by Tom McCarthy
First published 2019
Two centuries of rescue operations unfold across America's most dangerous terrain. Tom McCarthy chronicles the men and women who risk everything to save strangers in peril. The stories begin with William Lewis Manly's daring mission to reach Gold Rush miners stranded in Death Valley's scorching wilderness. They continue through modern search and rescue teams who partner with the National Park and Forest Services to find lost hikers and evacuate the injured from remote accidents. The rescuers range from police officers to ordinary citizens who refuse to abandon people in crisis. Some missions end in triumph. Others become body recoveries or criminal investigations when evidence points to foul play. Each account reveals the split-second decisions and physical courage required when lives hang in the balance. McCarthy captures the bond between rescuer and victim in moments where survival depends on strangers willing to sacrifice their safety for others.
Genres: history, adventure, biography-memoir, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: sacrifice, triumph-over-adversity
Setting: America, Death Valley
Period: 19th-Century, 20th-Century, 21st-Century
240 pages · Paperback · Lyons Press