
Granite Mountain
The Firsthand Account of a Tragic Wildfire, Its Lone Survivor, and the Firefighters Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice
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Narrated by:
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John Glouchevitch
About this listen
The true story behind the events that inspired the major motion picture Only the Brave. A "unique and bracing" (Booklist) first-person account by the sole survivor of Arizona's disastrous 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire, which took the lives of 19 "hotshots" - firefighters trained specifically to battle wildfires.
Brendan McDonough was on the verge of becoming a hopeless, inveterate heroin addict when he, for the sake of his young daughter, decided to turn his life around. He enlisted in the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a team of elite firefighters based in Prescott, Arizona. Their leader, Eric Marsh, was in a desperate crunch after four hotshots left the unit, and perhaps seeing a glimmer of promise in the skinny would-be recruit, he took a chance on the unlikely McDonough, and the chance paid off. Despite the crew's skepticism, and thanks in large part to Marsh's firm but loving encouragement, McDonough unlocked a latent drive and dedication, going on to successfully battle a number of blazes and eventually win the confidence of the men he came to call his brothers. Then, on June 30, 2013, while McDonough - "Donut" as he'd been dubbed by his team - served as lookout, they confronted a freak, 3,000-degree inferno in nearby Yarnell, Arizona. The relentless firestorm ultimately trapped his hotshot brothers, tragically killing all 19 of them within minutes. Nationwide, it was the greatest loss of firefighter lives since the 9/11 attacks.
Granite Mountain is a gripping memoir that traces McDonough's story of finding his way out of the dead end of drugs, finding his purpose among the Granite Mountain Hotshots, and the minute-by-minute account of the fateful day he lost the very men who had saved him. A harrowing and redemptive tale of resilience in the face of tragedy, Granite Mountain is also a powerful reminder of the heroism of the people who put themselves in harm's way to protect us every day.
©2016 Brendan McDonough (P)2016 Hachette AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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He’s shattered world records. He’s climbed the highest and coldest mountains wearing nothing but shorts. Most of all, he’s shown us that these feats are not superhuman - but that each of us has the ability to be healthier, stronger, and happier than we’ve ever imagined. Now you’re invited to hear Wim Hof tell the story of his incredible journey in his own words with The Iceman Speaks.
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Although repetitive, I love Wim Hof's message!
- By OK Reviewer on 02-07-21
By: Wim Hof
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N-4 Down
- The Hunt for the Arctic Airship Italia
- By: Mark Piesing
- Narrated by: Matt Jamie
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Triumphantly returning from the North Pole on May 24, 1928, the world-famous exploring airship Italia — code-named N-4 — was struck by a terrible storm and crashed somewhere over the Arctic ice, triggering the largest polar rescue mission in history. Helping lead the search was Roald Amundsen, the poles’ greatest explorer, who himself soon went missing in the frozen wastes. Amundsen’s body has never been found, the last victim of one of the Arctic’s most enduring mysteries....
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Interesting and entertaining
- By 2451 on 09-01-21
By: Mark Piesing
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Gutter Medicine: Twenty-Six Years as a Firefighter Paramedic
- By: Roger Huder
- Narrated by: Tom Jordan
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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My career as a firefighter/paramedic stretched from 1974 to 2000 when were inventing EMS as we went along. These are stories from those years on the street. That place I named so long ago, the other reality that exists just outside most people’s everyday lives. It is a place that seems to exist parallel to the normal workaday existence: yet it is only a car accident or cardiac away for any of us. It manifested itself in brushfires, house fires, shootings, stabbings, hangings, accidents with injuries, cardiacs, codes, drownings, and a thousand other emergencies.
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Mesmerizing!
- By txdoc on 10-16-19
By: Roger Huder
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Codename Nemo
- The Hunt for a Nazi U-Boat and the Elusive Enigma Machine
- By: Charles Lachman
- Narrated by: Qarie Marshall
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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On June 4, 1944, the course of World War II was forever changed. That day, a US Navy task force achieved the impossible—capturing a German U-Boat. Called Operation Nemo, it was the first seizure of an enemy ship in battle since the War of 1812, one of the greatest achievements of the US Navy and a victory that shortened the duration of the war. A deeply researched, fast-paced World War II narrative for the ages, Charles Lachman’s white-knuckled war saga and thrilling cat-and-mouse game is told through the eyes of the men on both sides of Operation Nemo.
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LOVED IT. Great storytelling. Engaging.
