
Ordinary Heroes
A Memoir of 9/11
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Narrated by:
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Fred Sanders
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By:
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Joseph Pfeifer
About this listen
New York Times best seller
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.
©2021 Joseph Pfeifer (P)2021 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
Ordinary Heroes is clear-eyed, spellbinding, extraordinary.” (Vanity Fair)
"Pfeifer’s record of that day and its aftermath surely enters the canon as one of the necessary documents of 9/11. But it’s his inclusive sense of public service, one that values the heroism of those who do ordinary things in extraordinary times, that makes Ordinary Heroes a book for today. (The New York Times)
"With great humility, Chief Pfeifer has crafted a moving story of how the FDNY was anything but ordinary in the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack this country has ever seen. An incredible picture of the resilience, humor, and heart of New York’s bravest." (Jon Stewart)
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-
Story
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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Pride & Ownership
- A Firefighter's Love of the Job
- By: Rick Lasky
- Narrated by: Rick Lasky
- Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Pride & Ownership holds no punches. Chief Rick Lasky takes a hard look at the fire service and finds it short on the only element that makes it effective: passion. Chief Lasky gives an upfront and honest criticism about the need to reignite the love of the job on every level, from chiefs and on down. Do you have what it takes?
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I had a hard time making my way through this.
- By Zachary Simmons on 12-30-21
By: Rick Lasky
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3000 Degrees
- The True Story of a Deadly Fire and the Men Who Fought It
- By: Sean Flynn
- Narrated by: Richard Rohan
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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On December 3, 1999, the call crackled in to the men of the Worchester, Massachusetts Fire Department: a three-alarm warehouse blaze in a six-story windowless colossus of brick and mortar. What happened next - and how their lives and community were changed forever - offers an unprecedented look at these heroic men whose job it is to rush into burning buildings when everyone else just wants out.
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a book about a very heroic breed
- By Andy on 06-03-03
By: Sean Flynn
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The Only Plane in the Sky
- An Oral History of September 11, 2001
- By: Garrett M. Graff
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 15 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Beginning in the predawn hours of airports in the Northeast, we meet the ticket agents who unknowingly usher terrorists onto their flights, and the flight attendants inside the hijacked planes. In New York City, first responders confront a scene of unimaginable horror at the Twin Towers. From a secret bunker underneath the White House, officials watch for incoming planes on radar. Aboard the small number of unarmed fighter jets in the air, pilots make a pact to fly into a hijacked airliner if necessary to bring it down.
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This should be required listening
- By LManc on 09-13-19
By: Garrett M. Graff
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A Thousand Naked Strangers
- A Paramedic's Wild Ride to the Edge and Back
- By: Kevin Hazzard
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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In the aftermath of 9/11, Kevin Hazzard felt that something was missing from his life - his days were too safe, too routine. A failed salesman turned local reporter, he wanted to test himself, see how he might respond to pressure and danger. He signed up for emergency medical training and became, at age 26, a newly minted EMT running calls in the worst sections of Atlanta. His life entered a different realm - one of blood, violence, and amazing grace.
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A Wild Ride You Won't Forget!
- By Kathy in CA on 05-23-17
By: Kevin Hazzard
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First In, Last Out
- Leadership Lessons from the New York Fire Department
- By: John Salka Battalion Chief FDNY, Dennis Smith - Introduction by, Barret Neville - With
- Narrated by: John Salka
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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As a high-ranking officer of the FDNY, John Salka is an expert at both practicing and teaching high-stakes leadership. In First In, Last Out, he explains the department's unique strategies and how they can be adopted by leaders in any field - as he has taught them to organizations around the country. In a tough-talking, no-nonsense style, Salka uses real-world stories to convey leadership imperatives.
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Very Good.
- By Dustin Titzman on 10-22-21
By: John Salka Battalion Chief FDNY, and others
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Riding the Lightning
- A Year in the Life of a New York City Paramedic
- By: Anthony Almojera
- Narrated by: Anthony Almojera
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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As a seasoned paramedic and union leader, Anthony Almojera thought he could handle anything his job threw at him. Like many medical first responders, he came from a troubled background and carried the traumas of the city as well as its triumphs. He had grown up in the rough-and-tumble Park Slope of the 1980s, been homeless for a time, and had watched murder, addiction, and hopelessness consume those closest to him. But he had dedicated his life to helping people in need, and while every day was filled with tragedy—stabbings, shootings, accidents, suicides—it also brought moments of uplift.
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Concerning
- By Owen monk on 01-30-23
By: Anthony Almojera
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Report from Engine Co. 82
- By: Dennis Smith
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 2 hrs and 55 mins
- Abridged
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Report from Engine Co. 82 is the story of one company of New York firefighters battling unimaginable death and destruction every day. Dennis Smith worked as a firefighter in the South Bronx, New York City, and the graphic detail and gripping prose of this firefighting classic drives the most important, accomplished, terrifying audiobook ever published on firefighting.
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stog was good
- By Bagladybl on 08-24-21
By: Dennis Smith
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Burnt Out
- A Paramedic’s Memoir
- By: Chad Davis
- Narrated by: Michael Bower
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
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Chad shares the highs, the lows, and everything in between during his career as a paramedic, as well as the personal highs and lows. His stories highlight the dance between being fine, and burning out, as well as how the system fails to serve those who have dedicated their lives and careers to serving others.
