Mr. J. MALECKY IS THE Book Reviewer for the 1st responders new WEb site: The Book for June- 2016 is "The Man Behind Badge 711" by Thomas Cooney This is a paperback 8 inches by 5 inches and has 169 pages. It is written by a man who put in 20 years with the New York City Fire Department. We have shown reviews of videos in this publications of the War Years, a period of time when the department saw its most work with fires and other emergencies. The author, a soft spoken, mild mannered man with a big heart, put his career in during many of those years and most of the time was spent at Ladder 30 in Harlem. His badge number (711) many times turned out to be lucky for him, sparing him from serious injury and even death. He was appointed in 1959 and retired in 1979. He writes about his memoirs from the very beginning in training through the many fires and emergencies he responded to. He includes some family life from the firehouse perspective, the brotherhood of firefighters and how they help each other out on and off the job. I remember when on the job whenever I needed a tradesman to help me out I always canvassed the roster of my FD to see who specialized in what trade. They were the first ones I considered. No different here. Some of the book tells of a unique part time job that he had while he was still a firefighter. Still other jobs that he held after retirement are touched on. The book has 32 remarkable chapters that should keep the reader turning pages. There are good times as well as tragic times written about/ Many of the fires and rescues are described in detail. Many of the memorable tragic fires and incidents are touched on as well. I enjoyed reading this book so much that I did it twice! Due to the sources that this book is available from and that it was reviewed sometime before the review's printing, the price may vary slightly either way.