Boston's Fire Trail: A Walk through the City's Fire and Firefighting History

I received the news about this new book about Boston's Fire History. I have enjoyed reading about the rich history the City has to offer. I have read two other books by Stephanie Schorow related to Boston's Fire History.

I suggest you check it out.

Purchase it here and read the information on the book below.

The History Press Releases
Boston's Fire Trail: A Walk through the City's Fire and Firefighting History
By The Boston Fire Historical Society

BOSTON: From the Cocoanut Grove nightclub disaster to the Vendome Hotel tragedy, Boston has been singed by a string of unforgettable fires that have torched more than a thousand buildings and burned through the city center more than a dozen times. In the new book Boston's Fire Trail: A Walk through the City's Fire and Firefighting History, author Stephanie Schorow and members of the Boston Fire Historical Society trace the history of fire in the Hub, and create an intriguing retrospective of this compelling facet of the city's past. The book- and how it came to be published-would make for a timely and significant feature.

To mark the release of Boston's Fire Trail, a public reception will be held at the South Boston Branch Library, 646 East Broadway, Boston, on Wednesday, November 28 from 6-8 p.m. This event coincides with the 65th anniversary of the infamous Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire of November 28, 1942, in which nearly 500 people died.

Since the massive Great Boston Fire of 1872, which destroyed almost eight hundred buildings in the heart of downtown, fire has irrevocably altered the city's appearance, fortunes and psyche. The recent tragic deaths of two firefighters in West Roxbury have, once again, focused the city's attention on the risks faced by firefighters and controversial issues regarding public safety. Such controversy is, however, nothing new in the long, colorful and significant history of the Boston Fire Department, as Boston's Fire Trail makes clear.

Arson, accident and human courage-all are depicted, along with historic details of the circumstances, locations and impact of more than forty-five fires throughout Greater Boston. By following Boston's Fire Trail, readers will witness the greatest fires in Boston history firsthand, experience the perils each fire presented, and discover a Boston few now know existed.

To request a review copy, contact Katie Parry. Members of the Boston Fire Historical Society are also available to talk about the impact of fire in the city's history.

Additional book signings will be held at the Barnes & Noble, 800 Boylston St. (Prudential Center) in Boston on December 5 at 12 p.m. and at the Barnes & Noble, 96 Derby St., Hingham, Mass., on December 8 at 12 p.m.

The Boston Fire Historical Society (BFHS) was founded as a Massachusetts non-profit corporation in 2006. Currently it consists of a nine-person Board of Directors whose purpose is the preservation and interpretation of the history of the Boston Fire Department.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Paul A. Christian retired as Fire Commissioner/Chief of Department of the Boston Fire Department on February 15, 2006 following a 38-year career. Appointed to the Boston Fire Department in January 1968, Christian has held all ranks in the organization and achieved the rank of Deputy Fire Chief earlier in his career than any member in the department's history. He was awarded the department's Roll of Merit and Distinguished Service Award for rescues performed in 1971 and 1972.

Theodore Gerber is an independent insurance and investment broker living in Somerville. Born and raised in Boston, he developed at an early age an admiration for the skill and bravery of the Boston Fire Department and later, an appreciation of the department's history. He is a member of various fire service support organizations, a past chairman of the Boston Fire Museum, and founder and President of the Boston Fire Historical Society. He is also a former U.S. Army captain and combat veteran.

Michael W. Gerry, a Braintree resident, is treasurer of the Boston Fire Historical Society and dispatcher for the Massachusetts State Police Troop E. He is a fire historian and a past president of both the Boston Sparks Association and the Boston Fire Museum. He is a veteran of submarine service in the U.S. Navy and a grandson of a late Quincy, Mass., fire department lieutenant.

William T. Murray was born and raised in Boston and currently lives in the Hyde Park district. He is the retired Director of Fire Safety/Emergency Management for the Boston Public Schools, Chief Master Sergeant, Military Fire Chief, 102nd CES, Otis ANGB, of Cape Cod (retired) and has been affiliated with several organizations that support the Boston Fire Department.

Bill Noonan has been a firefighter with the Boston Fire Department since 1971, when he was appointed to Engine Company 3 in the South End. He eventually transferred to the Fire Prevention Division as a department photographer. He has authored four photo books: Flames & Faces: A Photographic Essay of the Boston Fire Department (2004) Wooden Sticks and Iron Men (2000), Jakes Under Fire (1997), and Smoke Showin' (1984). He is a U.S. Army veteran, who served one year in Saigon, South Vietnam.

Stephanie Schorow is a writer and reporter living in Medford. She is the author of Boston on Fire: A History of Firefighting in Boston and The Cocoanut Grove Fire. Her newest book, The Crime of the Century: How the Brink's Robbers Stole Millions and the Hearts of Boston will be published in February by Commonwealth Editions.

James Teed, a lifelong Boston area resident, was a member of the Boston Fire Department from 1970 to 1999. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1976. He has been interested in fire history his entire adult life.

A portion of this book's proceeds go to the Boston Fire Historical Society.