"In 1949 the Smokejumpers were not far from their origins as parachute jumpers turned stunt performers dropping from the wings of planes at county fairs just for the hell of it plus a few dollars, less hospital expenses."
Page 19

"Since 1910, much of the history of the Forest Service can be translated into a succession of efforts to get firefighters on fires as soon as possible - the sooner, the smaller the fire."
Page 23

"So it shouldn't be surprising that many Smokejumpers never intended to remain Smokejumpers or even to work in the woods for the rest of their lives."
Page 28

"The primary purpose of the first Smokejumpers, then, was still primary to the Smokejumpers of 1949 - to land on a forest fire in a difficult or otherwise inaccessible country before suddenly the universe tried to reduce its own frame of things to ashes and charred grouse."
Page 33

"Although young...