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· 1,271 ratings · 174 reviews

Start your review of My Lost Brothers: The Untold Story by the Yarnell Hill Fire's Lone Survivor

Oct 31, 2017 Steven Brown rated it it was amazing

Gripping and inspirational.

I felt drawn to this book because I've been through wildland firefighter training, so I have a ton of respect for the guys who do it for a living. And I always appreciate people who are willing to tell their own stories. Especially tough, intensely personal stories. Telling the hard truth is one of the highest forms of courage we can share with each other as human beings, and Brendan McDonough holds nothing back.

The author is the lone survivor of the Yarnell Hill fire

Gripping and inspirational.

The author is the lone survivor of the Yarnell Hill fire that claimed the lives of his entire Hotshot team. That fact is in the title of the book because it's human nature to be interested in that aspect of his story—it's unique, and it's intensely dramatic. But no tragedy should ever define a human life. One of the things I love about this book is that it shows how much more there is to Brendan McDonough.

Although Brendan speaks openly about his team and about the tragedy that befell them, he writes just as openly about the challenges in his past. And he does it in a way that can inspire others to overcome their own obstacles. Never does he suggest there is something special about him. Quite the opposite. The overall message of the book is that burdens can be carried. Challenges can be met. Life can go on. Not just for Brendan McDonough, but for us all.

I would argue, though, that there is something special about him—the fact that he was willing to write it all down and publish it. All of it. The good and the bad. The humor and the pain. The brotherhood and the loss. The story of his life so far. He has a lot of years left ahead of him. Years that will define him as other things—as a father, for example. I hope he'll decide to write about fatherhood, about his life as a writer and speaker, and about all the interesting characters he's going to meet along the way. His is a unique voice, and I hope to hear more from it.

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Most folks will find this to be an interesting and exciting book. After 24 years working for two of the biggest federal agencies in wildland fire, I find it extremely frustrating, starting from the very beginning. As represented, the author and another crew member basically go out cowboying on a serious large fire, drop about a hundred common sense safety precautions and rules, and nearly get themselves injured/killed as a result. What they did was absurdly foolish and totally unprofessional.

The author goes on to describe how he's literally detoxing from heroin in his first days in the crew. As we like to say in fire, "What the actual fuck?!" These two things unwittingly draw the professionalism of the GM crew into question. Maybe they make for entertaining reading, but they sure as hell underscore some significant problems in Prescott Fire's decision making.

So enjoy the book, be interested in fire and go see the hunky dudes go act this out in the movie. But don't think McDonough's recommendations for corrective actions (like GPS tracking devices on every firefighter) will work. He's got two years of experience and no true scope of incident command and fire operations. Don't lionize his experience, don't think he knows what he's talking about. He's a kid dealing with significant trauma and I feel terrible for what he and the Yarnell families have been through. But please don't paint the entire wildland fire program with the same brush the author has used to paint here. It isn't, and should never be, like that.

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So...this book is sold in the UK as 'Granite Mountain' but is the same work.
The story detailed within this book has been in my mind off and on quite a lot over the years (since 2013), due largely to being familiar with the area where it's set.
In short it deals with the June 2013 death of the 19 firefighters out of Prescott AZ, who formed the Granite Mountain Hotshots, when the fire they were working on at Yarnell AZ changed direction.
It's written by the surviving member of the team - and that's So...this book is sold in the UK as 'Granite Mountain' but is the same work.
The story detailed within this book has been in my mind off and on quite a lot over the years (since 2013), due largely to being familiar with the area where it's set.
In short it deals with the June 2013 death of the 19 firefighters out of Prescott AZ, who formed the Granite Mountain Hotshots, when the fire they were working on at Yarnell AZ changed direction.
It's written by the surviving member of the team - and that's only because he was assigned away from the rest of his 'brothers' a short time earlier in order to track the fire's progress.
The book first deals with the authors troubled teenage years, dabbling in drink and drugs and how joining the Hotshots gave him exactly what he was seeking in order to make something of his life.

