Yum yum yum! I like these photos and the recipes. Not sure how many I would make myself, but it is one I could recommend to other people.

My husband has recently been getting into barbecuing and we’ve been discovering the amazing depth of the meals we can create. Life of Fire is a great companion book to the new, or veteran, barbecuer. It’s filled with useful information regarding all aspects of the process from pit creation and wood selection to seasoning techniques. The book is filled with amazing recipes that we can’t wait to try out. While I was reading, I kept telling my husband to “listen to this one”.

Anyone who is serious about real barbecue, including grilling, and smoking will want to immediately pick up
Life of Fire: Mastering the Arts of Pit-Cooked Barbecue, the Grill, and the Smokehouse.

While this excellent cookbook doesn’t have an abundance of recipes, it has enough to keep barbecue chefs both happy and busy, but the information is absolutely invaluable. There are actually great photos, plans, and instructions for building a barbecue pit and even a smokehouse.

There are recipes for the items that most of us barbecue on a small basis, such as ribs, brisket, pork shoulder, chickens, turkey breasts and vegetables, as well as instructions on doing whole pigs, including sources to get them. It seems that this cookbook covers almost everything anyone will need to know to successfully prepare food in a pit, whether above the ground or underground. The recipes are written in such a way that cooks, both beginning and advanced can follow them. Building a pit is another story, and most of us will need help building a pit and a smokehouse.

The included photographs are beautiful, and will make barbecue lovers’ mouths water. This cookbook will inspire everyone to learn the basics of cooking over a fire. It will be helpful at home as well as when camping.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Since hearing from my husband about the amazing BBQ pits he used to have at University, I have been interested in learning how to cook and prepare using these methods, and this book does not disappoint. The pictures are amazing, and the stories that go along with the cooking techniques and recipes are and added bonus. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and really look forward to putting these tips into practice, and making some amazing feasts!

I loved all the information that was in these book and as well as would be a great addition for anyone that likes cooking outdoors. I love this book because I want to make a pit in my backyard and it help me by tell so much information on creating my very own pit. I also like that it talks about both seasoned wood and green wood because I did not know the different before but I do now. It also has so many more great useful tips and so many recipes to have some delicious food that have been grilled over a fire.

Life of Fire is a tutorial and cookbook for live fire cooking pit-fired barbecue, grilling, and smoking foods with recipes by Pat Martin and Nick Fauchald. Released 15th March 2022 from Penguin Random House on their Ten Speed Press imprint, it's 320 pages and will be available in hardcover, spiral bound, and ebook formats.

This is a very well written and graphically appealing ode to open fire cooking. The authors write accessibly and clearly about the subject. It's very clear from the first page that they have the requisite expertise and knowledge and the included recipes are a lot more than just pulled pork sandwiches (though they are to be found here as well), and this is one of the few barbecue books I've seen which thoroughly discusses cooking whole animals and ash/ember cooking.

The introduction covers materials choice, building, maintaining, and containing fires, sourcing wood, safety issues and more. The following chapters delve in depth on everything from game birds to roasting a whole hog. The recipes are scattered throughout the book. Each has an introduction, bullet list of ingredients on the right side of the page and general prep and cooking instructions. Recipe ingredient measures are given in imperial (American) units. Most ingredients will be easy to find in local grocery stores. The authors have included resources and links lists for sourcing large cuts of meats, specialty equipment, rubs, and sauces (for readers who prefer to buy them).

The book is absolutely *full* of beautiful photography, including action shots of prepping and cooking as well as atmospheric landscape shots. The food is appealing and appetizing and never overstyled or frou-frou. There is some light cursing/real talk included in context.

Five stars. Definitely book on barbecue and live fire cooking. There are a number of really good dessert recipes here as well, in addition to the comprehensive barbecue. Highly recommended for library acquisition, homesteaders, grill-lovers, and home cooks.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Not for the beginner barbecue chef! This baby is hard core: Open pits, spits, cooking in ashes/embers and cold smoking. Great hard to find tips on these unique barbecue methods.

This is my kind of cookbook: the right balance of interesting recipes mixed with personal stories, and of course, lots of pictures. Not only does it include some very delicious sounding recipes, but it also includes the recipe for the perfect fire, fire pit, or barbecue.

Very wholesome, home cooked, and down to earth. Southern comfort food at its finest!

I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher and here are my thoughts.

