Haley Booksellers & Rescue Men by Charles Kenney

Kenney Helps Watertown Salute a Local Hero

Retired Watertown fire captain Larry Lord was honored before Kenney's reading. As a young Navy serviceman, Lord saved numerous lives at the Cocoanut Grove fire.

Chief Orangio of the Watertown Fire Department spoke eloquently about Larry Lord's many acts of bravery.

If you haven't seen the newly renovated Watertown Free Public Library, we strongly suggest you check it out. We'll be back soon with more books and authors.

Order a signed hardcover: $26

About Rescue Men

“Charlie Kenney has done it again. Rescue Men is told in clean, disciplined prose, full of energy and compassion. It’s really good.” Robert B. Parker

Charlie Kenney's grandfather, Pops, was born in Somerville and joined the Boston Fire Department in 1932. He saved lives and was seriously injured at the infamous Cocoanut Grove fire in 1942. Charlie's father, Sonny, had his stint with the Boston Fire Department cut short after being brutally blown out of a third-story window. Two of the author's brothers had their lifelong career dreams crushed by a court order integrating the Boston Fire Department in the 1970s. One brother eventually became a police officer, the other a rescue man who was sent to Ground Zero after the collapse of the World Trade Center on 9/11. Rescue Men is a look at 60 years of firefighting history in Boston through the prism of family and personal experience.

Charles Kenney, a former writer for The Boston Globe, is the co-author of the nonfiction books Keep the Faith, Change the Church and the author of John F. Kennedy: The Presidential Portfolio as well as the novels The Last Man, Code of Vengeance, and The Son of John Devlin. He currently lives in Boston.

Rescue Men Links

Official site

The Boston Globe review 3/27/2007

Listen to Kenney interview on Greater Boston with Emily Rooney (Feb 14)

The Somerville Journal article

Listen to Rescue Men on WBUR

Watch Kenney interview on NECN

PublicAffairs

The Cocoanut Grove Fire

The Vendome Hotel Fire

The Luongo Restaurant Fire

Boston Fire Museum

Boston Sparks Association

Wilmington Memorial Library hosts Charlie Kenney & Rescue Men

Wilmington Fire Chief & Charles Kenney

The Wilmington Fire Chief stopped by to check out Charlie's reading. Thanks to everyone who attended, and thanks to the librarians for providing such a great room (and the cookies and coffee weren't bad, either).

Charles Kenney

Local Library Tour for Charles Kenney's Rescue Men Begins in South Boston & Somerville

The assembled crowd included a slew of retired firefighters and their families, men and women who knew well the characters and catastrophes recounted in Rescue Men.

Bill Brett & Charles Kenney

A lousy picture of a great photographer: Bill Brett (Boston, All One Family) introduces Charles Kenney.

Charles Kenney

Kenney chats with one of the many former and current Boston firefighters that attended the reading.

Charles Kenney & Jack Canavan

Kenney with Jack Canavan, the firefighter pictured on the cover of Rescue Men.