It's an easy book to read as the story is so gripping - and brutally honest.
The last 90 or so pages make for rather 'painful' reading when we get down to the June 2013 fire, it's tragic events and the awful aftermath.
There are plenty of other bits and bobs on the 'net which gives details of the fire on that day - but it's good to get the straight facts from the only person there on the day & around to recount them.
It certainly leaves the reader with a feeling of total admiration and respect for the hot, dangerous, dirty, and very necessary job these men do.
Carrying chain saws and all the other tools they take into the brush with them would be bad enough on its own.
Factor in temperatures of 100 degrees plus (without taking into account the heat created by the fire itself) with the long shifts they frequently have to work and it's no wonder the people whose lives and homes they save from getting burnt to a crisp are forever grateful.
If there's one book I'd recommend for you to read right now it's this one.
Get a copy........!

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Nov 04, 2017 Ash Wilson rated it it was amazing

"My Lost Brothers", (newly re-titled "Granite Mountain" in the U.S.), has been at the very top of my reading list ever since its release.

I'm a Prescottonian. Born, raised and still live in Prescott, Arizona. Everyone here knows someone who served on the Granite Mountain Hot Shots, whether or not they were on the crew during the Yarnell Hill Fire. We all knew at least one of them, or knew of them / knew them secondhand, knew their loved ones etc. So the Yarnell Hill Fire was really a community tragedy. It changed us all and our town forever. And it's always felt very personal and, (excuse the pun), close to home for me. These were OUR men. They represented OUR town.

I have always liked Brendan. I've always trusted and believed him, his story, and his capability to carry on his fallen brothers' legacy. Again, I live in Prescott. So I've heard all of the rumors and doubt surrounding him and his involvement in the investigation after the fire. But I've always just personally felt that he was being completely honest & trying to do right by these men's memories. When I saw him doing interviews promoting the book, I instantly REALLY wanted to read it. But then I just never did. The timing never seemed right. I never felt 'ready'.

Then I went to the opening night premiere in Prescott of the movie "Only the Brave". First thing when I got home that night, I purchased two copies of Brendan's book off of amazon. One for me, and one for the school library where I work as the librarian. ... And. I. DEVOURED it!

Brendan's storytelling weaving his own personal life story along with his collective life story shared with the GM hot shots, is simply beautiful.

I couldn't believe how much I completely and totally related to his childhood stories with pieces such as my recollections of my own mother and complicated family and even my favorite childhood book, "Hatchet". I used to read it at least once a year. I literally laughed out loud SO hard when Brendan brought it up! And just his general feelings as a young teenager moving from being a beach boy in California to our 'worlds oldest rodeo' town of Prescott. Maybe it's my own personal experiences mixed in as well, but I just adored and completely agreed with all his recollections on that.

Generally, it wasn't a sad or depressing book. It was reminnisant, but in a positive way. Just as I felt the film did, it focused on life and how the hot shots lived it far more than it focused on death and how those 19 heroes lost their lives. Of course, it paid homage to and respected them, their lives and telling the truth behind their deaths.

And the end to me was brilliantly orchestrated. He tells the story of the day they died in perfect detail from beginning to end. Then he explains how he dealt with being the lone survivor in a VERY real and candid way. He then discusses what we could and should be doing to make advances in taking care of these men on the front lines and not just continuing to let them get killed. He closes in a tribute to his lost brothers as he visits their graves.

Often Funny. I laughed so hard, I cried. When Brendan describes Prescott, especially when he first moved here. But also the stories of camaraderie, boys being boys and the various hazing, pranks and jokes they played on each other out of love or to cheer each other up & egg one another on through difficult times; oh my goodness, how I laughed.

Definitely bittersweet and at times, terribly sad. I cried and cried at the stories and the discussion of dealing with that kind of loss, PTSD and depression. Stories of TRUE brotherhood, love and sacrifice better than any romantic love story out there. And it's real.

I could not stop reading this one. Great job by Brendan, great job by his co-author, Stephan. Personally, I found it to be a well written and moving tribute to Crew 7.

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I made the mistake of reading some reviews prior to reading this book, and now I cannot help but comment on some.

This book is a man's story, it was what he lived, and survived. It's easy to sit back and judge everything he did or describes sitting at home in front of a computer. I do not think it matters if you work in the field or not, if you read this and choose to judge him and the other heroes from Granite Mountain that is a very poor reflection on who you are as a person. Now that I have go

I made the mistake of reading some reviews prior to reading this book, and now I cannot help but comment on some.

