Michael HingsonRecensioni

If you know about my no-crying rule for books, then you're probably wondering why I chose this book. I wondered the same thing. Fortunately, it was nothing like I expected. The focus of the story isn't on his escape from the burning tower, but on how he got to that point in the first place. A small part of each chapter tells us about his experience on 9/11, but most of the book is a flashback of Micheal's life. And an amazing life it is. We find out how he used to drive the neighbors crazy riding his bike all over town, and how he likes to mess with people by driving through his college campus.

I learned many things in this book that changed my perception of those with blindness. It reminded me of how I felt that everyone should read John Elder Robison's Be Different in order to get a perspective on how it feels to live with Asperger's.

This is a book about trust and courage on 9/11, but it's also a book about humor, love, and perseverance in life.

I got this book for free from the BookSneeze review program.

As the title says, Thunder Dog is the story of a blind man and his guide dog surviving the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11 by taking the stairs down from the 78th floor after the first plane hit. Michael and Roselle's tale is an amazing one. I just wish it had been given more page time. Each chapter starts with some of the story from 9/11 and then segues over to another aspect of Michael's life before eventually coming back to the title premise. It's not a bad memoir. I just had mismatched expectations for the book.

Thunder Dog is the story of one visually impaired man and his guide dog. On September 11, 2001, the brave duo made it down 78 flights of stairs as the World Trade Center collapsed all around them. The rest of the book is about that man, Michael Hingson, and how he lives with blindness in a “light-dependent” world. It’s a little padded, and the prose is rather flat, but I found the narrative compelling nonetheless.

5590. Thunder Dog The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero, by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory (read 29 Oct 2018) This book, published in 2011, tells the story of the author, who was on the 78th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, with his guide dog on 11 Sept 2001 when the plane hit. It tells of the descent down the stairs and how his dog performed--flawlessly, though the dog earlier that day was terrified by a thunder storm. The book also talks a lot about blindness, the author being blind from birth but how he was mainstreamed and obtained a college education and held responsible jobs, and got about incredibly well, having ridden a bicycle as a boy and doing well much of his life. It is an inspiring and amazing story. When the plane hits the building one has to remind oneself that he does survive.

When the first plane hit the North Tower on the morning of 9/11, Michael Hingson was at work on the 78th floor, preparing to start a presentation to visiting clients of his employer, Quantum. The building shook, and tilted, and his sighted colleagues, who could see the burning papers and other debris falling, started to panic. It was Hingson, believing what he was told but not able to see it, and influenced by the calmness of his guide dog, Roselle, clearly indicating that they weren't in immediate danger, who took control and led an orderly evacuation of the office.

Thunder Dog interleaves the story of Hingson, Roselle, and Hingson's colleagues escaping from Tower One, with the story of Michael Hingson growing up blind in a family that refused to follow then-typical medical advice to isolate him in a home for the blind, but instead "mainstreaming" him before the term was invented. We see how his atypical upbringing--both the fact of his blindness, and the fact that his family expected and supported his full integration into everyday, "sighted" life, helped to develop the skills that in turn enabled him to be a leader in the 9/11 evacuation. Courage was necessary to be a steady, calm force in the stairwell of Tower One, but in many ways it took more courage to get to that point, to overcome assumptions, expectations, and bias to be working, productive professional despite the barriers created by not only his blindness but others' attitudes toward it. This is not the story of a dog, but the story of a partnership between dog and man, each supporting the other, putting their talents and strengths together for the benefit of not only themselves, but everyone around them.

Hingson tells his story with grace and humor, and it's read very effectively by Christopher Prince. As a bonus extra in this audio version, we get a couple of speeches and an interview that Hingson did, delivering even more effectively his wit, humor, and charm.

Highly recommended.

This is a good book with insight into the life of a blind man and the life of guide dogs. The successful escape from Tower 1 on 9/11 was also interesting.

