Product Description

On September 11th, Battalion Commander Richard 'Pitch' Picciotto was the highest ranking fire department commander in the twin towers when the North Tower fell. Pitch and his men were on the 17th floor racing upward when the world seemed to explode around them. From his intimate knowledge of the Towers gained during service after the 1993 WTC bombing Pitch was able to lead the firefighters to an alternative stairwell to floor 12 where they were met with a horrifying sight - more than 50 workers too crippled, too old, or too weak to have made their way out on their own. Pitch ordered his firefighters to form a human chain and pushed and cajoled them down the stairs. They were in the 7th floor stairwell when the tower fell, and Pitch and a handful of survivors woke to find themselves buried on the landing of floor 2. This is the story of how Pitch Picciotto led his men and the survivors to safety.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #191214 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

Review
INTERVIEWS: R2 STEVE WRIGHT SHOW will be interviewing Pitch in New York on Friday 21 February - ** this was cancelled as Pitch had to attended a funeral** REVIEWS: 'This book is no literary masterpiece but its strength lies in itsraw edges, the realism of the language and the honesty of the opinions'BIRMINGHAM SUNDAY MERCURY 'This is a harrowing, personal account that sharply brings into deadening focus the terrible events of that day in late summer'WORCESTER EVE NEWS 'Picciotto's moment-by-moment description of events are a lasting tribute to the 343 fallen fire fighters who died on 11 September 2001'JACK O

About the Author
A former New York City police officer, Chief Picciotto had been a Fire marshal, an arson investigator, a lieutenant and a captain, prior to becoming chief in 1992.He holds a B.B.A. degree and has been the recipient of departmental awards and commendations for bravery and meritorious service Picciotto lives in Port Chester, New York with his wife Debbie and his son Stephen.

Customer Reviews

A frightening real account from inside the north tower.
This book is a wonderful tribute to all those who lost their lives in the twin towers on that horrific day in September. I could not put it down - wanting to know what happened next and wishing that I could shorten the suffering these people went through before their final escape. Richard Picciotto's account of what it was like to be inside the North Tower on that morning is frighteningly real - written in a down-to-earth style that enables you to relate so easily and only begin to imagine his pain. This book further exposes not only the pain and horror of those events, but also the true bravery and an ultimate strength to remain optimistic at the hardest of times.

The horse's mouth
Ghostwritten I'm sure, but allowing the down-to-earth FDNY man to speak in his own voice, this is a direct, raw, emotional work which takes the reader right into the heart of the WTC disaster. Richard Picciotto was one of the last men to emerge alive from the rubble of WTC 1, as he and his crew, and a civilian they rescued, were trapped within the only staircase not to collapse completely. This is the story of how they came to be in there - and how they got out again.

As another reviewer said, 'Literature this ain't'; the fireman's voice is blunt and rough and spares no-one in his assessment of how lack of funding to the fire department contributed to the loss of life; he obviously has his own personal beef here which frequently comes across. But he tells the truth as he saw and sees it; and the sense of what it was like to be there and to do that job is far more vivid than could be obtained from a more considered and more 'literary' work.

Highly recommended.

Breathtakingly Emotional
This book is a tribute to all the men and women who risk their lives every day to save others. A truly emotional book which questions "If a tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to hear it, does it make a sound? then if you survive a disaster but nobody hears your cries, do you really survive?" In 10-20 years time I believe that this book will become a film for all to see but the truth and pain will be distorted. There was no bonding huddle with survivors under the rubble, no talk of family and friends on the outside, simply silence.... A must read for all who doubt that there are some good people in the world. God bless the emergency services and every person who loved and lost a life on September 11th.