This is a true story, and although Brendan McDonough had a ghost writer for assistance, we need to remember this is a first novel and is not a literary masterpiece. That being said, I found the voice authentic and genuine. He did not try to make himself nor his "brothers" appear perfect, which I think led to the sincerity of the story.

I enjoyed learning his backstory and what led him into the field.... to be cont

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Sep 10, 2021 Becky rated it it was amazing

It was incredibly brave of McDonough to tackle not only his substance abuse, hard childhood, and depression in this book but also his PTSD, his survivor's guilt, and his loss and trauma so that others can learn not just from the firefighting accident but how to also ask for and receive help. It was incredibly brave of McDonough to tackle not only his substance abuse, hard childhood, and depression in this book but also his PTSD, his survivor's guilt, and his loss and trauma so that others can learn not just from the firefighting accident but how to also ask for and receive help. ...more

Jul 02, 2016 Katie Bruell rated it did not like it

This book started off with multiple typos in the first few chapters, and went downhill from there. The author seems to be more or less a scumbag who is making is living now off the deaths of his co-workers. Example: He talks about how his friend Chris and he were always there for each other, and as examples says that Chris would always buy him a sandwich when he was buying one for himself, and that if the author ever needed anything, he could ask Chris for it. So, where was the part where the au This book started off with multiple typos in the first few chapters, and went downhill from there. The author seems to be more or less a scumbag who is making is living now off the deaths of his co-workers. Example: He talks about how his friend Chris and he were always there for each other, and as examples says that Chris would always buy him a sandwich when he was buying one for himself, and that if the author ever needed anything, he could ask Chris for it. So, where was the part where the author did something for Chris? Oh, well, when Chris needed money, the author was broke, but very, very graciously allowed Chris to borrow money from the author's mother. What a guy! Another example: he describes in detail something he saw in the body bag of one of his "brothers" and then writes, "I quickly zipped up the bag so no one else would see it." And then you wrote about it in this book for everyone to read!!

Finally, the writing is terrible. The author's sentences are basically, "Whoa, there was a shit ton of fire!" Followed by a ghost-written sentence "Fire has increased sevenfold in the Southwest in the past five years." There were times when I doubted that the main author would even be able to understand the sentences that the ghost writer wrote.

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Good read! I would have finished earlier but busy life made it hard!!! Read this so I could see the movie this month!

When my mom put "Only the Brave" movie on, she told me that she watched it 2 times already and both times she cried. When I started watching it, her warning was stuck at the back of my mind. As the movie continued, I thought to myself that maybe one person from the crew will die. Not in million years would I have thought it would end like it did.

I never heard of the Yarnell Fire before watching Only the Brave. After watching the movie, all I did (besides going to work) was watch YouTube videos

I never heard of the Yarnell Fire before watching Only the Brave. After watching the movie, all I did (besides going to work) was watch YouTube videos and read articles about the fire, hoping it would give me an answer to why this tragedy has happened. This lasted about 2 week. My heart broke for the firefighters who have lost their lives in this fire and for people they have left behind. Majority of the firefighters were young men with their whole lives ahead of them. I just could not get my head around it.

When I found out that Brendan McDonough, the only surviving Granite Mountain hotshot, wrote a book, I knew I had to get my hands on it. I really liked to read about Brendan's life before the fire, how he changed his life around and how Eric took a chance on him despite Brendan being a former heroine addict. I especially liked reading how relationship between him and Chris progressed from enemies to best friends.

None of the boys took it easy on him at the beginning and they did everything they could to make him quit. It made me feel awful for Brendan because they made him feel very unwelcome. But he was so determined and persistent and eventually earned the respect of the people that would become his brothers.

I hoped that this book would finally answer the questions I had, the main one being "why did the Granite Mountain Hotshots leave the black?" I was hopeful that Brendan knew something that was not revealed in the movie or in the many articles I read. But unfortunately even Brendan does not know answer to this question. It appears that only the Granite Mountain Hotshots know why they left the black and we are only left to speculate.

Both the movie and the book made a big impact on me. It made me respect firefighters and hotshots a lot more. I know that accidents like these happen more often than I probably realize and I hope that they will continue to come up with ways to reduce the possibility of accidents like this happening in the future.

And I hope that one day I will find myself in the state of Arizona so I can walk the Granite Mountain Hotshots trail and also visit the Juniper Tree that the Granite Mountain Hotshots saved from burning down only one week before the tragedy.

