Books
Desmond, Matthew, On the Fireline: Living and Dying with Wildland Firefighters. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007.
- C. Wright Mills Award Finalist
- Genevieve Gorst Herfurth Award for Outstanding Research in Social Studies
- Choice Editor’s Pick
Click here to read the new review in Science
Click here to read the introductory chapter.
“Rich in gritty detail, Matthew Desmond’s sociological study of a firecrew is a welcome addition to the literature of wildfire. His four years on a backcountry Forest Service crew provide authentic material—sometimes startlingly so—for his observations. If you want a look behind the flames to see what drives these people to come back year after blistering year then read this book.”
—John N. Maclean, author of Fire on the Mountain
“On the Fireline is a riveting account of firemen of the U.S. Forest Service tackling wildland fires, as well as a detailed chronicle of the training, preparation, and bonhomie of depot life. By exploring how joining a firecrew matches, confirms, and extends the values of the rural culture within which the recruits grew up, Desmond offers a unique perspective on the social and psychological motivations for firefighting. The richness of the data he uncovers and his arresting style of presentation make this a distinctive and evocative work.”
—Paul Willis, author of Learning to Labor
“In recent years, ethnographers have tried to face up to the Bourdieuian challenge of showing how aspects of culture are rooted in daily practices and bodies. In this beautifully written work of participant observation, Matthew Desmond takes us into the world of wildland firefighters to help us better understand the dynamics of dangerous organizations and the workers who hold the line. At the same time, he moves ethnography forward: rather than following the all too common procedure of asserting the existence of knowledges that ‘go without saying’ for his subjects, Desmond shows in detail how habitus actually operates in everyday life.”
—Mitchell Duneier, author of Sidewalk and Slim’s Table
Forthcoming & in Progress
Desmond, Matthew, and Mustafa Emirbayer, The Sociology of Racial Domination. New York: McGraw-Hill, forthcoming (2009).
Emirbayer, Mustafa and Matthew Desmond, The Theory of Racial Domination, book manuscript.