Thunder Dog – The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog and the Triumph of Trust at Ground ZeroBy Michael Hingson with Susy Flory
3.5 stars (round up to four)


That’s quite a sub-title, and it’s quite a story. Michael Hingson was on the 78th floor of the north tower with his guide dog, Roselle on the morning of Sept.11, 2001. This is a memoir of his experience that day, but it is also the story of his life as a blind person in a sighted world. Beginning with his parents’ refusal to have him sent away to a special school, he describes his boyhood attending public school and riding his bike in Palmdale, California. He tells of receiving his first guide dog the subsequent fight with the local school board to allow the dog on the school bus. Each experience from his childhood, undergraduate education, and his later professional career is related with reference to the skills acquired that allowed him to survive the evacuation from the tower.

For the most part this was a very well constructed memoir that kept my interest from beginning to end. As an educator, I was fascinated with Michael’s story of his school years during a time when “mainstreaming” of the disabled was unknown. I was also personally interested because he grew-up in a school district very near to where I teach and we attended the same university at approximately the same time. His first person account of being at Ground Zero is as terrifying as the day itself. The only jarring note in the book was, I think, a bit of poor editing. A small section of the story shifts from Michael’s first person account to his wife’s account of the fateful day, her own disability and their relationship. Her story is just as interesting, but the transition between the two was not well done.

I had a kindle version of this book and I also picked up the audio version from the library. The audio version was very annoying. Each section of the story was punctuated by an unnecessary, militaristic fanfare that interrupted to the presentation. The reader, Christopher Prince, added more confusion to the poorly edited change in narrator when he did not alter his voice in any way to indicate that a new person, let alone a woman, was speaking. The audio did include an interview with Michael Hingson at the end and some pdf material that were worth having.

A fantastic book about what it's like to be blind in the modern world and unique view of what it was like to be there at 9/11.

What ages would I recommend it too? – Thirteen and up.

Length? – Most of a day’s read.

Characters? – Memorable, several characters.

Setting? – Real world 1950 - 2009.

Written approximately? – 2011.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more.

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? No.

Short storyline: This is a biography with scenes shifting from the tragedy of September 11, 2001 to earlier events in the main author's life that prepared him for that event.

Notes for the reader: Large print version. Many places within that contain valuable background, help, and hope for those living with blindness. As a low vision reader, I had hoped to find a few points that would help me as my vision decreases. There is a list of resources in the back that I will research.

Great story until the proselytizing at the end. It was almost 2 books: 1) a nicely woven story of his life as a blind person and his escape from the tower, and then 2) a proselytizing end piece straight from a church pulpit. It's one thing to believe in god and explain how your life is driven and/or guided by belief... but quite another to start expounding on how your view is correct and true and everyone should feel the same well. Fortunately, this piece is at the end so you get to hear the good story up front. And... Yay for service dogs!!! awesome dogs!

I really enjoyed his descriptions of working with the guide dogs he's had. It's a good dog lovers' book.

Blind man and his guide dog descend from the 78th floor of the World Trade Center. Very lot of stairs. Mostly fluff. Not much to say. No great insights.

I found this book repetitive and had a lack of focus. I wasn't into the God spoke to me segments either.

Good book for understanding the life of a blind person, for insight into the work of a guide dog, for the events of 9/11.

Finished this in one sitting. It was a quicker read, and I liked how the book also talks about how Michael Hingson grew up blind and dealt with different things - how he got to the World Trade Center. If you aren't a fan of two storylines at once, this wouldn't be for you. Also, if someone is still really sensitive about things that happened on 9/11, it might not be for you, but it could also be a gentle bridge into a more receptive mode to discuss what happened on 9/11.

Although this book brought back a lot of sad memories of the events of September 11, the emphasis on the love and companionship of Mr. Hingson and his dog Roselle is profound. It proves that goodness prevails in even the darkest times.

All of us alive on that horrific day of September 11, 2001 remember watching in horror as two planes struck the World Trade Center and then the crumbling of both massive towers. I think it was a defining moment for the 21st century. But imagine how it feels for those people actually in the WTC on that day. This is the story that Michael Hingson tells us in this book. Michael is blind and he was on the 78th floor of Tower One. He, his guide dog, Rozelle, and a friend went down the stairs and got out minutes before Tower Two crumbled. They survived and Hingson tells us what it was like. He also tells us how he came to be in the WTC with his guide dog by telling us quite a bit of his life story.