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I came across Only the Brave one day and got sucked into it. The movie moved me like none has in a while. I then had my husband watch it. I don't really remember when the Yarnell fire occurred, but I wanted to find out more about the Granite Mountain Hot Sots. I liked that this book told Bendan's story before he became a hot shot and told about his newfound brothers. Even though I knew the outcome of Yarnell, it still struck a cord same as when I watch the movie. I came across Only the Brave one day and got sucked into it. The movie moved me like none has in a while. I then had my husband watch it. I don't really remember when the Yarnell fire occurred, but I wanted to find out more about the Granite Mountain Hot Sots. I liked that this book told Bendan's story before he became a hot shot and told about his newfound brothers. Even though I knew the outcome of Yarnell, it still struck a cord same as when I watch the movie. ...more

Nov 03, 2017 Liralen rated it liked it

In 2013, nineteen hotshot firefighters were overrun as they battled a wildfire in Arizona. The twentieth member of the crew survived: he had been the lookout and had (with, it's worth noting, his crew's knowledge and blessing) and gotten out himself when his position was compromised. That survivor was McDonough.

As a book, it's so-so; it would be hard for even an accomplished writer (and yes, McDonough worked with a ghostwriter) to paint full pictures of nineteen different men, all with roughly t

As a book, it's so-so; it would be hard for even an accomplished writer (and yes, McDonough worked with a ghostwriter) to paint full pictures of nineteen different men, all with roughly the same job, while also detailing McDonough's story. Given the choice, I think I'd have opted for more of the former and less of the latter (which is done up as a sort of redemption story), though the balance was probably always going to be tenuous. However...McDonough does do the best job of explaining why, in his estimation, his crew did what they did (i.e., left a safe zone and ended up where they were when the fire overtook them): because a hotshot's objective isn't achieved by staying in the black, where there's no fire to fight. You can't fight a fire without a risk, and they took the risk. It didn't pay off.

In terms of understanding the overall picture of Yarnell Hill, The Fire Line is a better read, but this added some personality and context.

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I feel badly that I didn't like this more. Wildfires and firefighter safety are incredibly important topics that need to be addressed, and I was hoping to learn more about fighting wildfires, what happened to these heroes, and how it could have been prevented. But this is more about Brendan McDonough, amd his life as a miscreant turned hotshot. It barely gets into the Granite Mountain firefighters at all. Clearly McDonough is not a born writer, and his motivations for writing this are altruistic I feel badly that I didn't like this more. Wildfires and firefighter safety are incredibly important topics that need to be addressed, and I was hoping to learn more about fighting wildfires, what happened to these heroes, and how it could have been prevented. But this is more about Brendan McDonough, amd his life as a miscreant turned hotshot. It barely gets into the Granite Mountain firefighters at all. Clearly McDonough is not a born writer, and his motivations for writing this are altruistic. But it simply talks too much about Brendan McDonough and not enough about firefighting, it's methods and dangers, or the brothers he lost. I had no sense of who they were, so that when the tragedy occurs, I was left wondering if McDonough even knew them that well. Which is a horrible thought to have in this situation. I blame poor editing, because there is so much more that could have been conveyed in this book, but it ends up falling short, which simply sucks. ...more

Apr 27, 2016 JD rated it it was amazing

What an inspiring story, this is one of the greatest books I have read. Brendan McDonough tells his life story and the story of the Granite Mountain hotshots brilliantly and it is a real tribute to the memory of his 19 brothers. He tells his story beautifully and transports you into his life and experiences throughout his life, from his childhood to post Yarnell fire.

I have fought some veld fires in my years on our farm in South Africa and have seen first-hand how unpredictable a wildfire can be

I have fought some veld fires in my years on our farm in South Africa and have seen first-hand how unpredictable a wildfire can be and how fast it can turn on you and move and Mr. McDonough gives lots of insight into the working of fires and he does it so that everyone can understand it.

His story touched my heart and is very inspiring and I would recommend this to everyone!! Good luck in your future Brendan!!

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Interesting, sad tragic story. Brendan could have saved a couple chapters if he had of dropped the swearing. Sadly, his story would have been even more powerful if this book had of had a good editor to clean up the language.