- By DucatiRacer M.D. on 04-04-25
By: Charles Lachman
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On the Burning Edge
- A Fateful Fire and the Men Who Fought It
- By: Kyle Dickman
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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On June 28, 2013, a single bolt of lightning sparked an inferno that devoured more than 8,000 acres in Northern Arizona. Twenty elite firefighters - the Granite Mountain Hotshots - walked together into the blaze, tools in their hands and fire shelters on their hips. Only one of them walked out.
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Be on the fire line, and in their heads.
- By Desiree May on 04-29-16
By: Kyle Dickman
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Race of Aces
- WWII's Elite Airmen and the Epic Battle to Become the Master of the Sky
- By: John R. Bruning
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1942, America's deadliest fighter pilot, or "ace of aces" - the legendary Eddie Rickenbacker - offered a bottle of bourbon to the first US fighter pilot to break his record of 26 enemy planes shot down. Seizing on the challenge to motivate his men, General George Kenney promoted what they would come to call the "race of aces" as a way of boosting the spirits of his war-weary command.
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Boring, confusing storyline, some technical details wrong
- By ATM on 04-09-20
By: John R. Bruning
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The Fire Line
- The Story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots
- By: Fernanda Santos
- Narrated by: Ari Fliakos
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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When a bolt of lightning ignited a hilltop in the sleepy town of Yarnell, Arizona, in June of 2013, setting off a blaze that would grow into one of the deadliest fires in American history, the 20 men who made up the Granite Mountain Hotshots sprang into action. An elite crew trained to combat the most challenging wildfires, the Granite Mountain Hotshots were a ragtag family crisscrossing the American West and wherever else the fires took them. The Hotshots were loyal to one another and dedicated to the tough job they had.
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touching
- By matt on 05-04-16
By: Fernanda Santos
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Burnt
- A Memoir of Fighting Fire
- By: Clare Frank
- Narrated by: Clare Frank
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Burnt is a book about finding your calling, even if it's an unexpected one. It's about finding your home, even if you aren't immediately welcomed. And it's about reaching the top and making a difference, even if you don't look like you fit in.
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Badass
- By SkoGirl on 08-21-24
By: Clare Frank
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The Rescuer
- One Firefighter’s Story of Courage, Darkness, and the Relentless Love That Saved Him
- By: Jason Sautel, D.R. Jacobsen - contributor
- Narrated by: Mark Smeby
- Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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He helped save people every day - but he had no idea how to save himself. Jason Sautel had it all. Confident in his abilities and trusted by his fellow firefighters, he was making a name for himself on the streets of Oakland, California. His adrenaline-fueled job even helped him forget the pain of his childhood - until the day he looked into the eyes of a jumper on the Bay Bridge and came face-to-face with a darkness he knew would take him down as well.
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Real..... and good!
- By Anonymous User on 03-07-21
By: Jason Sautel, and others
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Little and Often
- A Memoir
- By: Trent Preszler
- Narrated by: Matt Bomer
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Trent Preszler thought he was living the life he always wanted, with a job at a winery and a seaside Long Island home, when he was called back to the life he left behind. After years of estrangement, his cancer-stricken father had invited him to South Dakota for Thanksgiving. It would be the last time he saw his father alive. Preszler’s only inheritance was a beat-up wooden toolbox that had belonged to his father, who was a cattle rancher, rodeo champion, and Vietnam War Bronze Star Medal recipient. This family heirloom befuddled Preszler.
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So good
- By Trevor Stanco on 04-28-21
By: Trent Preszler
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The Last Goodnight
- A World War II Story of Espionage, Adventure, and Betrayal
- By: Howard Blum
- Narrated by: Tristan Morris
- Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Betty Pack was charming, beautiful, and intelligent - and she knew it. As an agent for Britain's MI6 and then America's OSS during World War II, these qualities proved crucial to her success. This is the remarkable story of this "Mata Hari from Minnesota" ( Time) and the passions that ruled her tempestuous life - a life filled with dangerous liaisons and death-defying missions vital to the Allied victory.
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Fascinating
- By Salui on 11-30-16
By: Howard Blum
What listeners say about Granite Mountain
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Rick Kay
- 06-27-18
Fantastic
What a great story. After seeing the movie that is based upon this book, I had to listen to the Audible version. I would have loved it that much more if the narration was from Brendan but overall I was very pleased with how it was portrayed. The story gives you a behind the scenes look at what it's like to work as a team to fight incredible fires with little reward. It also portrays how a person's life can change dramatically for the good given the opportunity and support of good, caring people.