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great
- By shel on 07-08-24
By: Chad Davis
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Angels in the ER
- Inspiring True Stories from an Emergency Room Doctor
- By: Robert Lesslie
- Narrated by: Pat Grimes
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Twenty-five years in the ER could become a résumé for despair, but for best-selling author Dr. Robert D. Lesslie, it's a foundation for inspiring stories of everyday angels - friends, nurses, doctors, patients, and even strangers who offer love, help, and support in the midst of trouble. The ER is a difficult and challenging place to be. Yet the same pressures and stresses that make this place so challenging also provide an opportunity to experience some of life's greatest wonders and mysteries.
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As a nurse for 54 years, I applaud your effort to paint a true picture of Emergency Medicine!
- By Reading Grandma on 08-30-21
By: Robert Lesslie
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Smokejumper
- A Memoir by One of America's Most Select Airborne Firefighters
- By: Jason A. Ramos, Julian Smith
- Narrated by: Ned Vaughn
- Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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In this extraordinarily rare memoir by an active-duty jumper, Jason Ramos takes listeners into his exhilarating and dangerous world, explores smokejumping's remarkable history, and explains why their services are more essential than ever before.
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About damn time a book on wildland firefighting was written!!!
- By Jefferer R. Beren on 07-16-15
By: Jason A. Ramos, and others
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Confessions of a Trauma Junkie
- My Life as a Nurse Paramedic, 2nd Edition
- By: Sherry Lynn Jones
- Narrated by: Kristine M Bowen
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
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Share the innermost feelings of emergency services workers as they encounter trauma, tragedy, redemption, and even a little humor. This audiobook details a progression from innocence to enlightened caregiver to burnout, glimpsing into each stage personally and professionally.
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Confessions of a trauma junkie
- By Deborah on 07-17-18
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Granite Mountain
- The Firsthand Account of a Tragic Wildfire, Its Lone Survivor, and the Firefighters Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice
- By: Brendan McDonough, Stephan Talty - contributor
- Narrated by: John Glouchevitch
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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Thank you Brendan
- By Kenton on 06-07-16
By: Brendan McDonough, and others
What listeners say about Ordinary Heroes
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- Anonymous User
- 09-18-21
I couldn’t put the book down.
Very well written, I felt like I was one there with Chief! Such a great yet sad story!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-21-23
Great book
Really brings the reality of 911 and being a firefighter to life. Recommend for all alive during 911 and after.
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- Josh jordan
- 04-06-25
The transparency of what occurred that day told by the chief
It was a great listen I’d recommend this audiobook to anyone because everyone needs to hear what happened that day and the advancements made to prevent another day like 9/11
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- Alberto Rivero
- 11-12-21
great boom
This brought back so many memories of working the pile but at the same time really showed all of the behind the scenes things that went on and how the work kept going on after the clean up.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Kindle Customer
- 07-20-23
Heart tugging
Loved it gut wrenching saw the movie by Jules and now kno saw the story behind the story
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- Brian B
- 06-03-24
Mesmerizing
This book takes you step by step through the ordinary firehouse life to the aftermath of 9/11.
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- Scott K
- 06-28-22
Unbelievably Powerful
This story is one of so many ups and downs and is truly remarkable. It’s overall message is that of pure hope and inspiration for a better future. I am deeply moved by this book and would like to appreciate Chief Pfeifer for writing his story. My heart also goes out to the 343 ordinary heroes of the FDNY that died on 9/11.
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- Shaun Kelly
- 09-17-23
Reliving the event through another
Very sobering and humbling perspective on a place in time while 22 years later feels like yesterday. I come back to this and re-listen every September.
Well written and well narrated.
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- DKSTRYKER
- 11-07-23
Incredible & inspiring.
chief Pfiefer's account here is an immaculately remarkably astounding story of Courage, Devotion, Hope, Love, & Recovery. Chief Pfeifer devotes himself entirely to tell the story of the courageous souls all around him who without question went up the stairwells, elevators, and secured the plaza and blocks around the world trade center so people from the WTC could get to safety and other rescue personnel could get in safely and do they're duty to the fullest. So many people made it out of the WTC safely due to Chief Pfeifer's quick response time.
Chief Pfeifer also endlessly helped in the aftermath and recovery efforts in the days and weeks after 9/11. And incredibly he devoted himself to the improving of the FDNY, Paramedics, police, and all first responders in the event of responce to high rise fires, counter terrorism, & biological terroism and he improved first responders communications. He is an incredible American, and for all of his efforts in the rescue & safety and future of those two things, they make Chief Pfeifer an incredible Hero to our country. He devoted himself entirely to improving the FDNY and first responders in the event of a terrorist attack.
I personally liked how Chief Pfeifer improved the FDNY'S marine units, equipping them with higher pressured hoses and units. For instance during the infamous "Landing on the Hudson", the responce time of FDNY marine units was incredible. they were able to rescue everyone within minutes of the plane landing in the Hudson. 200 stars this book gets. it was an amazing story. Please do yourself a favor and read or listen to it!
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- Jerry
- 08-27-24
insight on an "Ordinary Hero" and his incidental journey to history
Since seeing the Naudet brother's documentary, 9/11, I have been fascinated by Joseph Pfeifers' viewpoint through September 11, 2001. This book gives that and more, his incredible experience during 9/11 and the losses he endured.
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