Granite Mountain

The Firsthand Account of a Tragic Wildfire, Its Lone Survivor, and the Firefighters Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice

De: Brendan McDonough, Stephan Talty - contributor

Narrado por: John Glouchevitch

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.

©2016 Brendan McDonough (P)2016 Hachette Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"This is a new breed of war story, of the citizen soldiers who stand between life and death, the forest and the fire. Through burnt moonscapes, in air choked with ash, they face flames as tall as towers and say, 'You shall not pass.' Powerful and lasting, this is a story of men who gave their all." (Adam Makos, New York Times best-selling author of A Higher Call)

" My Lost Brothers is a harrowing story of heroism in the face of natural disaster. It perfectly illustrates the kind of teamwork and camaraderie that informed the legendary squad of hotshots working to save - in this case - their hometown from utter destruction by fire. As perhaps the least likely guy ever to become a hotshot, Brendan McDonough more than lives up to his role after having been taken underwing by Granite Mountain leader Eric Marsh. That he has been able to keep on even keel as the Yarnell Hill Fire's lone survivor, having lost his mentor and his best friends, speaks volumes about his character and is a lasting testimony to the strength of his lost brothers." (Ed Viesturs, best-selling author of The Mountain: My Time on Everest)

"For an East Coast guy like me this book was a real education in wildfires, and the last few chapters were a terrifying lesson in how they can do the unpredictable. I was left with nothing but admiration for the Granite Mountain hotshot crew who put their lives on the line to protect the town of Yarnell." (Michael Tougias, New York Times best-selling coauthor of The Finest Hours and So Close to Home)

Fantastic

What a great story. After seeing the movie that is based upon this book, I had to listen to the Audible version. I would have loved it that much more if the narration was from Brendan but overall I was very pleased with how it was portrayed. The story gives you a behind the scenes look at what it's like to work as a team to fight incredible fires with little reward. It also portrays how a person's life can change dramatically for the good given the opportunity and support of good, caring people.

Well done Brendan.

Great story.

Loved this audio book. I could not stop listening. Narrated beautifully. I liked that it gave great insight into the fraternity of fire fighting.

Great lessons to be learned!

The events of June 30, 2013 at Yarnell have effected the lives of so many people in the fire world. Brendan has amazing courage to share the story with us.

I found myself thinking many times during the book, that he is so young, and he has carried the burden of old men.

Thanks for sharing your life dude!

Emotional book. Thank you Brendan.

Super emotional in the last chapters, what really hit me was Brendan talking about his depression and PTSD. I’d seen the movie multiple times but Brendan’s greave was new insight, which I could relate to from the tragic losses in my life. The feeling that everyone you love leaves and feeling alone in the pain, really hit my heart. Brendan got his finger tattoo in our shop in Chino but I sadly missed meeting him that day. Thank you Brendan for telling this story, as hard as it was. ♥️

Amazing Book!!!!!

Absolutely amazing book on wildland firefighting and superb tribute to Granite Mountain Hotshots by one of their own. The writer gives a first hand narrative through several seasons of fighting fire. This book is chocked full of valuable information, stories, and is so inspiring. One of the best books ever written about wildland firefighting by far.

beautifully done

sad but moving tribute to the 19 who lost their lives eye opening about hotshots

Thank You

Mr. Donut: as a mother of a wildland firefighter, this story hits home. Thank you for sharing your experience and story with the Granite Mountain Hotshots. Because you loved your brothers SO much, you will never "get over" your grief, you will learn to live with their memory, their legacy will live through your life. May the Creator bless you and guide you for the remainder of your days.

A Gripping True Story — Do NOT Miss This Story!

I have to start this review by saying I didn’t have much hope for the young Mr. McDonough once he fell into drug use as a teenager. He didn’t seem to have much of a future, wasn’t going anywhere meaningful and certainly wasn’t going to make ANYTHING of his life. Well, he certainly proved me wrong! He had a good heart right from the beginning, but his upbringing, which included constant moving and hanging out with tough kids, didn’t help him develop a strong character.

As it turns out, he just hadn’t met the RIGHT guys to hang out with. He met a band of brothers: 19 guys who pushed him to be the best version of himself he could be. They accepted him as one of their own and gave him the permanent home and acceptance he never felt he had growing up. In return, he gave all he had to show these men he was worthy of being part of their family.

Mr. McDonough went through full drug withdrawal while on the job, learning to be a fully trained Hotshot firefighter. That alone spoke volumes to me about his determination and strength of character.

As time went on, he learned more about each of the guys in his division, and the more he got to know each one and the circumstances of their lives, the more he grew to love each one, and they grew to love and respect him. They taught him everything they knew. Together, they fought wildfires shoulder-to-shoulder.

Then came the tragic day that took all his brothers from him. Mr. McDonough had to deal with not only tremendous sorrow, but horrible survivor’s guilt. He not only lost his brothers, but also the job he loved, the one thing besides his little girl that gave him purpose. Gone, in just a few tragic minutes…

Mr. McDonough had to fight his way through depression and survivor’s guilt in order to go on. He had to find another purpose in life. He almost didn’t make it, but, he reinvented himself again and now has new purpose as an advocate for his brothers and sisters still on the wildfire fighting lines. He is now a strong advocate for better pay, better working conditions and much more sophisticated equipment for wildfire fighters. I have no doubt he will be successful in these endeavors because his efforts are fueled by love and by the memories of the brothers he lost in Prescott, Arizona.

Mr. McDonough, a teenager whom I was sure was not going to amount to much, has earned my utmost respect.

I devoured this book in about 16 hours (I carried it with me everywhere — even had it in one hand while running the vacuum with the other)! The narrator did a spectacular job portraying Mr. McDonough’s character.

Inspiring, but sad, my heart goes out to this day

Never will we understand a tragedy like this. Or what really happen, the matter is the sacrifice the wildland hotshots do for us all. “The few against many” of the fires happening now. Thank you

A Great Story!

As a former firefighter, I really enjoyed this book. A case study in Murphy's Law, "what can go wrong will go wrong." Sad that it had to doom such a great team!