Sep 22, 2017 Jordan Larsen rated it it was amazing

In the close-knit brotherhood of America's Bravest, there is an elite few who dare to do the impossible by confronting the most menacing conflagrations imaginable. They are wildland firefighters; the tip-of-the spear when Mother Nature turns up the heat. Of the twenty-thousand wildland firefighters in the U.S. that comprise a rugged fraternity of smokejumpers and air attack crews who are the elite Special Forces of firefighting, there is also an equally determined group of men and women who are In the close-knit brotherhood of America's Bravest, there is an elite few who dare to do the impossible by confronting the most menacing conflagrations imaginable. They are wildland firefighters; the tip-of-the spear when Mother Nature turns up the heat. Of the twenty-thousand wildland firefighters in the U.S. that comprise a rugged fraternity of smokejumpers and air attack crews who are the elite Special Forces of firefighting, there is also an equally determined group of men and women who are trained to go anywhere in the country to battle the most destructive wildfires. Enter the Hotshots, wildland firefighting's equivalent of the Marines responsible for engaging wildfires head-on by digging trenches to starve a fire of its fuel and clear away brush by starting controlled backfires. Armed only with a drip torch and a Pulaski, the life of a Hotshot is not for the faint of heart nor the reckless.

In his gripping and deeply personal memoir "My Lost Brothers," former Granite Mountain Hotshot Brandon McDonough reveals in intimate detail the trials, tribulations and the noble sacrifices one is willing to make in order to earn a spot on a gallant and eccentric team of brothers ready for anything when the Red Devil rears its ugly head in the forest, mountain ranges and countryside communities. The book starts off slow describing a turbulent and depressing life for a lost and rebellious Brandon, enduring the bitter pains of divorce and separation from his out of work mother, losing his sanity to drug addiction and almost his freedom to the scourge of drug dealing. Desperate for a reprieve from his troubled past and wanting to do right by his baby girl, Brandon enlists for a spot on the venerable Granite Mountain Hotshot crew of Prescott, Arizona.

It was here amongst the rowdy boisterous elite few that a young and inexperienced Brandon McDonough would find his true calling. This chosen career path would change his life and the lives of those he loved forever. Under the command of veteran wildland firefighter, Eric Marsh who serves as Brandon's surrogate father, the young rookie quickly learns the ropes of being a Granite Mountain Hotshot. Unfortunately, fate has a chilling and tragic surprise in store for the young boy wonder of wildland firefighting.

On June 28th 2013, fire season stretches the wildland firefighting community to the limit with multiple wildfires wreaking havoc across California and upstate Washington. This season, Arizona is particularly at risk as the drought-plagued community of Prescott is in the line of fire. When a small brushfire on a mountain slope manifests into an inferno, Granite Mountain gets the call and mobilizes into action for the big one. Little do they know that the one fire they've been waiting for will be the mission of their lives and leave one young recruit with agonizing questions tempered by the loss of nineteen of his brethren and an entire nation mourning the loss of a brave few who never returned from the fire line.

I was lucky to find this book on Audible, and after listening to it, I was blown away by the poignant and brutally honest humanity of the Granite Mountain 19. Not since John Maclean's "Fire on the Mountain" has the danger, comraderie and the courage of standing up against Nature's fury been so eloquently chronicled. Brandon McDonough does an exemplary job paying homage to his nineteen fallen brothers-in-arms as well as highlighting the tumultuous battle of survivor's guilt and PTSD. Before you go see "Only The Brave" this October, Granite Mountain's Lone Survivor's memoir "My Lost Brothers" makes for a great prequel to appreciate the valor and the sacrifice of America's wildland firefighters.

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I had just driven through Yarnell on my way to Prescott before receiving this book as a gift from a local resident. It was a good, conversational read, bolstered by the co-author's eye for storytelling detail. I didn't expect to learn so much about fire and the terrain in the dry mountains of Arizona.
I began to appreciate the challenges in being a wildland firefighter, including the 32-hour shifts, the intense physical demands, the lack of an OSHA-like body to guarantee their safety. In an age I had just driven through Yarnell on my way to Prescott before receiving this book as a gift from a local resident. It was a good, conversational read, bolstered by the co-author's eye for storytelling detail. I didn't expect to learn so much about fire and the terrain in the dry mountains of Arizona.
I began to appreciate the challenges in being a wildland firefighter, including the 32-hour shifts, the intense physical demands, the lack of an OSHA-like body to guarantee their safety. In an age of climate change and enduring drought, we're going to need more firefighters like the Hotshots. This book made it clear why that may be very difficult. ...more

