Books To Help Understand 9/11
On September 11, 2001, two commercial airplanes were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center in New York City by members of Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda. A third plane hit the Pentagon outside of Washington, D.C., and a fourth plane was taken back by the passengers and flown into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The tragedy took nearly 3,000 lives and led to a “war on terrorism” that is still being felt today. Learn more about 9/11 through these nonfiction titles, including first-hand accounts from Ground Zero, a full history of the conflict leading up to (and after) 9/11, poetry reflecting on the attacks, and more.
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Add to BookshelfThe Looming Tower (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
by Lawrence Wright
A “heart-stopping account of the events leading up to 9/11” (The New York Times Book Review), this definitive history explains in gripping detail the growth of Islamic fundamentalism, the rise of al-Qaeda, and the intelligence failures that culminated in the attacks on the World Trade Center. Packed with information and a deep historical perspective, The Looming Tower is a sweeping, unprecedented history of the long road to September 11.
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$21.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Ghost Wars
by Steve Coll
To what extent did America’s best intelligence analysts grasp the rising threat of Islamist radicalism? Who tried to stop bin Laden and why did they fail? Comprehensively and for the first time, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll recounts the history of the covert wars in Afghanistan that fueled Islamic militancy and sowed the seeds of the September 11 attacks.
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$23.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Cleared for Takeoff
by Captain Nia Gilliam
Captain Nia Gilliam woke up on September 11 ready to soar. But what starts as a beautiful day to fly turns into a harrowing experience. While waiting to be cleared for takeoff, Gilliam sees smoke pouring from the North Tower of the World Trade Center, and witnesses United Airlines Flight 175 crash into the South Tower. As the Twin Towers burn, Gilliam summons up the resolve to fly. But as soon as she lands, Gilliam and her dedication to the skies are forever shaken. In Cleared for Takeoff, Gilliam’s journey demonstrates how sacrifice, determination, and love helped her find her way back into the pilot’s seat. It is a triumphant story of courage, the redemptive power of turning tragedy into purpose, and one woman’s unwavering faith in herself.
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$32.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Eleventh Day
by Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan
For most living Americans, September 11, 2001, is the darkest date in the nation’s history. But what exactly happened? Could it have been prevented? And what remains unsolved? In this panoramic, authoritative account of that tragic day, New York Times bestselling authors Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan write with access to thousands of recently released official documents, raw transcripts, fresh interviews, and the perspective that can come only from a decade of research and evaluation. Riveting, revelatory, and thoroughly sourced, The Eleventh Day is the essential one-volume work, required reading for us all.
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$22.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Poetry After 9/11
edited by Dennis Loy Johnson and Valerie Merians
This anthology was inspired by the editors’ observation that after the tragic events of 9/11, poetry was being posted everywhere in New York — on telephone poles, on warehouse walls, on bus shelters, in the letters-to-the-editor section of newspapers … New Yorkers spontaneously turned to poetry to understand and cope with the tragedy of the attack. Full of humor, love, rage, and fear, this diverse collection of poems attests to the power of poetry to express and to heal the human spirit.
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$14.95Buy from Other Retailers:
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Report from Ground Zero
by Dennis Smith
Immediately after the jets struck the twin towers, Dennis Smith, a former firefighter, reported to Manhattan’s Ladder Co. 16 to volunteer in the rescue efforts. This is Smith’s vivid account of the rescue efforts by the fire and police departments and emergency medical teams as they rushed to face a disaster that would claim thousands of lives. Written with drama and urgency, Report from Ground Zero honors the men and women who — in America’s darkest hours — redefined our understanding of courage.
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$27.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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The Ground Truth
by John Farmer
As one of the primary authors of the 9/11 Commission Report, John Farmer is proud of his and his colleagues’ work. Yet he came away from the experience convinced that there was a further story of the September 11th attacks to be told, one he was uniquely qualified to write. The result is “a major, carefully documented and deeply disturbing book, one that deserves the most serious attention of every American concerned about our future” (Haynes Johnson, Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author).
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$27.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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8
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In the Shadow of No Towers
by Art Spiegelman
For the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Maus, the terrorist attacks of September 11th were both highly personal and intensely political. In the Shadow of No Towers is a masterful and moving account of the events and aftermath of that tragic day.
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$60.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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Seasons of Fury
by Rozina Ali
A sweeping narrative history of the U.S. government’s broken compact with its Muslim citizens, culminating in the post-9/11 era of mass surveillance and increased violence — from an award-winning New York Times Magazine journalist.
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$32.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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10
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Homeland
by Richard Beck
A groundbreaking history of how the decades-long war on terror changed virtually every aspect of American life, from the erosion of citizenship down to the cars we bought and TV we watched — by an acclaimed n+1 writer.
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$33.00Buy from Other Retailers:
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11
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American Radical
by Tamer Elnoury and Kevin Maurer
The explosive New York Times bestselling memoir of a Muslim American FBI agent fighting terror from the inside. His purpose was to gain the trust of terrorists whose goals were to take out as many Americans in as public and devastating a way as possible. It was a furious race against the clock for Elnoury and his unit to stop them before they could implement their plans. To many Americans, it will be a revelation that he and his team even existed, let alone the vital and dangerous work they have done keeping all Americans safe.
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