by author’s Patrick Creed and Rick Newman even more remarkable in its detail and scope.
When the Pentagon’s design was unveiled in 1941, “its size and secrecy had made it one of the most intriguing buildings in the world. The structure was notoriously huge – its SIX MILLION SQUARE FEET of office space was three times larger than the Empire State Building.” After the crash of Flight 77, fire crews were alerted from all over the Washington area, and as they all headed to the Pentagon, many of the men and women involved weren’t even aware of what had transpired at the World Trade Centers. From this point out is where this story will add another dimension to every American’s memory of this historical day of terrorist evil. When you are done reading this testimony to the way America’s citizens, including but not limited to Firemen, Military, FBI, FEMA, construction workers, crane operators, policemen, and everyday American citizens, responded to our countries darkest hour, you will forever be able to see a ‘GIANT-SILVER-SIDE” to this dark cloud of cowardice against our citizens. I purposely said “SILVER-SIDE” instead of “lining”, because the way our beloved American’s performed was too bright to be nothing but a lining.
As the Firemen arrived at the scene there were people running in and out of buildings, fire and smoke billowing to the sky, portions of the Pentagon were destroyed, multiple floors had pancaked down upon each other, and some floors were hanging by unknown forces. There were critically injured and burned people in need of immediate medical attention. Captain Jennifer Glidewell, an Army nurse along with an assistant tried to give medical care right in the main court yard. As things slowed down for a moment, a scene played out that made me proud to be an American, and I believe set an example for the type of spirit and teamwork that America needed to recover and fight back as a country. A man approached Captain Glidewell in a blue Air Force uniform. He was THREE-STAR-GENERAL P.K. Carlton, who was the Surgeon General of the Air Force, the service’s top doctor who was at a meeting on the other side of the Pentagon when the building shook. He didn’t know what had happened. General Carlton was on the way to the clinic to see if he could help. “On the way, he ran into two burn victims, their clothes and skin smoldering. Carlton was wearing a flame-retardant vest, and he hugged each of them to put out the remaining fire.” “By the time Carlton found Glidewell, most of the initial urgent care patients had been evacuated.” “An enlisted man came racing out of the building and said: “General, if you want to see where the dying is, come with me.” The General said, “I’m going in!”
Craig Powell was a Navy Seal at the Pentagon in civilian clothes when the plane hit. He saw two women on the second floor trapped by fire. He had no way of reaching them to get them out. Craig gathered several people around and told them to form a human net. Five or six people gathered around and put out their arms. Powell told the first lady to jump and “the moment she jumped, however, the human net disintegrated. Some of the people jumped back; human instinct, Powell knew. Unless you were trained for it, it was extremely difficult to overcome bodily instincts and stand in the path of a heavy object descending upon you.” “The woman ended up coming straight down at Powell, who caught her by the hips and brought her to the ground, roughly but safely. A second woman appeared in the window. “Come on!” Powell shouted, even though he was now a one-man net. As she climbed out, he could see that she was very large. “Oh man,” he said, preparing himself. “This is gonna suck.”
There are countless individual stories of heroism, bravery, street-sense-survival, and more than anything, the absolute refusal to give-up. The problems and humongous obstacles that are encountered, range from “BLAST-RESISTANCE-WINDOWS” that had been installed in most of the Pentagon’s windows, and in many cases it’s a shame they worked. Employees couldn’t get out through them and Firemen couldn’t get in. They also had the laws of Physics working against them. The fire was well over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit… water turns to steam at 212 degrees Fahrenheit… at 1,000 degrees water can EVAPORATE IN MID-AIR! It was so hot that cement was melting from the ceilings.
Incredibly, right when the workers are finally making headway, they get ordered to evacuate the Pentagon because they are told a second high-jacked plane is within twenty minutes of Washington D.C. The tale is so gripping that the reader almost forgets that “we” (readers) historically know what happened to that plane, and yet, you’re literally on the edge of your seat as shaken as the workers.
In addition to all the physical issues, there was also the problem of protecting documents that were “MORE” classified than top-secret! The military had over 300 classified safes that had either melted closed so the combinations wouldn’t work, or they were (just like you see in the movies) safes that needed two people to open, and one of the people were dead or missing. And the deeper into the firefight and salvaging the Pentagon they got, the more pieces of human bodies they would find, often in heart-breaking-gut-wrenching condition. As I read this book, I was so engrossed in this unrelenting story, that when I had already read over one hundred pages, I couldn’t believe that the story had only reached the first two hours after the crash. This narrative, will literally transport you from wherever you are reading it, into the inferno at the Pentagon. The best compliment I can give to the author’s, is to relate a sports analogy: When you go to a ballgame, when it’s over, if you don’t even remember anything about the umpires or referees, they’ve done a great job, because the game isn’t about them. This book is so well written, and so finely researched and documented, that you never even think about the writing style… because you are “THERE!”
