Ordinary Heroes
A Memoir of 9/11
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4.5 • 56 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
New York Times Bestseller
From the first FDNY chief to respond to the 9/11 attacks, an intimate memoir and a tribute to those who died that others might live
When Chief Joe Pfeifer led his firefighters to investigate an odor of gas in downtown Manhattan on the morning of 9/11, he had no idea that his life was about to change forever. A few moments later, he watched as the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center. Pfeifer, the closest FDNY chief to the scene, spearheaded rescue efforts on one of the darkest days in American history.
Ordinary Heroes is the unforgettable and intimate account of what Chief Pfeifer witnessed at Ground Zero, on that day and the days that followed. Through his eyes, we see the horror of the attack and the courage of the firefighters who ran into the burning towers to save others. We see him send his own brother up the stairs of the North Tower, never to return. And we walk with him and his fellow firefighters through weeks of rescue efforts and months of numbing grief, as they wrestle with the real meaning of heroism and leadership.
This gripping narrative gives way to resiliency and a determination that permanently reshapes Pfeifer, his fellow firefighters, NYC, and America. Ordinary Heroes takes us on a journey that turns traumatic memories into hope, so we can make good on our promise to never forget 9/11.
Customer Reviews
Amazing story but poorly written
Don’t get me wrong—Chief Pfeifer’s story is one for the ages and I can’t imagine what it must have been like… but that’s just it: I can’t imagine it. The author forgot or doesn’t know the age old adage, “show don’t tell,” wherein just by showing us exactly what happened and how he was feeling we, the readers, are able to sympathize very well with him. But instead this is one big “tell” book. Full of lines like “it was sad” and “I did the brave thing” that make it seem like a high school essay of someone trying to prove themselves right. Moreover it was written as though the reader had never heard of 9/11, as the author felt the need to tell us the most basic facts as if he alone knew them: “9/11 was committed by a terrorist group called al Qaeda” ….uh no crap. Finally this whole story seemed way too polite and nice for it being a memoir about 9/11 and his brother’s death. Not once did he mention that he cried, or showed any scene of his own personal feelings of devastation—just “my brother died, we were all upset.” And everything just seemed to work out really well for him without a struggle in the world when I know he must have been struggling immensely. I have read probably every 9/11 book on the market and this is the only one that didn’t gut me all over again and make me cry. I was just not even remotely moved and that’s all due to poor writing. He should have hired a ghostwriter.