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FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. A discussion of major earthquake calamities that happened around the world. ... Read more

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Examines the causes and events of some of the deadliest fires in the world, how they were fought, the effects on those involved, and what steps were taken to prevent similar disasters from occurring again. ... Read more

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Describes what causes forest fires, how they are detected, techniques used to put them out and the damage that is done. Reexamines sometimes beneficial effects on plant and animal life. ... Read more

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Deadly Fires...For Very Young Readers!
Published in 2009, WORLD'S WORST FIRES by Janey Levy introduces young readers to the awesome and terrifying phenomenon of fire. Part of the 'Deadly Disasters' series published by PowerKids Press, Levy's book is geared to readers 9-12.

Twenty-four pages long, WORLD'S WORST FIRES discusses the different types of fire, their causes, famous fires in history, firefighting techniques/tools and so on. About half of the book consists of b&w or color photographs.

Levy's book is a very basic introduction to the subject. I think readers in the 9-10 bracket would most benefit from it; older readers might find it too basic. Recommended. ... Read more

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Presents a historical, partly fictional, account of the Great Fire of London in 1666, describing the origins, fire fighting methods, effects on people, and rebuilding efforts. Contrasts London then and the city now in the areas of population, housing and world trade. ... Read more

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This book is a sequel to The Management of Mass BurnCasualties and Fire Disasters by the same editors. Acknowledged by authorities as a breakthrough, the Bull. Am.Coll. Surg. pronounced it highly desirable as part of theworld-wide effort to promote trauma care, while the Can. Med.Assoc. J. called it a `block-buster book that should be in everymedical library in the country'. Like its predecessor, this book is acontinuing reflection of commitment to the reduction of fire disastersand the improvement of burn therapy. The health professions have been continually developing effectivemanagement in burn therapy; in parallel, the community has beenmobilizing fire prevention and fire fighting mechanisms that protectthe environment from ever-increasing hazards of disasters. It wastherefore surprising that, while aiming at the same objective, the twosectors had rarely worked in unison -- until brought togethersuccessfully in that volume, a success that is now reinforced by thepresent book. ... Read more

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Part of a series that looks at case studies of man-made disasters, grouped under particular themes. This text examines fire disasters and explores the effect, impact and consequences of such events, and also considers the potential for, and prevention of future disasters. ... Read more

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Brief text examines the disastrous effects of uncontrollable fires, methods of fire extinction and prevention, and ways to protect people during a fire. ... Read more

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The health professionals are continually developing effectivetechniques of burns and mass casualty management. In parallel, fireprevention and fire-fighting techniques have developed considerably inmost communities. It is therefore surprising that, while aiming at thesame objective, the two sectors have rarely come together.
The Mediterranean Burns Club is a professional organization thatbrings together persons concerned with burns therapy and with firesafety in all forms. Identified by the United Nations as a premierscientific body in its field within the programme of the InternationalDecade for Natural Disaster Reduction, it initiated the firstinternational gathering of specialists in burns as a surgical,clinical problem, and of counterparts dealing with fires as a social,disaster problem. This novel approach and symbiosis proved timely andsuccesful.
This, the resulting book, reflects the commitment of all concerned tothe reduction of fire disasters and the improvement of burns therapy.
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A detailed history of two disasters that befell London, England: the Great Plague of 1665 in which it is estimated that at least 70,000 died, and the Great Fire of 1666, which destroyed four-fifths of the city. ... Read more

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Fighting fires since 1965, veteran smokejumper Murry Taylor finally retired from his legendary career after last summer-the worst fire season in more than fifty years. After three decades of parachuting out of planes and battling blazes in the vast, rugged wilderness of Alaska and the West, Taylor recounts in Jumping Fire, with passion and honesty, stories of man versus nature at its most furious and unforgiving. He shares what it's like to hear the deafening roar, to smell the acrid burn, to feel the intense heat, to breathe the thick fumes, and to finally run for your life with exploding flames two hundred feet high and a mile wide licking at your heels. Written with a keen eye for detail and a talent for storytelling, "Jumping Fire is a tale of love and loss, life and death, and sheer hard work, set in an unforgiving and unforgettable landscape, that's second only to Norman Maclean's classic Young Men and Fire" (Publishers Weekly).Amazon.com Review
To most of us, the smokejumping world is as alien as Mars orthe deep seabed. Yet for Murry Taylor--as for many other Alaskansmokejumpers--it's not just an annual summer job, it's his heart'sblood and life's core. He, with all the smokejumpers, strains yearlyto achieve the three-mile qualifying run in the requisite 22.5 minutesor under, his physical pain superceded by the fearsome anxiety that hemight not make it, that he might never again do what sounds more likea nightmare than a cherished dream: parachute repeatedly from 3,000feet out of small planes into searing fires.

Taylor is 50 and has been smokejumping since 1965. JumpingFire, his first book, focuses on one particularly incendiarysummer in 1991, from April 29 to September 24, recording theday-to-day minutiae of an Alaskan smokejumper (including the tale ofthat summer's doomed love affair) while interspersing the narrativewith memories accumulated from his nearly three decades ofsmokejumping and stories by and about his colorful colleagues.