THIS IS A LANDMARK EPIC BOOK! CONGRATULATIONS TO THE AUTHORS!
September 24, 2018
Living just 10 blocks from the Pentagon, this book has been on my to-read list for a long time. I’m so glad I finally dove in, as I could not put it down. Having lived through the events of that day, it was fascinating to learn details I had never heard about and to see our neighbors—local firefighters, police officers, FBI agents and military personnel—portrayed in such compelling detail. The very first fire fighters to respond to the Pentagon were from our neighborhood fire station. They are the same people who have given my Cub Scouts firehouse tours, who come to the elementary school’s annual festival, and who have let my boys climb all over their trucks. To learn more of their story was humbling. To all my peeps in the 22202—this is a must-read.
Want to read
June 3, 2008This book was just reviewed in the Washington Post, mostly positively. It turns out it was written by the brother of one of my neighbors so I'm going to read it for that reason, but also because I understand it's one of those non-fiction books that reads like fiction. And, anyway, one needs a story of heroism now and then to combat the rampant consumerism and self-involvement of today. . .
June 22, 2009
I was initially attracted to this book because it is written by two JMU alumni. The book was an interesting read, however, I was expecting there to be more discussion of the victims at the Pentagon on 9/11. Instead, the book mainly focuses on the firefighters and rescue workers who worked to save the Pentagon structure on 9/11 and in the days after.
October 3, 2025
This is a good book about the fire and rescue/recovery operations at the Pentagon on and after 9/11. In fact, it's just about the only book out there devoted to this aspect of the 9/11 attacks. The authors did a good job of covering the different groups of responders--fire departments, military, FBI, EMS, and others. The description of the physics of having a 757 slam into a building at 500 miles per hour is harrowing, but needed to explain how most of the people and structures at the back of the plane ended up at the place where what would have been the front of the fuselage (had it not disintegrated) came to rest in the building. The fear and confusion of the day and night following the crash are well described. It is amazing that the structure didn't collapse more than it did, that no first responders were killed in the dangerous efforts to find survivors, put out a fire fueled by hundreds of gallons of jet fuel, shore up a the building where it had collapsed in part, and try to find the remains of victims and of evidence at this gigantic crime scene. The authors focus on several individuals among the responders so the reader can follow the story through to the time when the building was stabilized and cleared. And they don't spare criticism for the wandering bystanders, military leaders, and government leaders who got in the way.
September 3, 2024
One of the most captivating and intense books to describe what happened at the Pentagon I've ever discovered. Although the book is lengthy (nearly 500 pages), the authors spoke with over 150 people and reviewed hundreds of photos, documents, and recordings to get their story right.
As an employee in the Pentagon working just steps away from where the plane hit, I was a junior in high school when 9/11 occurred. Reading this book brought to life what I'd experienced as a high school student and then future employee at the Pentagon.
It does lag every once and a while, but often a very compelling read - straight out of a screenplay.
As an employee in the Pentagon working just steps away from where the plane hit, I was a junior in high school when 9/11 occurred. Reading this book brought to life what I'd experienced as a high school student and then future employee at the Pentagon.
It does lag every once and a while, but often a very compelling read - straight out of a screenplay.
August 16, 2025
4.5 rounded up. Really well-written, thorough, and human. I felt like I knew much more about rescue operations at the WTC than the Pentagon when I started this book, so this filled in a lot of gaps.
Please note that there are some graphic passages about the state of some of the bodies they found in the cleanup and removal process.
Please note that there are some graphic passages about the state of some of the bodies they found in the cleanup and removal process.
April 14, 2020
Fascinating book. I learned a lot about the battle to save the Pentagon and about firefighting in general. This book really brought out the individual stories of those involved in putting out the fires in the Pentagon on 9/11 and working to save people and recover those who died.
February 16, 2020
Very good read.
September 22, 2022
Excellent and very well told story of when Flight 77 hit the Pentagon and the aftermath of all the organizations and people involved to rebuild it. Highly recommend.
June 30, 2025
What a great firsthand account of those who fought to save the Pentagon after the plane crashed into it.
February 3, 2009
I really enjoyed this book--a very compelling story, well-told, lots of interesting details. My only complaints are that maybe it was too detailed and too long--I think they needed more editing. Got bogged down about half-way through, but then the story picked up again. I felt it was almost too factual; the authors didn't draw any conclusions about what they learned or about the overall experience for people on the ground, except in the most basic way. I felt like there should have been a little more follow-up with a lot of the DOD people involved at the beginning of the story.
