“I can’t think of an occasion on which we’d cancel some event because of

pressure from an interest group,” said Nancy L. Fish, marketing manager at the Harvard Book Store. “We don’t shy away from political issues by a long shot. We’re certainly not allergic to controversy.”

Firefighter McCarthy said the boycott had nothing to with politics—only facts.

“We’re outraged that this so-called journalist makes these statements in his book that firefighters looted Ground Zero,” he said. “It’s unbelievable that he would print such garbage.”

Langewiesche said that the firefighters’ allegations demonstrate that most of them have not read the book.

“I respond ‘read the book,’” he said. “It becomes silly once you read the book. If they want to comment or get excited about it, read the whole thing.”

He said that he never meant for the book to attack anyone or tarnish reputations.

“The funny thing about it is that the book is in fact not at all about misdeeds by anybody,” Langewiesche said. “The book becomes, because of the success of [the recovery] culture, a celebration of the U.S.”

WordsWorth was the first bookstore to cancel a planned appearance, though firefighters have protested outside book events in New York and Massachusetts.

McCarthy said that more than 100 firefighters will protest Langewiesche outside Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, Mass., tomorrow.

“We’re going to boycott every place we can and call him a liar,” McCarthy said. “We don’t want people buying his book.”

Despite the protests and WordsWorth’s cancellation, Odyssey plans to go ahead with its event.

“My position is they’re of course welcome to protest peacefully outside,” said Joan Grenier, co-owner of Odyssey. “That’s absolutely their right to do.”