Decorated firefighter and true-blue Detroiter Bob Dombrowski risked life and limb saving lives for as long as he could remember. Born and raised on the west side of Detroit, Bob narrates an engrossing account of his illustrious firefighting career, from being a trial man to retiring as senior chief. He also gives a vivid description of Motor City in its glory days and the events that led to its recent state. See major historical events such as the 1967 Detroit riot and September 11 attacks through his eyes, and be a witness to a truly inspiring thirty-eight-year career.

Decorated firefighter and true-blue Detroiter Bob Dombrowski risked life and limb saving lives for as long as he could remember. Born and raised on the west side of Detroit, Bob narrates an engrossing account of his illustrious firefighting career, from being a trial man to retiring as senior chief. He also gives a vivid description of Motor City in its glory days and the events that led to its recent state. See major historical events such as the 1967 Detroit riot and September 11 attacks throu

Once known as the "Paris of the West," Motown became synonymous with urban abandonment and arson as job and population decline took hold in the late 20th century. No other fire department has experienced the hardships of the job on such a consistent basis as the Detroit Fire Department (DFD). Detroit firefighters have ridden the waves of unprecedented prosperity and tragic decline. Determined faces mask many layoffs, station closings, and a reduction in workforce. Despite these perils, dedication and the belief in their city remains a constant among Detroit firefighters. The official Detroit motto, "We hope for better things; it shall rise from the ashes" holds as true today as it did when first uttered over 100 years ago.

Brunacini makes the observation that fire departments more closely resemble cults or severely dysfunctional families than a regular workforce. He brings the reader into the closed world of fire station life and the wide range of personalities that a fire station houses.

Firefighters have long been among the most admired men and women in our culture, and recent events have shown how well-placed that admiration is—adding fuel to our innate fascination with stories about fire and the people who risk their lives to fight it. Some of our best writers are drawn to the subject of firefighting, and over the years they have created a rich body of literature. Fire Fighters offers the most exciting and compelling stories from that body of work, including accounts of devastating fires from New York to Yellowstone, as well as smaller blazes that have turned particularly ugly or dangerous. Selections include Jimmy Breslin's eulogy for the men who died in the famous Chelsea fire, Norman McLean on the Great Gulch forest fire that killed nine young smokejumpers, John McPhee on fires in the Pine Barrens, Studs Terkel's interview with a fire fighter, and riveting accounts of the FDNY's role in the September 11 tragedy and its aftermath. 16 black-and-white photos are also featured.

An explosive exposé of America’s lost prosperity by Pulitzer Prize­–winning journalist Charlie LeDuff “One cannot read Mr. LeDuff's amalgam of memoir and reportage and not be shaken by the cold eye he casts on hard truths . . . A little gonzo, a little gumshoe, some gawker, some good-Samaritan—it is hard to ignore reporting like Mr. LeDuff's.” —The Wall Street Journal “Pultizer-Prize-winning journalist LeDuff . . . writes with honesty and compassion about a city that’s destroying itself–and breaking his heart.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A book full of both literary grace and hard-won world-weariness.” —Kirkus Back in his broken hometown, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charlie LeDuff searches the ruins of Detroit for clues to his family’s troubled past. Having led us on the way up, Detroit now seems to be leading us on the way down. Once the richest city in America, Detroit is now the nation’s poorest. Once the vanguard of America’s machine age—mass-production, blue-collar jobs, and automobiles—Detroit is now America’s capital for unemployment, illiteracy, dropouts, and foreclosures. With the steel-eyed reportage that has become his trademark, and the righteous indignation only a native son possesses, LeDuff sets out to uncover what destroyed his city. He beats on the doors of union bosses and homeless squatters, powerful businessmen and struggling homeowners and the ordinary people holding the city together by sheer determination. Detroit: An American Autopsy is an unbelievable story of a hard town in a rough time filled with some of the strangest and strongest people our country has to offer.

Based on the popular Lost In Michigan website that was featured in the Detroit Free Press, It contains locations throughout Michigan, and tells their interesting story. There are over 50 stories and locations that you will find fascinating.