Well done Brendan.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-18-18
Great story.
Loved this audio book. I could not stop listening. Narrated beautifully. I liked that it gave great insight into the fraternity of fire fighting.
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- Jim J
- 04-25-17
Great lessons to be learned!
The events of June 30, 2013 at Yarnell have effected the lives of so many people in the fire world. Brendan has amazing courage to share the story with us.
I found myself thinking many times during the book, that he is so young, and he has carried the burden of old men.
Thanks for sharing your life dude!
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- Amazon Customer
- 12-30-21
Emotional book. Thank you Brendan.
Super emotional in the last chapters, what really hit me was Brendan talking about his depression and PTSD. I’d seen the movie multiple times but Brendan’s greave was new insight, which I could relate to from the tragic losses in my life. The feeling that everyone you love leaves and feeling alone in the pain, really hit my heart. Brendan got his finger tattoo in our shop in Chino but I sadly missed meeting him that day. Thank you Brendan for telling this story, as hard as it was. ♥️
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- Ty Andras
- 12-08-22
Amazing Book!!!!!
Absolutely amazing book on wildland firefighting and superb tribute to Granite Mountain Hotshots by one of their own. The writer gives a first hand narrative through several seasons of fighting fire. This book is chocked full of valuable information, stories, and is so inspiring. One of the best books ever written about wildland firefighting by far.
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- Anne
- 02-16-20
beautifully done
sad but moving tribute to the 19 who lost their lives eye opening about hotshots
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-04-21
Thank You
Mr. Donut: as a mother of a wildland firefighter, this story hits home. Thank you for sharing your experience and story with the Granite Mountain Hotshots. Because you loved your brothers SO much, you will never "get over" your grief, you will learn to live with their memory, their legacy will live through your life. May the Creator bless you and guide you for the remainder of your days.
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- Marie G.
- 04-12-22
A Gripping True Story — Do NOT Miss This Story!
I have to start this review by saying I didn’t have much hope for the young Mr. McDonough once he fell into drug use as a teenager. He didn’t seem to have much of a future, wasn’t going anywhere meaningful and certainly wasn’t going to make ANYTHING of his life. Well, he certainly proved me wrong! He had a good heart right from the beginning, but his upbringing, which included constant moving and hanging out with tough kids, didn’t help him develop a strong character.
As it turns out, he just hadn’t met the RIGHT guys to hang out with. He met a band of brothers: 19 guys who pushed him to be the best version of himself he could be. They accepted him as one of their own and gave him the permanent home and acceptance he never felt he had growing up. In return, he gave all he had to show these men he was worthy of being part of their family.
Mr. McDonough went through full drug withdrawal while on the job, learning to be a fully trained Hotshot firefighter. That alone spoke volumes to me about his determination and strength of character.
As time went on, he learned more about each of the guys in his division, and the more he got to know each one and the circumstances of their lives, the more he grew to love each one, and they grew to love and respect him. They taught him everything they knew. Together, they fought wildfires shoulder-to-shoulder.
Then came the tragic day that took all his brothers from him. Mr. McDonough had to deal with not only tremendous sorrow, but horrible survivor’s guilt. He not only lost his brothers, but also the job he loved, the one thing besides his little girl that gave him purpose. Gone, in just a few tragic minutes…
Mr. McDonough had to fight his way through depression and survivor’s guilt in order to go on. He had to find another purpose in life. He almost didn’t make it, but, he reinvented himself again and now has new purpose as an advocate for his brothers and sisters still on the wildfire fighting lines. He is now a strong advocate for better pay, better working conditions and much more sophisticated equipment for wildfire fighters. I have no doubt he will be successful in these endeavors because his efforts are fueled by love and by the memories of the brothers he lost in Prescott, Arizona.
Mr. McDonough, a teenager whom I was sure was not going to amount to much, has earned my utmost respect.
I devoured this book in about 16 hours (I carried it with me everywhere — even had it in one hand while running the vacuum with the other)! The narrator did a spectacular job portraying Mr. McDonough’s character.
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- Turtle
- 09-12-22
Inspiring, but sad, my heart goes out to this day
Never will we understand a tragedy like this. Or what really happen, the matter is the sacrifice the wildland hotshots do for us all. “The few against many” of the fires happening now. Thank you
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- Mark T
- 01-16-23
A Great Story!
As a former firefighter, I really enjoyed this book. A case study in Murphy's Law, "what can go wrong will go wrong." Sad that it had to doom such a great team!
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