Former Daily News editor pens book about FDNY's 'unprecedented' loss on 9/11

The 343 firetruck along with the FDNY Pipes and Drums and members of the New York City Fire Department participate in the processional as part the FDNY Memorial Service at St. Patrick's Cathedral on September 11, 2021 in New York City.
The 343 firetruck along with the FDNY Pipes and Drums and members of the New York City Fire Department participate in the processional as part the FDNY Memorial Service at St. Patrick's Cathedral on September 11, 2021 in New York City. Photo credit Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — For author Joe Calderone, his new book "Don't Look Back" is a labor of love.

The thriller tells what Calderone, former investigations editor of the New York Daily News, believes to be the untold stories of the flaws and failures that led to the deaths of 343 firefighters on 9/11.

"I don't think it got enough of the public's attention, and certainly in terms of the city's response," he said.

‘Don’t Look Back’ by former investigative Daily News editor Joe Calderone.
"Don’t Look Back" by former investigative Daily News editor Joe Calderone Photo credit Simon & Schuster

Calderone had covered the FDNY extensively before the 9/11 attacks. In the aftermath, he chose to explore the department's enormous loss that day.

"Even in this kind of horrific event, which nobody anticipated, to lose that many firefighters in one day was just unheard of — unprecedented and not something that anybody anticipated," he added.

Joe Calderone
Joe Calderone Photo credit Ana J. Calderone

From his experience, Calderone wrote from the perspective of an FDNY family who lost their son on 9/11 and was looking for answers.

"The book tries to capture those families' efforts and their desire for justice for their loved ones in the FDNY," the author said.

Since 9/11, the FDNY and the city have reconstructed and reimagined the department to take on new challenges.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images