Joe Corso

Best collection of fire fighting short stories ever!

This book is a collection of five short stories written by Joe Corso, a retired fire fighter from notes he compiled whilst in service.

Whether you want a glimpse into the true life of a fire fighter, or are just looking for a fantastic collection of stories, this is definitely the book for you!

The author has an amazing ability to bring his stories to life, his vivid descriptions of the locations, situations and emotions felt has you sitting show more on the edge of your seat, itching to turn the page to find the outcome and yet not wanting the story to end.

Each story is completely different, but all contain the crew of Engine 24 of the FDNY to whom the book is dedicated.

This is a compelling collection of short stories. I finished them feeling that I had been allowed a privileged insight not only into the very real dangerous world of a fire fighter, but also, that I had been able to feel the sense of the comradeship, dedication, duty and loyalty to fellow workers they share.

I hope the author continues to write more FIRE stories for his number one fan! show less

In this book, I was intrigued to learn about Joe’s very first days as a fire fighter. I will be the first to openly admit that I love Joe Corso’s stories about his career, and, as he recounts his memories, I felt as if I was transported into the very soul of the young Joe. He describes his very first day and meeting the men he was to worked with, men whose courage and dedication he strove to emulate throughout his career. Experienced fire fighters ,who took the young rookie under their show more wing, guided and encouraged him, whilst all the time instilling in him the firm codes and values they worked by.

There’s so much in this book. The Prologue, which has been researched by members of the IAFF tells the history of the Maltese Cross, which is the international symbol of the fire service. I loved reading Joe’s recollections of the alarm calls they went on, the unusual characters he met, and how this close knit brotherhood of men dealt with the odd bad apple or two. I also discovered that there are many types of fires, and whilst all are dangerous, the smoke alone given off of the source materials of some can be deadly. Then the history of the old fire brigade building came to life, as Joe and his friend had to recover the old fire station journals from the roof space, and discover other things, stored there.

At the end, Joe has looked back at the animal hero’s of the service, the brave fire horses and included an interesting and humorous article by Jim Blanchard of the Saugus Fire Department and a fantastic photograph.

What can I say, this book captivated me, I just could not put it down. I loved reading of the true comradeship, loyalty and brotherhood of these brave men as seen through the eyes of the author as a young man, and the pictures within were just fantastic to see - the icing on the cake as they say. show less

A fantastic mixture of action and politics.

As a daughter, when your father allows you a glimpse into his past, telling stories which help you understand the man he has become it’s an honour. So, when Bobby Valentine visits his daughter Lynn she cannot resist asking for just one more tale about his life at The Starlight Club. How can a father refuse?

Set in the early sixties with John Kennedy as President and Bobby Kennedy as his Attorney General.

Getting to President is no easy thing, show more strings have to be pulled, deals made, the right introductions and for all this, there is a price to pay. Promises made by others are not binding, some people believe, and Bobby Kennedy calls on Agent Lonegan to recruit mercenaries who become rogue “Federal Agents.”

When the time honoured rules and promises are broken the Mafia are not happy and retaliation is the name of the game. Who did kill John Kennedy?

Along with new characters, all our favourites are still here from the rest of this brilliant series of stories, and their lives evolve in it.

With an exciting story line, which encompasses murder, mystery, boxing, politics and much more, Joe Corso has written yet another classic.

Let’s hope we see a Starlight Club IV soon. show less

Fascinating stories.

This book is a compilation of the three books Engine 24: Fire Stories written by retired New York City fire fighter Joe Corso, and dedicated to the members of Engine 24 of the New York City Fire Department.

If you are looking for action, suspense, dangerous situations, and want to feel as if you are actually walking into those blazing buildings with the fire snaking around you, then these are the stories for you, written from notes taken after fires fought by the author show more and his comrades.

They also provide a very interesting history of New York, over the years. Not only the famous fires but also the race riots, secret places, and the horses role in the fire service. For me personally, however, these stories are compelling reading because they are personal, one man’s recollections of his life in the fire fighting service, snapshots in time, one offs, which can never be repeated ever again...

In one of the stories, he tells, is of his first day as a fire fighter. As you sit, reading his description of that day, written from the heart, so many years later, you feel as if you are there, a silent witness, watching the young Joe as he meets his fellow workers for the first time and they take him under their wing. These are the men who taught him, brave, dedicated, and loyal, and these same qualities they installed in him, and he has striven to emulate, throughout his career.

Reading these stories it is easy to understand the close bonds, which these brave men have with their comrades. When they are facing such unpredictable danger, it is imperative they can trust them, literally with their lives, and that trust must be earned. As a result, they become a close family, and the care they have for each other reaches far beyond the Fire Station walls.

I have loved reading these stories, for me, they have everything, action, suspense, history but above all, human interest. I wish he would write more... show less