| This month, let's
talk reading material. Of the many
firefighting books that I've cataloged over the years--
see www.legeros.com/fire/covers--
here are handful worth recommending outright. No library
should be without these. |
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First, the magazine rack. If you don't have one
already, subscribe to Fire Apparatus Journal,
a glossy rag released every other month and now
in full color. Each issue packs several dozen
photographs of posed apparatus, primarily
American and Canadian and most of them modern.
Regular columns include military rigs,
fireboats, and industrial apparatus. There's
even an "In Scale" column about our
very hobby!
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| American Fire Engines Since
1900 by Walter P. McCall. The "bible" of fire
engine books was published by Crestline in 1976,
but is still readily available from used book
dealers. Over 2,000 black-and-white photographs
populate 383 informative pages, with chapters
divided into years after 1905. All that's
missing is a numbered index. |
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| The F.D.N.Y Super Pumper System by John
A. Calderone. First published in 1985 by Fire
Apparatus Journal Publications, this stapled
soft cover was reprinted this year to the
delight of apparatus buffs. Over 84 pages, the
author details the history of the famous system
and includes dozens of great photographs.
Includes 18 color photos. |
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Gatefold Book of Fire Engines by
Clifford T Jones. Published by Barnes &
Noble books in 1999, this spiral-bound hardcover
features 36 pullout "gatefold" color
photographs of fire engines of model years from
1920 to 1967. Over half are American rigs and
the pullout pages include both front and back
shots. Like McCall's book, this one's also
out-of-print but still available from used book
dealers. |
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| A Guide to New York City Fire Apparatus:
2002 Edition by John A. Calderone (ed.).
This small, stapled soft cover from Fire
Apparatus Journal Publications is a full-color
review of New York City fire apparatus.
Engines, ladders, special ops, reserve units,
they're all here. Sample supplants an
earlier 1995 guide. 96 pages. |
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| The History of Fire Engines by John A.
Calderone. Barnes & Noble Books also
published this handsome hardcover in 1997, an
excellent history of fire apparatus that's
nearly entirely in color and features big,
bright, and often full-page apparatus photos.
It's also out-of-print, but still available from
used book dealers. 128 pages. |
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| Los Angeles City Fire Apparatus: 1953-1999
Photo Archive by Chuck Madderom.
Iconografix publishes dozens of these soft
cover, 128-page, black-and-white photo
archives. Most of the fire apparatus
titles are based on manufacturers, but this 2000
collection of LA City rigs is pleasing for pics
of both the classic Crowns and various
specialized pieces of equipment. |
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| Special Police Vehicles by Larry
Shapiro. Though not a "fire book" per
se, this 1999 soft cover from Motorbooks
International features 80 color photographs of
law enforcement vehicles, including a chapter on
the NYPD Emergency Services Unit. That's
an ESU ERV, military surplus M75 on the cover.
96 pages. |
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There are others, of course. Iconografix has produced
other notable photo archives, such as Mack Model CF Fire
Trucks and Private and Industrial Fire Apparatus.
They've also released more expansive surveys, such as Heavy
Rescue Trucks: 1931-2000 and Wildland Fire Apparatus:
1940-2001.
Donald F. Wood and Wayne Sorensen's Big
City Fire Truck volumes are photo-filled, as is Sheila
Buff's Fire Engines in North America. For color
photos, Motorbooks International has other titles.
For
really old apparatus, W. Fred Conway's books Chemical Fire
Engines and Those Magnificent Steam Fire Engines are
recommended. For hard-core historians, Matthew Lee's A Pictorial
History of the Fire Engine, Volume 2 is unsurpassed.
Now if I could just find a copy of Volume 1...
Do you have favorite fire book? Did I forget an essential
volume? Let me know.
A version of this column originally appeared at
Code 3 Collectibles .
Copyright 2023 by Michael J. Legeros
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