I read this, The Fire Line, and On the Burning Edge. Of the three, I think this is the best, even though the prose is rough in places. Fire Line and On the Burning Edge go deeper into the local politics and the post-fire community dynamics, including the financial ramifications for the town and the surviving families. This is also a clear look at survivor's guilt and what it feels like to be the only one who walks away alive. I read this, The Fire Line, and On the Burning Edge. Of the three, I think this is the best, even though the prose is rough in places. Fire Line and On the Burning Edge go deeper into the local politics and the post-fire community dynamics, including the financial ramifications for the town and the surviving families. This is also a clear look at survivor's guilt and what it feels like to be the only one who walks away alive. ...more

Perhaps it was because I had already seen the movie, but I found this book very easy to read and never lost interest. I think the co-author, Stephan Talty, has done an excellent job of helping Brendan communicate effectively.
There *is* quite a bit of text devoted to Brendan's early life, but I think it really helped with the story and it didn't slow me down.

I really enjoyed Brendan McDonough's true story of the Yarnell fire and his "brothers" who lost their lives fighting that fire and trying to protect others. Reading thisngave me a much greater appreciation for the hotshots and what they do. Riveting and heartbreaking, I finished the book in one sitting.

Sep 05, 2018 Marnė rated it liked it

Recommended to Marnė by: Literati Book Club

I read this for a library book club and I am fascinated by the Yarnell Hill fire. The book is an easy read and is a good first person recounting of the tragedy.

This book turned out to be not what I was expecting. I wanted to learn more about what happened at Granite Mountain in 2013. What I found however was an excellent, sincere, and honest account of the lone survivor of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew. One of the most noteworthy characteristics of this book was to observe the way McDonough processed such an enormous personal tragedy, and to see the real strength show through from within him. As a human story, one might have thought he would have r This book turned out to be not what I was expecting. I wanted to learn more about what happened at Granite Mountain in 2013. What I found however was an excellent, sincere, and honest account of the lone survivor of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew. One of the most noteworthy characteristics of this book was to observe the way McDonough processed such an enormous personal tragedy, and to see the real strength show through from within him. As a human story, one might have thought he would have retreated to his old habits, but he didn't do that. It is admirable to see the way he sought to apply the pain that wasn't going anywhere, ever, to places and people that he felt he could place the wisdom he gained of living through and with unspeakable pain. He gets up and walks on because it means something to do so. It is clear and sad in the way he deals with his crews' last moments and the days afterward. He can't look, and through that not looking we too will not learn much about the details of the fateful encounter in Yarnell and you'll just feel your heart wrench because you understand why we suddenly see these larger than life men through a sudden and very distant lens. This reflects how utterly incomprehensible life must have felt for McDonough in the years that followed. If you have an interest in learning about wildland fire and human factors in order to understand the sequence of events I recommend On the Burning Edge. As for Granite Mountain, it is a book about Brendan McDonough, and he is a good man to get to know. You will grow and feel humble as you see him encounter his past and even his emotions with such unapologetic vulnerability. You will listen, without speaking, as he mourns the loss of what was everything and everyone. You can't say anything really, even if you could, you can only offer to honor their memory along with him because it seems that is this book's real purpose. As a human story it is a masterpiece, and we grow to feel a little bit a part of this crew through Donut himself. ...more

This seems like an honest portrayal of a young man who had a nomad childhood which became a partying and drug-filled teenager. Once he faced the upcoming birth of his daughter, he started to buckle down and work at being the father that he never had, to be a man like his beloved grandfather.

Having enjoyed his time in the Fire Explorers during high school, he managed to get into the Fire Academy but flunked out. Eventually he got a chance at a hotshots crew and he wasn't going to let down the man who gave him that opportunity - Eric Marsh. He accepted the brutal physical training, harsh working conditions and massive amounts of hours with few breaks. Working at a physically demanding job for 14-16 hours a day (at least), in some cases for day after day after day, you have to wonder how much of this tragedy was due to the sheer exhaustion these men endured.

It was while working with the other men that made up the Granite Mountain Hotshots - depending on each other to survive, sharing the same dangers, same joys - he gained a family beyond his daughter and mother. And when they died in the Yarnell Fire, he was lost.

Suffering from survivor's guilt as well as PTSD from the tragedy, Brendan reveals how hard it was to admit he needed help dealing with what happened.

You can almost tell which parts are the ghost writer's part, namely technical data - times, distances, what was happening elsewhere - while Brendan's part sounded like someone telling a story around a campfire.

Enjoyable, yes, even though it's about a tragedy.

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Brendan McDonough's story was incredibly moving. He did not hold back. He made me laugh and cry. He made me pause and reflect. Behind Brendan's words, there is humor and there is pain. There is love and there is loss. The story itself displays a bond and a brotherhood unlike any other. I knew how the book was going to end the moment I picked it up and yet, like Brendan, I hoped and prayed for a different outcome; to see the men walk out of the fire, alive, "their faces caked with smoke residue, Brendan McDonough's story was incredibly moving. He did not hold back. He made me laugh and cry. He made me pause and reflect. Behind Brendan's words, there is humor and there is pain. There is love and there is loss. The story itself displays a bond and a brotherhood unlike any other. I knew how the book was going to end the moment I picked it up and yet, like Brendan, I hoped and prayed for a different outcome; to see the men walk out of the fire, alive, "their faces caked with smoke residue, their white teeth showing through the black".

On June 30th, 2013, nineteen men lost their lives to a raging, untamable fire. They made the ultimate sacrifice and their stories deserve to live on until the end of time. Their names are: Andrew Ashcraft, Robert Caldwell, Travis Carter, Dustin DeFord, Christopher MacKenzie, Eric Marsh, Grant McKee, Sean Misner, Scott Norris, Wade Parker, John Percin Jr., Anthony Rose, Jesse Steed, Joe Thurston, Travis Turbyfill, William Warneke, Clayton Whitted, Kevin Woyjeck, Garret Zuppiger.

... "Bring 'em back. Please bring my brothers back." ...

To those interested in learning more about the Granite Mountain Hotshots I recommend visiting the memorial if you ever find yourself in Arizona, watching its movie adaptation titled Only the Brave, and reading McDonough's book. The memorial itself moved me in ways I can't even begin to explain. I am so thankful to have gotten the chance to visit it this past year. I hope you all take the time to learn about, cherish and celebrate this group of unsung heroes too.

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Nov 05, 2017 Amber rated it it was amazing

I was lead to this book after seeing the movie "Only the Brave ". I remembered these fires, but none of it had been personal for me, other than the sheer horror of dying by fire, and the great tragedy of so many lives lost needlessly.

We had lived in Arizona for 3 years when the Prescott and Yarnell Fires hit. I had no idea how dangerous and fast these high desert fires could be. I was shocked and horrified when I heard on the news about the deaths of 19 firefighters.

I found the book fast paced.

I found the book fast paced. I turned those pages quickly, absorbing the information, but dreading that every page I turned brought me closer to that dreadful day of June 30, as if those men were still alive as long as I didn't read of their actual deaths in the book.

I checked many of the points in the book online. I wanted to see images of the locations he spoke about, and it was also interesting to read other's versions of the same events written of in the book. I read a lot of blog posts and articles about lawsuits, redacted testimony, secrets and lies. There is still such a mystery surrounding Yarnell. Why did they leave the black line and walk into a death trap? I think they were simply exhausted, and miscalculated the incredible speed of the fire. It's heartbreaking.

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*Audiobook Review* The story is quite incredible, heroic, and all other good things. As a book though, I didn't feel as connected to the people as I have in some military memoirs. There was a part near the end where Brendan mentions a name of one of the guys, and I was like, wow that's the first time I have even heard that name. Outside of Brendan, you don't get a sense of who any of them are, their backgrounds, their families. He kept saying they were brothers, but that feeling never really cam *Audiobook Review* The story is quite incredible, heroic, and all other good things. As a book though, I didn't feel as connected to the people as I have in some military memoirs. There was a part near the end where Brendan mentions a name of one of the guys, and I was like, wow that's the first time I have even heard that name. Outside of Brendan, you don't get a sense of who any of them are, their backgrounds, their families. He kept saying they were brothers, but that feeling never really came through in the book. I still really liked it though! ...more

I vaguely remember what happened and wanted to see the movie when it came out. The movie was very good and very emotional so I was surprised to learn that the lone survivor of the Granite Mountain Hotshots had written a book about life and experiences. And his side of the story of how he survived. The book was very frank, informational and emotional about his life, the life of a firefighter, the aftermath and how his life went on after the deaths of his fellow brothers.

Great book on a terrible tragedy. Glad their story is able to be told and done so nicely.

May 23, 2018 Robert is currently reading it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. There was a kid name Brendan McDonough, he lived with his grandpa and grandma because his mom went to Vegas and didn't comeback in a week like she said she would. It turns out she was drunk and got hurt so she had to stay at the hospital for another week. When she came back she moved and took Brendan and his brother to a place called lilly lake. He slowley makes friends there and is told not to go to the lake after dark because the police will drain the lakes. Sometimes when the drain the lakes There was a kid name Brendan McDonough, he lived with his grandpa and grandma because his mom went to Vegas and didn't comeback in a week like she said she would. It turns out she was drunk and got hurt so she had to stay at the hospital for another week. When she came back she moved and took Brendan and his brother to a place called lilly lake. He slowley makes friends there and is told not to go to the lake after dark because the police will drain the lakes. Sometimes when the drain the lakes they find needles, guns, and sometimes bodies at the bottom. One day he is walking around the complex he is living in and finds a kitten. He runs home to tell his mom and he askes if he could keep it if he can get it, and his mom tells him that if he can get it from its mom he can keep it. He goes and gets food and bringes it to the kitten and after sitting there for a good six hours he gets it. After a week of having it they move away from the complex because the kitten had fleas. They were nott able to take it with then because their grandpa was allergic to cats so they had to get rid of it. He and his mom leave again from there grandparents house and the place they move to is called river lake and he doesn't remember it for a good reason. After awhile they move back to there grandparents house and one time while reading Hatchet (it's a really good book) his mom and grandma have an argument and his mom says "I'm leaving" and she leaves for awhile and comes back with a broken back from a jet ski accident. While growing up he was always a bad kid he was always into doing drugs and one day his moms try's to get him off the druggy path and during that he found a thing called fire explorers. While at school he gets a packet to study and he gives up half way through it showing that he was slacking off and he couldn't be doing that if he was going to be a firefighter. When he graduated from high school he enrolled into a fire class since it was online he clicked one semester instead of one year which is what he needs to pass the class. One day he finds him self a girlfriend and gets her pregnant and he try's to get a job so she can help pay for the baby but he cant seam to get one. He decides to save up money and one day him and a friend steal a gps from someone's car and get arrested. One day he goes to the gym and is hanging out with some friends and gets arrested again for stealing the gps and every one was so embarrassed. Then he goes to a fire station one day and gets a job there' He goes on a run and half way through he stars to get bashed around by someone named Chris but Brendan wont give up and eventually starts throwing up. People find out that he has an inhaler and he is embarrassed and they don't care they are tying to help him get into shape. Annually every one goes to a place called storm mountain where fourteen hotshots died during a wild fire. One day they get a call to go a sacred juniper tree and the dig trenches around the tree so the fire cant jump from one place to another. On another day they get a call to go out to a place called Yarnell to put out a wild fire. When they get there they go to a place a few miles off of the fires location to figure out what radio system they would be on the location they would be dropped off at and the places to go if the fire got to a certain place. Once they get dropped off they start a controlled burn so things would already be burned so when the fire reaches that location it can't go any were after it. Once they start the burn they send Brenden out to be a look out to tell the relative humidity, the temperature and the way the fire is moving. Once the fire gets to a certain point he was instructed to go to a bulldozer but by the time he got there the fire was to close. The smoke was already in his location and he started to cough and fall over. He hears a noise in the distance and it is a transport vehicle and it picks him up and he is told to take the crews truck and not to go to his crew and help fight the fire. This fire was really intense and it doesn't help that it was 120 degrease out side. While Brendan is waiting to hear from his crew he hears them yelling the fire is coming and they all pull out a heat blanket to "protect" them from the fire, after hearing this Brendan started to cry knowing that there was a low chance of them making it out alive. A few hours later he hears on an intercom stating that fourteen people declared dead and he has an emotional break down after hearing the news. ...more