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

An excellent memoir by a young man who has experienced great trauma in his life. Anyone suffering from PTSD can relate, and those who do not can learn how to help loved ones in pain. The tragic story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots is told beautifully and painfully. I pray that Brendan continues to find peace in his life. The struggle is real. Highly recommend this book as both a dramatic story of wildland firefighters and as a personal journey through life.

This is story I wanted to hear. Other books have been written outlining the events that led to the death of 19 men in the Yarnell Hills fire. There are also news accounts, and copies of the official reports can be found online. But in the days following the fire, I followed the story from thousands of miles away, and as much as I felt for the families and friends of the dead, I felt far more for the lone survivor. A kid still really. I watched a video of the memorial service and it hurt my heart to see him speak to the crowd. I wondered how he was coping, how would he go on? This book answers those questions and more. He is brutally honest about his life prior to joining the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew. He could easily have gone down a far darker path. But his story of survival doesn't start with the fire, it starts a few years before then. This is that story. And it's told in a manner that draws the reader in and keeps them there. I had tears streaming down my face as I read the chapter that describes the days after the tragedy, but I kept reading, though it was hard to see with those tears in my eyes. I am glad that he included information about the type of therapy that helped him finally break free. I've been through, am still going through, the same type of therapy and it's a Godsend (capital here is intentional). I will continue to pray for him as I have for almost four years. If his life is long, and I hope it is, he'll have many times when he'll need to cope with his memories. I highly recommend this book, not only to people like me who find disaster stories riveting (and instructional for me as an occupational safety professional whose job includes figuring out what causes an incident), but also for anyone who wants (needs?) to know that a bad start can be overcome, dangerous habits can be changed, and that there is life for those who are left behind when tragedy strikes.

Riveting from start to finish. Brendan McDonough carries prose that could rival some of the best action-packed movies on the big screen. Even though the reader should be aware of the coming storm that our characters will ultimately face, Mr. McDonough injects healthy amounts of humor that will bring both laughter and tears. Why You'll Love This Book: Be careful, within the first chapter I had committed to reading in one sitting. Each part of the story is the perfect length, capturing Brendan's experiences from a drifting drug addict to fighting on the frontline of some of America's largest wildfires. My Lost Brothers is easily a coming of age story. We join Brendan at 18 (although a chapter or two is dedicated towards his youth) without a real plan, recently giving birth to a daughter, and struggling with addiction. He finds belonging and learns "integrity" amongst a group of wildfire fighters known as hotshots. Tasked with controlling the fires from the frontline, hotshots are nearly always in danger as variables and changes in the elements can often transform the way a fire is behaving in mere seconds. As the reader is taken to the battlefield of one of the most powerful fires in recent memory, Brendan remains steadfast by providing text that is easily understandable and goes out of the way to breakdown technical jargon. The book is a great read for those both young and old. The reading is simple enough and it would make for a great gift for a recent graduate or someone in need of direction. Brendan dedicates a few chapters to his personal struggles with PTSD a provides an intimate account of what drove him to seek help. He does step out of the narrative at points, pleading for those that are struggling to do the same. In conclusion, My Lost Brothers is as near to being completing satisfying as a book can get. I felt that I would feel guilty if I finished it on another day, part of me feels you'll share this too. Why You Won't Love This Book: Do you not enjoy being so drawn by a book as to be forced to read it in one sitting?

No one will ever know exactly what caused the nineteen Granite Mountain Hotshots to leave an area of safety and walk to their flaming deaths, but in the absence of that, I feel that we need to ascribe to them (as does author and sole survivor Brendan McDonough) the most noble of motives. Namely, the saving of lives and property. This is a GREAT book and story. Not only of the Hotshots, but that of a young man going the wrong way, and the way that he, and his Hotshot friends turned that around. Fast paced and action-packed, once started I literally could not put it down until finished. Fun at times, profane and profound at others, a fascinating read all the way through, and right up to its achingly heart-rending conclusion. Told by McDonough and penned by talented co-author Stephan Talty, this is easily comparable to YOUNG MEN AND FIRE by Norman Maclean. And that is no faint praise. I highly recommend it, and give it a very easy five-stars. Best of luck to Brendan in all his future life endeavors. A personal note to Brendan: We are very happy that you survived that terrible day, and perhaps this important book that memorializes your friends and companions so lovingly, is one of the reasons that you did. I'm an old man and can tell you this: life is a gift. Enjoy each and every moment that is yours. Thank you for your story.

Absolutely incredible book. I was crying 5 pages in. Devastating and yet so beautiful. I've already made my entire family read it

Hab das Kindle Buch gelesen und gleichzeitig das Hörbuch,ist sehr persönlich und bewegend.wie jedes Buch geht es wesentlich mehr ins Detail als der Film

I decided to read this book because I watched the movie inspired on it. The movie is amazing and so the book. It’s interesting to read about the early life of Brendan. It was tough, his dad was never there and his mom had some problems. Then he wrote about the beginning as a hotshot. The whole book is rich of details. I couldn’t stop reading the ending part, it is suspenseful and intense. I cant imagine how Brendan was feeling about being the lone survivor and how he was dealing with it. Reading that part of Brendan in mortuary with his brothers was heartbreaking. In the finals chapters Brendan tells that the situation of firefighters in America need to change, it’s a warning call for the politics. This story is one of the saddest stories I’ve seen. Amazing book.

An outstanding book well worth reading on the bravery and dedication of wildland fire fighters with a extremely tragic and sad ending

After watching Only the Brave, I had to find out more about the Yarnell Hill Fire and the true story of Brendan McDonough, the sole survivor. This book tells the moving story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots and how Brendan's life was saved figuratively and then physically. It's searingly honest and painful, a fitting tribute to the brave men who lost their lives on that fateful day in 2013. It was interesting to hear more about each member of the group and Brendan's relationship with them. It's beautifully written and very educational as well - I learned a lot about the nature of fire and how to fight it. This is a haunting and powerful memoir.