More review: What the authors really needed to have done was follow a small number of people through the entire story. This book reads more like a report because it follows the Pentagon itself through the whole story, and doesn't follow people from beginning to end. Some come close, but of course that was the nature of the response to the disaster--it started with DOD people on the scene, then firefighters, then FEMA teams and FBI, etc. But the authors could have followed the story of those who were on scene a little later by starting with what they were doing at the beginning of the story even though they weren't at the Pentagon. It would have been nice to have the whole story of the Pentagon framed by the stories of Chris Coombs, Jen Farmer, Dave King, Craig Powell, Chief Schwartz, and Mike Regan. Plus maybe one other firefighter, and one other DOD person (the building supervisor maybe, since this is the story of the building). The authors followed those people through a large portion of the book, but didn't frame the story the way they could have, to give it a cohesiveness, and to make it more personal and compelling. It would be tough to cut out some of the stories relating to the countless other people who were involved, but that would have made a better book. But that is probably a huge dilemma when telling a true story where you want to honor all the heroes involved.
More review: What the authors really needed to have done was follow a small number of people through the entire story. This book reads more like a report because it follows the Pentagon itself through the whole story, and doesn't follow people from beginning to end. Some come close, but of course that was the nature of the response to the disaster--it started with DOD people on the scene, then firefighters, then FEMA teams and FBI, etc. But the authors could have followed the story of those who were on scene a little later by starting with what they were doing at the beginning of the story even though they weren't at the Pentagon. It would have been nice to have the whole story of the Pentagon framed by the stories of Chris Coombs, Jen Farmer, Dave King, Craig Powell, Chief Schwartz, and Mike Regan. Plus maybe one other firefighter, and one other DOD person (the building supervisor maybe, since this is the story of the building). The authors followed those people through a large portion of the book, but didn't frame the story the way they could have, to give it a cohesiveness, and to make it more personal and compelling. It would be tough to cut out some of the stories relating to the countless other people who were involved, but that would have made a better book. But that is probably a huge dilemma when telling a true story where you want to honor all the heroes involved.
May 2, 2009
Firefight is a story about the people who responded to the Pentagon on the morning of September 11, 2001. But beyond that it is a glimpse into their actions, reactions and interactions that day and in the weeks that followed.
In a former life I was a fire department wife. Then I was an Army wife. On September 11th I was an Air Force mom. So I could be predjudiced to like this book.
It's not a story however that has much to do with the military or the fire service per se; and is not just a book for history students, 9/11 junkies and firefighter groupies.
What this inside story does have is a very personal voice, reading with heart, insight, plus an unflinching dedication to accuracy in retelling both positives and negatives. And the surprise inside? There's a love story you will first surmise and then have confirmed. Bonuses like this sometimes make all the difference and these authors get it.
Small details of the everyday people whose names I don't see on TV allow Firefight to read almost like a memoir although it's not. And at the same time the same small details were what made me feel guilty as I was reading.
While I was paralyzed with fear in front of my bedroom tv just a bit upriver from the Pentagon, I now know I should have been driving a few miles to Costco to buy cases of gatorade for the firefighters who weren't any more prepared for their basic needs that day than any of the rest of us were to smell burning jet fuel along the Potomac.
Although I have studied the story of September eleventh extensively, now I have a much greater understanding of what was happening around and in the Pentagon that day, how various emergency departments and agencies struggled to do their parts of a tough job in the face of inherent dangers, unexpected hazards, and roadblocks thrown up by the system.
It's a thick book that you won't want to put down.
In a former life I was a fire department wife. Then I was an Army wife. On September 11th I was an Air Force mom. So I could be predjudiced to like this book.
It's not a story however that has much to do with the military or the fire service per se; and is not just a book for history students, 9/11 junkies and firefighter groupies.
What this inside story does have is a very personal voice, reading with heart, insight, plus an unflinching dedication to accuracy in retelling both positives and negatives. And the surprise inside? There's a love story you will first surmise and then have confirmed. Bonuses like this sometimes make all the difference and these authors get it.
Small details of the everyday people whose names I don't see on TV allow Firefight to read almost like a memoir although it's not. And at the same time the same small details were what made me feel guilty as I was reading.
While I was paralyzed with fear in front of my bedroom tv just a bit upriver from the Pentagon, I now know I should have been driving a few miles to Costco to buy cases of gatorade for the firefighters who weren't any more prepared for their basic needs that day than any of the rest of us were to smell burning jet fuel along the Potomac.
