From the Publisher
A fascinating look at the men and women who devote their lives to this service.” — Esquire.com
“[A] touching and fast-paced memoir... written with precision and perspective, sometimes with a touch of poetry. ... A fun and valuable read for anyone seeking to learn more about those who are willing to risk their lives to battle such deadly infernos.” — Washington Post
“You think your job’s hard? Jason Ramos and his colleagues parachute into the wilderness in order to save nature from going up in flames. He takes readers into the world of smokejumping, which has become more important as drought in America becomes more widespread.” — MensJournal.com, a ”Best Books of the Month” selection
“Jason Ramos’s Smokejumper is a rousing personal adventure story, a nutshell history of the great wildland fires, and insider’s brief for making smokejumpers more relevant on today’s fire line.” — John N. Maclean, author of Fire on the Mountain
“Jason Ramos weaves personal experiences, smokejumper history, fire science, and fire operations into a fascinating book. It is a must read for all firefighters as well as any American who lives or recreates in or near wildfire prone areas.” — Larry Lufkin, son of Francis Lufkin, Smokejumper NCSB '40, '46, '48-'50, MSO '42-44
“Nothing can ever measure up to the sound of engines roaring as you step out into the cold air, into harm’s way—to the smell of smoke and the endless beauty of the western mountains of America. Jason Ramos brings all that alive in this book.” — Bill Furman, CEO, Greenbrier Companies, Inc., Smokejumper NCSB '62-'67
A Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association bestseller — -
“Compelling. ... A fast-paced, eye-opening read.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Interwoven with his exciting adventures on fires throughout the west, Jason educates the reader about the art of firefighting, the smokejumper culture, and the human tragedies associated with his 26-year firefighting career.” — Bill Moody, NCSB Jumper & Base Manager (retired) 1957-89, currently seasonal Air Tactical Group Supervisor and Aerial Fire Suppression Consultant
“Jason Ramos tells of nature at its most savage, of 2,000-degree heat and hurricane-force drafts, of heroic, sometimes lethal efforts to save the lives of people less prepared. Here you’ll meet the people who fly between Heaven and Hell. And jump.” — Wayne van Zwoll, PhD, former Special Projects Editor, Intermedia Outdoors
“Fast-paced. ... Ramos is an expert guide through a fearful world. ... His passion is unmistakable.” — USA Today
“Ramos chronicles the history of the elite group of airborne firefighters who attack blazes in some of the West’s most remote and rugged country. ... Ramos’ narrative will surely spark hearty debate.” — High Country News
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Compelling. ... A fast-paced, eye-opening read.
John N. Maclean
Jason Ramos’s Smokejumper is a rousing personal adventure story, a nutshell history of the great wildland fires, and insider’s brief for making smokejumpers more relevant on today’s fire line.
Bill Furman
Nothing can ever measure up to the sound of engines roaring as you step out into the cold air, into harm’s way—to the smell of smoke and the endless beauty of the western mountains of America. Jason Ramos brings all that alive in this book.
a ”Best Books of the Month” selec MensJournal.com
You think your job’s hard? Jason Ramos and his colleagues parachute into the wilderness in order to save nature from going up in flames. He takes readers into the world of smokejumping, which has become more important as drought in America becomes more widespread.
Esquire.com
A fascinating look at the men and women who devote their lives to this service.
Wayne van Zwoll
Jason Ramos tells of nature at its most savage, of 2,000-degree heat and hurricane-force drafts, of heroic, sometimes lethal efforts to save the lives of people less prepared. Here you’ll meet the people who fly between Heaven and Hell. And jump.
Washington Post
[A] touching and fast-paced memoir... written with precision and perspective, sometimes with a touch of poetry. ... A fun and valuable read for anyone seeking to learn more about those who are willing to risk their lives to battle such deadly infernos.
Larry Lufkin
Jason Ramos weaves personal experiences, smokejumper history, fire science, and fire operations into a fascinating book. It is a must read for all firefighters as well as any American who lives or recreates in or near wildfire prone areas.
Bill Moody
Interwoven with his exciting adventures on fires throughout the west, Jason educates the reader about the art of firefighting, the smokejumper culture, and the human tragedies associated with his 26-year firefighting career.
Washington Post
[A] touching and fast-paced memoir... written with precision and perspective, sometimes with a touch of poetry. ... A fun and valuable read for anyone seeking to learn more about those who are willing to risk their lives to battle such deadly infernos.
High Country News
Ramos chronicles the history of the elite group of airborne firefighters who attack blazes in some of the West’s most remote and rugged country. ... Ramos’ narrative will surely spark hearty debate.
USA Today
Fast-paced. ... Ramos is an expert guide through a fearful world. ... His passion is unmistakable.
USA Today
Fast-paced. ... Ramos is an expert guide through a fearful world. ... His passion is unmistakable.
MensJournal.com (a 7 Best Books of the Month selection)
You think your job’s hard? Jason Ramos and his colleagues parachute into the wilderness in order to save nature from going up in flames. He takes readers into the world of smokejumping, which has become more important as drought in America becomes more widespread.
Library Journal
03/15/2015
Most of us avoid jumping from the frying pan into the fire, but as an elite smokejumper with the Department of the Interior Ramos does it regularly, often alone or with just one partner. With a 75,000-copy first printing.
SEPTEMBER 2015 - AudioFile
Ramos left a safer job as a municipal firefighter to become a smokejumper—a parachuting firefighter. Ned Vaughn credibly narrates Ramos's first-person account. His voice is mostly calm as he talks about the dangers of the job—though he still leaves room for notes of excitement during training and missions. There's also the occasional humorous turn, as when Ramos writes about mosquitoes. Vaughn’s matter-of-fact tone maintains listener interest while allowing for the solemnity of death and injury to hit home. A passage in which Ramos ponders the feelings that a group of firefighters must have had before their deaths is especially moving. Listeners who know someone in a line of dangerous work may particularly appreciate hearing Ramos's take on his job. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