I'm glad I listened to this book rather than read it. It seemed like I was descending the stairs with Michael and Rozelle, smelling the airplane fuel, feeling the heat and then running from the building. I think I could have done without the last part of the audiobook which was a speech Michael made to announce the book and an interview when the book was released. They just seemed like filler.½

This is a story of a blind man and his dog Roselle. I enjoyed the story while trying to escape the building and the trust put into Roselle. It's always interesting to hear it from the people themselves that were directly involved with 9/11.

Reviewed by Samantha (Class of 2012)

It is a very inspirational story about a blind guide dog that helps his owner out of the Twin Towers during 9/11.

This book is Michael Hingson's story. It is the story of how he and his guide dog Roselle survived and escaped from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 after it had been hit by a hijacked airplane. It is also his story of growing up blind in a world designed for sighted people. When I got this book and began reading it, I realized that it is the first book that I have read about the events of 911. Ten years after those events, I finally opened up myself to a book about the events, because it was also about a dog. I realize that I have avoided watching tv coverage of all of the memorial events surrounding 911 for the past ten years. I just found it too unpleasant and traumatic and I preferred not to think about it. Michael's story not only taught me a lot about blindness and guide dogs, but also helped me to examine and come to terms with some of my own feelings about 911. People are often more open to a dog or, in this case, a dog story.
The book is well written and insightful and educational and I enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

I have worked with the blind for the last ten years and this is one of the most honest views of what blind people can accomplish. They are just like sighted people only they cannot see. Most are able to use alternative techniques to get along day to day, work and hold down jobs.

I heard Michael Hingson speak and knew I had to read this book. It is a wonderful book.½

All of us that watched the Twin Towers come down on 911 will never forget the horror and helplessness we felt. Imagine being on the 78th floor when the first airplane hit the tower, you feel and hear it above you, but you have no idea what has happened; all communication between the floors is out, now imagine you are blind. Being blind is the reality that Michael Hingson faced with his guide dog Roselle. They, along with his office partner David, had to walk down the 78 floors to get out alive. Michael describes sounds and smells as terrifying as the sights we watched unfold.

I read his book during the 10th anniversary of 911, after watching many TV programs of replays from that day and the aftermath—even so, his memoir affected me on such a deep level that I felt like I was taking each step with him and Roselle. It is so amazing the way Roselle, a dog that was afraid of thunder, responded to all that was happening around her. There should be many thanks to Guide Dogs for the Blind for training these wonderful service dogs, and to Michael for detailing not only his escape, but in sharing his wisdom with us. “We can’t let fear paralyze us” is one of many great quotes in this book which is full of wisdom, good information and resources for the blind.

Although I do find Roselle's story tremendous and fascinating, I must say I am much more amazed by Michael's story. I can't begin to understand how he has taught himself to do so many amazing things while having a disability. He is a very able bodied individual. He had wonderful parents who treated him just like he was a sighted child and never let his blindness stop him from doing, or trying to do, anything he wanted. An amazing story of triumph over odds and obstacles!

If all Michael Hingson did was walk down 78 floors at the World Trade Center, Thunder Dog, would not have garnered my interest. But because Michael took to the stairs on 9/11, with Roselle, his dog makes this book more compelling. And because Roselle is a guide dog, and Michael is blind, and a uniquely resourceful and capable individual makes it a "you-should-definitely-read-this" book.

Michael intersperses his escape from the North Tower with descriptions of his life. Blind due to Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) because born premature he was incubated and oxygenated to promote lung development. And like approx.10,000 other premies born between 1941-1953, the intensive oxygen treatment caused blood vessels in his eyes to constrict and rupture causing irrreversible blindness. His parents could have sent him to a Home for the Blind but chose to raise him at home, treating him as they did his older, sighted brother. Because of their progressive wisdom he never thought of himself as disabled!

I believe that he thrived and survived because of all that he learned from his family, many teachers and mentors, what he taught himself, and because of his amazing guide dogs. This book honors guide dogs, Guide Dogs for the Blind, the National Federation of the Blind, and those like Ray Kurzweil, whose genius developed technology to aid the blind (and the general public) in living fuller lives.

Thunderdog includes resources for the blind, and a useful glossary, but most outstanding is an essay by Kenneth Jernigan, "Blindness: A Left-Handed Dissertation" which on its own merits getting this book.½

A 9/11 story that will change your spirit and perspective as you follow the relationship between a blind man and his faithful companion. Amazing.