Although I have studied the story of September eleventh extensively, now I have a much greater understanding of what was happening around and in the Pentagon that day, how various emergency departments and agencies struggled to do their parts of a tough job in the face of inherent dangers, unexpected hazards, and roadblocks thrown up by the system.
It's a thick book that you won't want to put down.
November 20, 2016
As I am not a student of any such genre that may exist about writing of disasters, I consider myself ill-equipped to judge whether Creed and Newman have done amazing or mediocre work in capturing what transpired at the Pentagon on 9/11. There are myriad details about the who, what, when, and where that almost overwhelm the reader, and maybe it will serve others to improve techniques or yield understanding or help treat future sufferers of PTSD - I just don't know. There were a couple vignettes that one expects reflect the kind of things that go on all the time around Washington. For example, the Washington DC crew(s) that showed up to help, but were unwilling to coordinate their actions with the on-scene command structure. Or, the rivalries evident between (even federal, believe it or not) law enforcement agencies.
September 4, 2008
I seem to be fascinated with th heroics of 9/11; it may have to do with the fact that my husband is a firefighter in our town.
You hear mostly about the Towers so it was interesting to read just how hard it was for everyone to work in an unstable buiding that wasn't built like normal buildings. These people had to witness all the destruction,death and injuries up close and still try to perform their duties unemotionally. But most of all it showed how most everyone worked together to keep our country's secrets safe and communication lines open when they were needed most.
It is an easy read and sheds light on just what happened at the Pentagon that first week. It gives you a chance to see just what goes into fighting a fire.
You hear mostly about the Towers so it was interesting to read just how hard it was for everyone to work in an unstable buiding that wasn't built like normal buildings. These people had to witness all the destruction,death and injuries up close and still try to perform their duties unemotionally. But most of all it showed how most everyone worked together to keep our country's secrets safe and communication lines open when they were needed most.
It is an easy read and sheds light on just what happened at the Pentagon that first week. It gives you a chance to see just what goes into fighting a fire.
July 10, 2012
I highly recommend this book. It did contain a lot of information (I ended up going back and re-reading the first few chapters), but overall, the overview of how the events unfolded at the Pentagon was a wonderful history lesson. There were so many details about the event and its effects on first-responders and Pentagon employees that I had never known, even as one who lives in the area. Some may find it a little long to get through, but I encourage you to stick through to the end. You will be glad you took the time to remember and learn about this facet of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
November 16, 2016
"Firefight" by Patrick Creed and Rick Newman is an amazing story about the struggle people had while trying to survive when the world around them was in flames. Throughout the book you hear different stories and see others point of views about what happened and what they did. From those different stories the reader is drawn in closer to the story and learn about how they were able to survive when it didn't seem possible.
June 10, 2008
A Four-Star General Plus 1: FIREFIGHT has earned its 4 Stars + 1. If you've read or are familiar with 102 MINUTES: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers, FIREFIGHT is the Pentagon equivalent. Co-authors Creed is a volunteer firefighter and US Army reservist who served in Iraq, Newman is US News & World Report journalist who covered the Pentagon on 9/11.
August 24, 2008
I liked this reasonably well, but I'm not too sure that most people would care for it. Much (if not most) of the focus is on how the different organizations (emergency services, the military, and security organizations) interacted - although there is description of how different dangerous situations were dealt with as well.
March 18, 2009
WOW, this is a very interesting book to read... Especially since I know many of these folks. As a firefighter I responded to the pentagon on 9/12 and was part of the Division on the roof trying to cut through the slate roof and put the fire out. I still do not know how BC John Gleske got around and did so much, such a chubby little guy cannot move around that much...
November 17, 2009
A co-worker highly recommended this nonfiction book and I'm very glad to have heard of it. This book gave me more insight into the fires. The location become more vivid in my mind, considering I have walked those corridors and heard tales from co-workers who were present during 9/11 at the Pentagon.
June 1, 2016
Glad to finally read about what happened at the pentagon. Lots of writing from NY about what happened there. The authors did a good job keeping all the characters involved and in context. I did not feel that I couldn't remember such a large cast.
July 4, 2009
This book reads like an action novel and the facts are pretty darn solid.
Currently reading
October 1, 2008The story of 9/11 and the fire and rescue at the Pentagon
November 8, 2008
This is a pretty good discussion of a somewhat overlooked part of the events of September 11, 2001. It generally manages not to be overly maudlin or politically divisive.
April 17, 2013
Lots of names and titles to try to keep track of
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews