Book Review: 'Young Men and Fire' by Norman Maclean

✰✰✰½ Today the Smokejumpers are an elite group of men and women who face the forest fires that are otherwise unreachable. The Smokejumper program was founded in 1939, and this true story takes place only ten years later when the group was just coming into its own. The Mann Gulch fire initially seemed like an ordinary mission. The fire had started by lightning, and the crew thought they would mop it up in no time. However, a perfect storm of circumstances led to them reversing course, even abandoning their tools, and running for their lives.

Of the survivors, one lived due to inventing the “escape fire” on the spot. But what saved his life would end up igniting a controversy that would span decades until the author took it upon himself to flesh out the truth. Part study of fire science, part survival story, and part quest for discovery, this book also looks at the philosophical points of life and insures that the men will never be forgotten.

The Bottom Line: Published posthumously, this true story about the Mann Gulch fire tragedy takes the reader on a quest to discover the mystery behind why so many lost their lives. This mystery almost became an obsession for the author in the last chapter of his life. Having been a firefighter, the author brought personal experience to his telling of the tragedy. Recommended for individuals interested in survival, science, and philosophy. [Note: This was the author’s second book. His first, A River Runs Through It and Other Stories was made into a movie.]

Book Club Notes: This was only the second meeting of this book club, so I give them a lot of credit for reading this challenging book. Parts are difficult to read, but the sacrifice these men made led to developments in firefighting techniques and safety as well as made people think about how to escape a forest fire. After this tragedy, the focus of saving people became the priority over extinguishing the fire if the choice presented itself. On a scale of 1 - 5, ratings averaged 3.3. The writing style with long run-on sentences was difficult for many to read. Also, a good portion of this book was philosophical, which led us to a completely different discussion than planned. Overall, recommended for groups interested in fire science, survival, and philosophy.

Details: Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean. Paperback (25th Anniversary edition)  published by The University of Chicago Press in 2017. 369 P. ISBN: 978-0-226-45035-3