All Fired Up
Tales of a Country Fireman

Name: All Fired Up
Brand: Hachette UK
Availability: InStock
Author: Malcolm Castle
ISBN: 9781409142010

Author: Malcolm Castle

Narrator: Dean Williamson

Unabridged: 8 hr 29 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Orion

Published: 03/22/2012

Categories: Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Fire & Emergency Services, Memoirs, Humor

Synopsis

Nothing about the county fire service was quite what Malcolm expected when he joined the watch in Shrewsbury. As the newest member of the service he was first in line when swans terrorised the high street - and when a flock of owls got stuck on the roof of his local pub. Eighteen years old and more than ready to rush into burning buildings to save fair damsels in distress, young Malcolm soon realised he was more likely to be jumping into slurry pits and rivers to rescue any number of unfortunate animals. But for all the embarrassing situations Malcolm found himself in there were heart-stopping dramas too - and tragic farm and house fires. As he learns on the job and begins to win the respect of the old-timers, Malcolm starts to feel that maybe, one day, he just might make it as a fireman. But first he has to catch the eye of the smiley secretary in the office opposite the station ...

Funny, moving and gloriously nostalgic, All Fired Up paints a unique portrait of rural Britain - and shows just how surprising a fireman's life can be.

Read by Dean Williamson

(p) 2012 Isis Publishing Ltd

About Malcolm Castle

Malcolm Castle joined the Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service as a very young 18 year old in 1980. He recently retired after 31 years on Red Watch at Shrewsbury Fire Station. He is the author of ALL FIRED UP and GREAT BALES OF FIRE. Visit Malcolm Castle's website at www.malcolm-castle.co.uk and follow him on Twitter athttps://twitter.com/MalcolmCastle

About Dean Williamson

Dean Williamson is a professional actor with a great deal of experience in Film, TV and Theatre.Voice work includes film and TV dubbing, corporate and commercial work, as well as audio guides and audio books. Previous audio books include Hell's Fire, The Edge and Cut Adrift by Chris Simms, Even The Dogs by Jon McGregor and The Water Theatre by Lindsay Clarke.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Dorian on October 20, 2014

This is a book of reminiscences, of the author's first year or so as a fireman in Shrewsbury in the early 1980s. Some of the incidents are amusing - some are horrible. The work environment actually sounds pretty toxic in some ways; as newest man the author is given all the worst jobs, made to spend......more

Goodreads review by Wilde on August 21, 2015

A fireman recounts some anecdotes from his early career. Some of the stories were interesting / amusing, some were a bit unpleasant and the writing was a bit flat but overall a reasonable read.......more

Goodreads review by Mark on July 26, 2023

Good read, enjoyed it more than i thought, looking forward to the other books in the series......more

Goodreads review by Mark on May 18, 2018

A very enjoyable book that captures the raw enthusiasm of a new fireman in the 1980s. He captures the stories of his transition from newbie to established watch member well and presents the colleagues involved sensitively and objectively. I particularly liked the portrayal of Caddie. Some would lamen......more

Goodreads review by LAURA on May 03, 2018

a book set near where i live all about malcolm learning to be a fireman full of tales of his work but also a very human story about how he came to be a fireman his training how he learnt to curtail his enthusiasm into a more dedicated service exams and his final results a very human story the servic......more

Quotes

Humorous and surprising in equal measure. Hilarious DAILY EXPRESS

A hugely interesting read, one of those books that you finish and want more. It captures the camaraderie of the crews, their banter and humour and recall some of the more memorable call-outs, some tragic but others the stuff of lasting anecdotes SHROPSHIRE STAR