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.

The Granite Mountain-Speculator Mine disaster of 1917 is one of the most inspiring and heart-rending stories in the history of the American West. It was the worst hard rock mining disaster ever, killing 168 men, affecting nearly 1000 miners and the whole city of Butte, Montana. In 1917, the Speculator mine was the most complex and deepest copper mine on the ¿richest hill on earth¿, with 400 men in more than 300 miles of tunnels and workings extending 3700 feet underground. Just before midnight, June 8th, a fire started 2400 feet down in the main shaft, and rapidly filled the tunnels with smoke and deadly gas. Most of the miners had no idea where the fire was, but were suddenly thrust into life and death situations, making split second decisions on which everything depended. Their actions ranged from animal terror to the most inspirational courage. They desperately tried every means to escape the labyrinth to other adjacent mines as the poison gas chased and overwhelmed many. Hundreds were trapped, including groups that sealed themselves into dead-end tunnels to try to survive the onslaught of gas. The book is written in the form of a novel from the miners¿ perspective and their families above ground, but is journalistically true in detail, based on 600 pages of eye-witness testimony from 70 survivors. This testimony was carefully matched with mining maps to reconstruct the men¿s actions and thoughts. The disaster unfolds like an accelerating avalanche, a chaos of frantic terror along with tremendous self-sacrifice of the miners for each other. It then turns into a detective story as the rescuers fight against time with the survivors¿ lives ebbing away, hidden behind air-tight walls deep in the mine, lost in an ocean of darkness and rock. This is a true story of the hearts of men and the human spirit, as men are stripped down to their core with nothing left to sustain them but their wills and devotion to each other: ¿no greater love hath any man than to lay down his life for his friend.¿

The definitive guide to more than 300 of the most remote and diverse desert mountains in Anza-Borrego, Death Valley, Red Rock, Spring Mountains, Toiyabe Forest, and more! Complete with tips, directions, descriptions, 18 maps, and over 130 photos.

Biography of experiences by an American living in Southeast Turkey and Northern Iraq during and after the first Gulf War.

The definitive account of one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history, which killed nineteen elite firefighters of the Granite Mountain Hotshots and also inspired the major motion picture Only the Brave. “A tear-jerking classic.”—Outside • Named One of the Best Books of the Year by Men’s Journal On June 28, 2013, a single bolt of lightning sparked an inferno that devoured more than eight thousand acres in northern Arizona. Twenty elite firefighters—the Granite Mountain Hotshots—walked together into the Yarnell Hill Fire, tools in their hands and emergency fire shelters on their hips. Only one of them walked out. An award-winning journalist and former wildland firefighter, Kyle Dickman brings to the story a professional’s understanding of how wildfires ignite, how they spread, and how they are fought. He understands hotshots and their culture: the pain and glory of a rough and vital job, the brotherly bonds born of dangerous work. Drawing on dozens of interviews with officials, families of the fallen, and the lone survivor, he describes in vivid detail what it’s like to stand inside a raging fire—and shows how the increased population and decreased water supply of the American West guarantee that many more young men will step into harm’s way in the coming years. Praise for On the Burning Edge “Dickman weaves a century of fire-management history into the fully realized stories of the men’s lives—the sweat, the adrenaline, the orange glow of fire within their aluminum shelters, and the chewing gum that hotshot Scott Norris left in the shower before telling his girlfriend, Heather, ‘I’ll take care of it later. I promise.’”—Outside “Dickman offers a riveting account of a dangerous occupation and acts of nature most violent—and those who face both down.”—Library Journal

* Cascades climbing routes -- the guidebooks relied on for more than 25 years * Northwest climbing legend Fred Beckey has summited and explored hundreds of Cascade peaks * Hand-drawn maps and photos with route overlays, as well as approach information Volume II in the classic Cascade Alpine Guide series features expert information on more than 300 climbing and high routes in the Cascades. This volume covers the middle of the Cascade Range, from the foothills east of Puget Sound to Lake Chelan. You'll find geographical, historical, and geological overviews of the majestic mid-Cascade region, plus important tips on safety and backcountry usage. Legendary author/climber Fred Beckey includes technical and grade information for each route to make clear exactly what type of climb you are embarking upon.