In a story that reads like an epic novel, Joe Flood illustrates for us just how our greatest city declined and completely fell apart forty years ago, at the hands of a managing elite who believed they could plan, organize, and control a city by studying computer trends and implementing lofty plans. Our leaders, from Barack Obama to Michael Bloomberg, have much to gain from reading The Fires, and the rest of us have much to lose if we do not read this enlightening and erudite book, for we are on the brink of letting this history repeat itself. (Dennis Smith, author of Report from Engine Co. 82 and Report from Ground Zero)

I arrived in the South Bronx as a young firefighter in 1970. The enormity of the devastation was overwhelming. The fact that the city kept burning, despite the dedication of my fellow firefighters, seemed to defy logical explanation. Joe Flood has done an outstanding job making sense out of the chaos, showing the forces that were permanently reshaping New York—starting with the Fire Department—as it headed for the triumphs and tragedies of the 21st century. (Thomas Von Essen, Former New York City Fire Commissioner (1996-2002) and author of Strong of Heart)

In a novel, fascinating manner, Joe Flood uses the NYC Fire Department as the anvil on which to hammer out the events between 1965 and 1977 that led to the city's collapse and changed the way we run big cities. Although already familiar with what occurred—not only did I live through it, but I inherited it when I became Mayor—I was enthralled by Flood's spectacular and insightful account. (Ed Koch, former Mayor of New York City)

The Fires is a gripping story of human tragedy and intellectual hubris that casts important new light on one of the most extraordinary episodes in the history of urban living. A cross between The Power Broker and The Wire, The Fires gives us crucial answers to a big question: how do cities fail? (Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad is Good for You and The Ghost Map)