Audiobook Review: Ordinary Heroes – Joseph Pfeifer
Ordinary Heroes by Joseph Pfeifer is a harrowing read for its subject matter. The 9/11 terror attack at the World Trade Centre is an event even I can just about recall seeing on TV. I wasn’t yet old enough to understand what terrorism was, but the significance of the event still shapes our lives today.
Ordinary Heroes – Joseph Pfeifer
Genre: Non-fiction /memoir
Pages: 256
Audience: Adult
Publisher: Portfolio
Publication Date: 07 Sept 2021
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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.
My Thoughts
If you are looking for a detailed and personal account of one of the chief firefighters on the ground during 9/11 then Ordinary Heroes is the perfect book to pick up. Starting from the beginning of that fateful day, Joe recounts his perspective of the disaster unfolding and the fallout of the terror attack.
Ordinary Heroes is just one perspective in a huge event in recent history. However, it is a prominent perspective and very personal and insightful. I have watched several documentaries about the event but never have I come across this kind of perspective before. Admittedly, I had also never really realised how long the aftermath of the event was felt by New York more locally, but also the world. I was only a young child when this happened. As an adult I have taken an interest in the subject from time to time, but there is still much I do not know. I have no doubt that there is much that will never be known about that day and the lives of the people affected.
Ordinary Heroes honours those who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It also proudly gives thanks to the innumerable service men and women in every emergency services department who sacrificed and in some cases lost their lives trying to protect others. I already have a lot of respect for people like Joe who put themselves in the firing line and risk their lives. After reading Ordinary Heroes, that’s even more the case.
Summary
If you’re looking for a non-fiction book that memorialises a prominent period of history in a respectful manner, together with unique insight, Ordinary Heroes is a book I strongly recommend. I thoroughly enjoyed the perspective and I learned a lot that I didn’t know previously.
It’s not the easiest of reads (or listen if you go for the audio as I did), but it’s worth it!
