(THE) LOO, Don Whitney, 2001
When dmc published Don Whitney's The Blackened Shield in 1999 it quickly became one of the best-selling books we've offered the firefighting community. We are, therefore, very excited and proud to publish Don's new book, The Loo.
The first half of The Loo is a collection of non-fiction pieces that continues Don's exploration of firefighting in one of New England's oldest, most densely populated cities during the 60s, 70s and early 80s - the most challenging time in the history of the American fire service. The on-the-job realism, the felt action, the wonderful humor - everything readers loved about The Blackened Shield is here.
The second part of The Loo is a short novel - Leather Lungs & Wheat Lights - that focuses on the members of Engine 4 and Ladder 3 during the late 1950s. Lieutenant Steve Brogan is the center of the story. Brogan is a tough, knowledgeable, dedicated leader who loves his job, his men and his city. In all honesty, we haven't enjoyed a character so much since Leo Stapleton introduced Billy Simpson nine years ago! And Don's attention to the details of the equipment and the apparatus Brogan and his fellow firefighters use is remarkable in its precision. The firegrounds are as authentic as anything you'll find in the literature of the fire service - or on today's front page.
5 ½" x 8 ½", 270 pages, 19 B&W photos, hardcover BL8800 / $24.95