Smokejumper: A Memoir by One of America's Most Select Airborne Firefighters
Written by Jason A. Ramos and Julian Smith
Narrated by Ned Vaughn
4/5
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About this audiobook
A PACIFIC NORTHWEST BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION BESTSELLER
"A fascinating look" (Esquire) at the thrilling world of smokejumpers, the airborne firefighters who parachute into the most remote and rugged areas of the United States, confronting the growing threat of nature’s blazes.
Forest and wildland fires are growing larger, more numerous, and deadlier every year — record drought conditions, decades of forestry mismanagement, and the increasing encroachment of residential housing into the wilderness have combined to create a powder keg that threatens millions of acres and thousands of lives every year. One select group of men and women are part of America's front-line defense: smokejumpers. The smokejumper program operates through both the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Though they are tremendously skilled and only highly experienced and able wildland firefighters are accepted into the training program, being a smokejumper remains an art that can only be learned on the job. Forest fires often behave in unpredictable ways: spreading almost instantaneously, shooting downhill behind a stiff tailwind, or even flowing like a liquid. In this extraordinarily rare memoir by an active-duty jumper, Jason Ramos takes readers into his exhilarating and dangerous world, explores smokejumping’s remarkable history, and explains why their services are more essential than ever before.
Jason A. Ramos
Jason A. Ramos has devoted twenty-six years of his life to the fire service. His career began at the age of 17 as a volunteer with the Riverside County Fire Department, then progressed to wildland firefighting in Southern California. Now a smokejumper in his sixteenth season, he is based in Winthrop, WA, at the North Cascades Smokejumper Base, the "birthplace of smokejumping."
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Reviews for Smokejumper
29 ratings9 reviews
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Boring as hell . .. no... . N....... . ..
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is fascinating! Smoke jumpers are elite firefighters who jump out of planes with their gear packed in their jumpsuits and get to work battling wildfires. I happen to be interested in both fire and parachuting, but regardless this memoir is fast paced and full of exciting stories. Ramos covers the history of the field along with his own experiences, and he's obviously passionate about the subject. It's impressively well-written also.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5From the very first time I read a pre-released review of this book, I have wanted to read it. The author took the time to construct a balanced story. The book was full of facts and showed the human side of Smoke-jumping. By reading this book I gained a stronger and truer respect for the men and women that choose to fight wild fires for a living. The book took this reader on an emotional roller coaster ride. This book is well worth the time it takes to read it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazing , really interesting, informative and exciting. Great read. Thankyou.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I thought this might be aimed at a general reader but I think it was aimed squarely at, I guess, a fire fighting/military enthusiast?
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The author brings the reader behind the scenes into one of America’s oldest firefighting traditions – the men and women who jump out of planes to fight fires that are not accessible by other means. He weaves personal stories with the history of this group of brave firefighters and true stories of the tragedies they were involved in. He also makes a case for better equipment and continuing training to prevent future catastrophes. For all those who love fire, firefighting and a great read, this is it!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Veteran smokejumper Ramos sheds insight into what it takes to be a member of this elite team along with firsthand accounts of what it is like in the middle of the worst fires in the Pacific Northwest. He also includes accounts of historical blazes and the impacts on policy and safety.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Veteran smokejumper Ramos sheds insight into what it takes to be a member of this elite team. Read like a bunch of short stories...all fascinating and just the right length to keep my attention. A balanced story, though. Made me want to read more smoke jumper stories--but, glad I wasn't one in my younger days. Just when I thought it would be over, he started preaching a bit with a commercial at the end.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Great book about what it takes to become a smoke jumper and details about how they deal with getting stuck in a tree, burn over shelters, choosing a parachute and all the excitement of several stories. The book is on the short side and I would reccommend looking at the ebook if you listen to the audio version, so you can see some of the gear these guys carry and the massive 150lb backpacks they jump with. My only regret was this is a mere 5hrs long. Well worth your time.