New York, NY (July 18, 2011) – In the 10 years since 9/11, many members of the fire service have been reluctant to speak publicly about their experience and the days that followed one of America’s greatest tragedies. In an extraordinary new book entitled WTC: In Their Own Words, Firehouse editor-in-chief Harvey Eisner, a 35-year veteran of the fire service and a former fire chief, delivers a historical account of the events through interviews, photos, maps and diagrams. The collection includes numerous interviews with firefighters who operated at Ground Zero on that historic day, many who have come forward for the first time.
“I started by tracking down firefighters in order to learn their stories. After I spoke with one person, he would put me in touch with someone else,” says Eisner, who admits the stories took an emotional toll. “I’m not embarrassed to admit that some of these stories brought tears to my eyes.”
The book (cover price: $39.95) consists of 276-pages of historical information and pictures (many previously unpublished) and includes an accompanying DVD, which airs exclusive video and radio traffic during the 9/11 attacks. Together, they uniquely capture the stories and pay tribute to the brave men and women who provided the greatest response to a single incident in the 136-year history of the FDNY. Dramatic, life changing, and heartbreaking, these first-hand accounts offer a unique view into the story as it unfolds including some rewarding accounts as survivors are found.
Eisner says the cover photo was chosen because of what it signifies. “The FDNY chief is looking up a quarter of a mile at the fire in Towers 1 and 2, knowing it was an impossible task,” Eisner remarked. “He had to determine ways to get people out. Fighting the fire was secondary.” The chief pictured was one of the 2,973 victims of 9/11.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will go to benefit the FDNY Foundation, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, UFA Thomas R. Elsasser Fund, and the Wounded Warrior Project. The book will debut on July 21st at Firehouse Expo in Baltimore. Single copies of the book can be ordered from the Firehouse website (http://www.firehouse.com/wtcbook). Twitter users can follow the book using hashtag #firehousebook. “For years to come, those looking for a historical account of what happened on that tragic day can turn to this collection of interviews and gain an insider’s perspective of the issues and problems that confronted responding firefighters on that day—In Their Own Words,” said Eisner.
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