If you want to know how to cook with FIRE, this is one of the few books that will give you the in-depth information you need to know. From the tools, types of wood, and everything you'll need to get, make or consider to cook safely...this book has it all. From how to manage various set ups for cooking with fire and in the ashes, this is a complete guide with excellent tips and photos.

This is a great reference guide for barbecuing. They explain how to use multiple different grills/smokers/pits and recipes to cook on each.

This cookbook is a terrific resource for anyone who wants to master cooking on a open fire or a barbecue. It provides an in-depth description of the different types of cooking and detailed instructions to get a novice cook started. I especially like the description of different kinds of smoke and the variety of recipes for vegetables and meat. I also like the description of how and what different foods to grill over a fire at different stages of the fire's life. Although I do not think I will ever need to master pit-cooking a whole hog, it is an interesting to learn about and gives you an appreciation for the whole process.

This cookbook is a great introduction to outdoor cooking and would make a fine gift for cooking enthusiasts.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Special thanks to NetGalley for letting me review this wonderful book. LIFE OF FIRE by Pat Martin and Nick Fauchald.

This book is filled with useful bbq knowledge and pit building advice, as well as some delicious recipes. It’s inspired me to branch out and try some new techniques and most of the amazing sounding recipes. 5 stars!!


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This is quite the book. I'm not a fan. It's a bit more intense than I thought it would be. A lot of full carcasses mostly pigs and I have quail babies in my backyard right now and seeing the dead quail photo of a bunch lined up it just was a bit much. Maybe it's the timing after Uvalde but this just felt too intense for me. The photography is crisp, the stories personal, and the sauces good, especially Jack's Creek Sauce.

There was just a lot of overly char stuff. I wouldn't buy the book or give it as a gift I'm sure there is a big group of men who love this type of thing but it was just over the top for me. A bit too much backwoods for my taste.

I was so intrigued to read this book as I've never picked up a grilling cookbook! What is so wonderful about this book is that it defies expectations- contrary to what you might think, the book starts out with grilled vegetables, cooked just enough to get a char and then plated to serve. The seasonings are simple, as evidenced by a recipe for Collard Greens with just olive oil, fleur de sel, and lemon zest. As Ina would say, how bad can that be? This book is also presented very masculine- making it a great gift for the cookbook averse, like my husband for example. Overall, this book was really interesting and gave a great introduction to the world of grilling!

Thanks to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed for my copy for an honest review!

We love barbecue so I had to check out this book. Tons of great information and recipes. This takes you back to the basics and teaches you everything with barbecue.

Great for Father’s Day or any barbecue fan in your life.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to cook with fire. There's information on setting up your own pit and some really tasty-looking recipes.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a copy of this cookbook in exchange for honest feedback. This cookbook made me hungry! Which is def a great sign for a cookbook's quality. When it makes you want to get out to the store and get some food to cook asap! I don't have much experience in some of the cooking techniques, but it's always good to know some ideas or theoretical skills in case the opportunity comes up. I think the photography was great and the ideas/tips were relevant to all skill sets. Great book!

I live in Texas, and we definitely know our barbecue, but this book was impressive. I'll start by saying I received this from Netgalley to read and review, so I want to say thank you to them, the author, and the publisher. Also, I'm usually the one enjoying the barbecue, not cooking it, but I have been around the process long enough to understand it. I also admire the different styles in different regions, and this one is perfect for any and every region. Very in-depth and detailed, with wonderful recipes. Sure, they don't have photos for all recipes, but then again that could almost be a distraction. Because let's be honest, seeing all that awesome looking food when yours isn't near as awesome looking but might be just as tasty might be a deterrent, right? I knew nothing about the author, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading his story, his grilling style, and his recipes. This is a great book to give a a gift or to add to your keeper shelf.

Thank you Ten Speed Press for the ARC to read and review.

Considering I have a Martin's Barbecue in my town, I was excited to receive Pat Martin's Life Of Fire. This is a magnificent resource for anyone who wants to learn the methods of cooking with open fire.

Beautiful photography and written by a true master of the craft of barbecue.

What an amazing resource for a novice to advanced griller/smoker. During the summer months my husband and I prefer to cook out in our outdoor kitchen and this book will be a wonderful resource for us as we are moving from novice to intermediate in this type of cooking. The discussion of types of smoke and ways to grill were great and the recipes looked delicious. The only thing I would have preferred is more photos linked with each recipe. Otherwise, this is a book I would pick up for my hubby or dad.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC copy of this book for my honest opinion.