The writing is vivid and immediate. Taylor clarifies the workings ofparachute drogue release handles, Stevens connections, and cut-awayclutches, but he doesn't inundate us with alienating terminology. Thetechnical details are explained as they come up in the many scenes andanecdotes that shape the book. There are stories of jumps that endedin strangulation and multiple fractures and jumps that ended morecomically, with the hapless jumper planted deep in a puddle of duckexcrement, or landing on top of a moose. The guys rib each othermercilessly, perform their preflight gear checks religiously, and cometo the assistance of their jump partners with a dedication that isinspiring.

The beauty of Alaska infuses Taylor's narrative. He describes themiraculous shift from winter to summer, with willow trees and redalders budding, massive plates of ice shattering, and thesunset-sunrise specials that last all night with the same care that'sdevoted to his scenes of blazing trees and scorched hills. By the timehe pens the epilogue, dated December 1999, Taylor has become theoldest active smokejumper in the field's 60-year history and is tryingto decide whether to sign up for the coming season. Should he chooseto finally retire, he could always take up writing full-time. He's anatural. --Stephanie Gold ... Read more

Customer Reviews (56)

Jumping what?
This book is more devoted to lamenting over failed relationships than earning our respect for a respectful occupation.The only page turning that was going on was flipping past all the frivolous sexploits and side-jinks that belonged in a man's version of Cosmo magazine.The best fire stories in this book are told second hand by other men's experiences.I suppose this was an attempt to bring some virtue missing in the majority of this book.Then we're brought back to the girls.I was not interested in reading about what I've already heard before at frat parties and dorm bathrooms.If you want to save your respect for the honorable and manly occupation of smokejumping and firefighting read the Maclean books on fire.Although these aren't perfect the Maclean books are actually about firefighting while keeping manly honor, virtue, and sacrifice intact.

An inside view of smokejumping.
A well written page turner.Enjoyable reading especially for those curious about fighting wildfires.Mixes the firefighting with a bit of romance; may sound out of place, but is true to the life that is firefighting.Some have said that Murray got in a bit of heat from other jumpers for giving away some of the inside secrets.Especially entertaining for those from Alaska who may know some of the places discussed.

Give it a miss
A poorly written, testosterone drenched missive about fighting fires in Alaska.The writer fills the book with lots of macho interchanges between himself and other smokejumpers, acronyms, procedures and buzzwords.However, when all is said and done, the reader is left with insight into what it is like to be a smokejumper that equals the knowledge they would receive listening to a nun trying to explain an orgasam.
The author spends considerible amounts of time feeling sorry for himself because he can't begin or maintain a relationship because of the life he leads.I thought the book was going to be about smokejumpers, yet large parts of it read like a 15 year old boy's diary.
Completely unsatisfying.I'm truly glad I didn't pay full price for the book.Do yourself a favor and give it a miss.

Jumping Fire
Murray creates a beautifully written piece of wild land fire fighting history. With sometimes disturbing detail of tragedy and intimate personal accounts,he truly captures the ups and downs of smoke jumping. As well as the beauty of the Alaskan territories. Being a wild land fire fighter myself Jumping Fire was both entertaining and educational. A first hand documentary of fire fighting techniques and strategies, as they occurred. Absolutely a great learning tool for firefighters with an entertaining quality as well.

What's smokejumping *really* like?Read this book and find out!
Bar none, Murry Taylor's book does the best job I've ever read of capturing the essence of the smokejumper's job... the chaos, adventure, awe-inspiring sights, sounds, smells, and emotions, physical and mental demands, comradeship, and routine brushes with near-disaster.

I was a wildland fire fighter for the first half of my nearly 35-year Forest Service career and was even a smokejumper for one fire season way back in 1974.Through the years I've read many pieces about fire fighting and smokejumping only to be disappointed by their shallowness, falsehoods, and lack of essential realities.In my opinion, Taylor's writing does the finest job ever of capturing the essence of the endeavor.Want to get a taste of what smokejumping and wildland fire fighting are like, and the kind of people who zealously do it for a whole working career?Read this book and find out... get a genuine feel for the people who parachute from planes to contain and control wildland fire!

Furthermore, while wildland fire fighting, and smokejumping in particular, can be harrowing and exciting anywhere they occur, nearly all of Taylor's stories are from the edgy, rugged frontiers of Alaska where nearly every day brings an encounter with at least one "near death" experience, avoided only by varying proportions of astute situational awareness, professionalism, grit, and good luck.Paying close attention, Taylor's writing can evoke adrenaline releases from the reader, providing vivid glimpses into the workday life of a smokejumper.

Taylor's stories are readably told in the colloquial vernacular of a very well seasoned and aged smokejumper.He thoroughly conveys the realities of the job and puts the reader inside the head of one whose entire working life has been spent doing one of the most adventurous, if not dangerous, civilian jobs today. ... Read more

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Fictional story of a brother and sister caught in a forest fire is interleaved with factual information about forest fires and how they are fought. ... Read more

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This book contains personal recollections of the survivors, their families, and others involved in the tragic fire aboard the steamboat, General Slocum, and its aftermath. Appendices include the most complete listing of victims, survivors, and their families ever compiled. 5½x8½, paper, 404 pp. ... Read more