Faith. Trust. Triumph.
“I trust Roselle with my life, every day. She trusts me to direct her. And today is no different, except the stakes are higher.” — Michael Hingson
First came the boom?the loud, deep, unapologetic bellow that seemed to erupt from the very core of the earth. Eerily, the majestic high-rise slowly leaned to the south. On the seventy-eighth floor of the World Trade Center’s … seventy-eighth floor of the World Trade Center’s north tower, no alarms sounded, and no one had information about what had happened at 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001?what should have been a normal workday for thousands of people. All that was known to the people inside was what they could see out the windows: smoke and fire and millions of pieces of burning paper and other debris falling through the air.
Blind since birth, Michael couldn’t see a thing, but he could hear the sounds of shattering glass, falling debris, and terrified people flooding around him and his guide dog, Roselle. However, Roselle sat calmly beside him. In that moment, Michael chose to trust Roselle’s judgment and not to panic. They are a team.
Thunder Dog allows you entry into the isolated, fume-filled chamber of stairwell B to experience survival through the eyes of a blind man and his beloved guide dog. Live each moment from the second a Boeing 767 hits the north tower, to the harrowing stairwell escape, to dodging death a second time as both towers fold into the earth.
It’s the 9/11 story that will forever change your spirit and your perspective. Thunder Dog illumiates Hingson’s lifelong determination to achieve parity in a sighted world, and how the rare trust between a man and his guide dog can inspire an unshakable faith in each one of us.
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A great book to help understand the actions that blind people are able to do. it was amazing.
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It is about going down 78 floors in the stairwell of tower 1. He had to keep calm to keep his dog calm but he takes breaks in the trip down to tell you about his life being blind and the amazing life he has been able to live. I recommend this book to everyone.
A well-written book about a dog who becomes a hero. Dedicated to helping people, he risks his own life to save them. Great read!
A personal account of a terror attack on our nation. This is a story of on man’s triumph over evil, as well as personal handicap. It is impossible to forget the bravery exemplified herein.
This true to life story is a compelling saga of a man and his dog who survived Tower 1 of the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001. He is blind and the dog is a Second Sight trained guide dog. They flash back to his childhood and college years. It taught me allot about the challenges of being blind and how a blind person adapts to the sighted world. …
Wonderful dog story plus insights on blindness.
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So very well written and educational in regards to blindness and seeing eye dogs. Reading about the real life experience of someone who survived the 9/11 attacks was heart wrenching not to mention that he is blind. The final chapter that relates to left handed people was also enlightening and made you realize things you don’t think about.
Absolutely loved this journey of the dogs and owner! I found it to be captivating, encouraging,educating,funny and inspiring. I have a renewed outlook on the blind and I hope that I can always act accordingly to the suggestions the author gave.
I liked the story, however I felt the author repeated pieces many times instead of just going forward. I believe that it was written as the author gave his talk to audiences. It was was eyeopening in that the author made me realize if you have a handicap it only slows a person down because of the public’s view of those who can be different from …
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I as a sighted person, I cannot even fathom doing what Mr. Hingson did to come out of the Trade Center. His sense of humor is remarkable.
An inspiring insight on a brave encounter to one of the most horrible events of our present time, something we would never expect to happen here in America. I cannot imagine going through this as a sighted person but for someone blind it was unimaginable. The author’s description of his life before 9/11 and how he learned to ride a bike and drive …
This is a great book that provides another view of the 911 tragedy. Also very informative on blind people and also their dogs. Author did a very good story telling job.
I read this book after the 17th anniversary of 9-11. I was transported back to that day in 2001. This book helped me learn so much about our blind community and the wonderful things they accomplish. I also learned about guide dogs and the training they go through to become someone’s companion. Great read!
The author celebrates his guide dog’s devotion to duty, in her leading him down from the WTC on 911. But this book reaches beyond the story of Roselle’s heroism, it tells a story of a man blind from birth, who is himself heroic, never giving in to what society calls a handicap!! It is also a story of the guide dog initiative and how animals and …
While the basic story is about Michael and his guide dogs escape from the world tower on 911 the author gives many understandings about the world of blind people. We learn about his unique backgroud . There is a lot of information about different technologies that help the blind. The author explains about the training of guide dogs and …
Loved everything about this book, how his parents raised him in the sighted world, the love and devotion of the amazing dogs. Really put you in the WTC trying to get out.
Such an insightful view of being inside one of the twin towers on 9/11. The entire book makes you stop and think. Our treatment of the blind and other people with disabilities needs to change. I now realize they are normal like everyone else, they just have to find alternate ways to cope with some things. If we break our arm,we have to …
September 11th is a day unlike any other for me because of the savagery. I read so many articles of Thunder Dog” & owner; I couldn’t not, not read this book & have it stashed for one day when I feel invincible. Will the day come????????
This is a story about a blind man, his seeing-eye dogs, his journey on 9/11, and his life journey. This book is fine for older elementary-age children through adulthood. Very interesting, thoughtful, and inspirational. Once you begin this book, you will not want to put it down.