Today is 9/11: Americans are morning the twentieth anniversary of the September 11 terror attack. On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks were launched against the U.S. by the militant Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda. As a result of the attacks, 2,996 people lost their lives.
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It’s been 20 years already, and the 9/11 attacks’ images are vividly imprinted in the memory of some. Everyone present can still remember their positions and actions at the time. However, those images now leave a story for a new generation born after the atrocity.
In remembrance of the attacks, here are books that define 9/11. In these books, you will uncover many unknown heartbreaking details about the horrible event.
1. Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11
In this book, author Mitchell Zuckoff mesmerizes minute-by-minute account of that terrible day. A then reporter for the Boston Globe, Zuckoff penned down a story of the attacks, the victims, and their families. However, you might find the book very hard to read. Take heart, nothing is new under the sun. Moreover, Zuckoff covered ‘Fall and Rise’ with voices of the lost and the saved—after many years of meticulous reporting.
2. Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11
In this book, author Garrett Graff narrates how that day was lived—in the words of those who horribly lived it. Graff paints the most vivid and human portrait of the 9/11 attacks according to witnesses and survivors. In addition to a simple collection of eyewitness testimonies, the book narrates how ordinary people were faced with extraordinary events in real-time—for example, a firefighter searching for his wife who works at the WTC.
3. From the Inside Out: Harrowing Escapes from the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center
Author Erik Ronningen happened to be on the 71st floor of the North Tower on 9/11 when Flight 93 struck the building. In this book, Eric narrates how he narrowly make it out of the tower alive. In addition to his harrowing escape, Eric also gives accounts of fourteen other people who were lucky enough to be able to recount them. Moreover, these accounts are narratives of brave, heroic, and selfless survivors. The cover image of the book is a photograph taken by survivor Jim Usher on 9/11. Usher took the astonishing photo as he lay on the floor outside the WTC, losing consciousness. Usher thought those moments were the final of his life. So, he wanted his family to see what he saw during the events.
4. Ground Zero
In time for the twentieth anniversary of 9/11, author Alan Gratz delivers an unforgettable and pulse-pounding take on history, revenge, fear, and hope. In this book, you will discover two stories:
9/11, 2001, New York City: Brandon was visiting his father at work on the 107th floor of the WTC. Suddenly, a plane struck the building, leaving Brandon in a fiery nightmare of terror and confusion. And Brandon was in the middle of it all. Did he escape and survive?
9/11, 2019, Afghanistan: Reshmina grew up in a war zone. However, she constantly dreams of peace and unity. During a battle in her village, Reshmina stumbles upon Taz, a wounded U.S. soldier. Attempting to Help Taz could put Reshmina and her family in mortal danger. Did she help Taz?
5. American Phoenix: Heroes of the Pentagon on 9/11
Author Lincoln M. Starnes believes the 9/11 attacks against the U.S. were meant to tear the fabric of the country and its democracy apart. Starnes tells the story of selfless civilians and soldiers who sacrifice their own safety to render aid to strangers. Twenty years later, these stories clarify the subject of what it truly means to be American. Moreover, the book reveals never before told stories of individuals and events of that day.
