From Library Journal
Recovering from an injury received while climbing and cutting down trees, Junger got the idea to write a book about "men in dangerous jobs." Although he was sidetracked, in part by The Perfect Storm, he has returned to his original concept with Fire. In this collection of articles some published in Vanity Fair gathered from his ten-plus years on the front lines, in the trenches, and wherever else he might get close to danger, Junger seems to be in his element, both physically and in the writing. The true stories range from disastrous fires to disastrous wars, from whaling controversies to land disputes, all told with Junger's unfailing eye for detail, which often lends the pieces a disturbing authenticity. As with The Perfect Storm, Junger makes sure to get the whole story from as many sides as possible; he leaves nothing out, including his own passionate opinion. Recommended for all public library collections.
- Rachel Collins, "Library Journal"
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The author of The Perfect Storm(1997) now offers a collection of 10 previously published magazine articles, which all deal, in one way or another, with people confronting situations that could easily destroy them. Junger believes that people are drawn to those situations out of "an utterly amoral sense of awe," which completely overrides more mundane concerns. Nowhere is this theme more evident than in the fascinating essay "Blowup," an account of a swift, furious wildfire in Colorado that claimed the lives of 14 elite firefighters. Survivor Brian Haugh recalls that as he ran for his life, aware that everyone behind him had already died, he was still mesmerized by the sight of the great wall of fire, its light "a weird blood-red that fascinated him even as he ran." Other topics include the diamond trade in Sierra Leone, war crimes in Kosovo, and a hostage crisis in Kashmir. The publisher's marketing campaign will generate some demand, but the essay format will limit this title's appeal. Still, the topics are compelling, and the writing is fine. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
[P]ropelled by dynamic reporting that reads as fluidly as great fiction. -- Maxim, October 2001
Junger [is] a man with an appetite for the ragged edge of life and the ability to write about it with restrained power. -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
[M]agnificently conceived, lovingly written, perfectly evocative of a place, a time, a passion. -- The Atlantic Monthly, Beth Kephart
About the Author
Sebastian Junger is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Storm, A Death in Belmont, Fire, War, Tribe, and Freedom. As an award-winning journalist, a contributing editor to Vanity Fair, and a special correspondent at ABC News, he has covered major international news stories around the world, and has received both a National Magazine Award and a Peabody Award. He lives in New York City and Cape Cod.
This fine collection of short essays by Sebastian Junger may not get the attention it deserves. The eye-catching flame-covered jacket may attract listeners, who may then find that the collection contains not only accounts of fire fighting, but also journal dispatches from Afghanistan, Cypress, and Bosnia. On the other hand, someone not interested in the feats of wildfire control might miss the thoughtful, observant pieces involving political hotspots. The packaging and jacket information is woefully inadequate, not even listing the names of the essays. Listeners will be surprised to hear that Junger's own voice and actor Kevin Conway's are almost indistinguishable. Both give effective readings that give the sense of being "on the scene." Well worth the time, Junger's varied writings make the listener as peripatetic as the author. R.F.W. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
