Tom Downey writes about the worlds of Brooklyn firemen, Yemeni jihadis, Chinese internet vigilantes, Neapolitan tailors, and Barcelona private eyes—anyone whose story moves him. A year before 9/11, Downey began producing a television documentary and reporting a book about a group of elite rescue firemen in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn. Downey’s nonfiction narrative The Last Men Out: Life on the Edge at Rescue 2 Firehouse, published by Henry Holt, follows 10 years in the life of their company, from the high of knocking down a wall of flames to the low of losing a brother. Downey now writes for a variety of publications including WSJ Magazine, Smithsonian, and many others. He is a contributing writer to AFAR Magazine.