11 of the Best Books About 9/11
a book list by Peter, the avid reader who runs Flashlight Worthy
As someone who adopted New York as my home just two years before 9/11 — and who watched the first tower fall with his own eyes — I debated whether to create this list. In the end, I think that no matter your literal or emotional distance from Ground Zero on September 11, there's at least one book on this list for you. (Oh, and it's no longer a list of 11 books. A few more have turned up so now it's 13.)
102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers
by Kevin Flynn, Jim Dwyer
As someone who's made his home in New York for the last 9 years — and literally watched the first of the Twin Towers fall — reading about 9/11 can be extremely difficult. This title — a literal minute-by-minute account from the moment the first plane struck to the moment the 2nd tower fell — strikes me as the perfect balance of dispassionate, inspiring and honest.
Firehouse
by David Halberstam
This was a small but important book. One of last Halberstam wrote (or maybe the last?) before he died, it covers the lives and motivations of the firefighters from a particular Manhattan firehouse... almost all of whom died on 9/11.
American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center
by William Langewiesche
As a New Yorker who watched 9/11 happen out my window, I'm pretty sure this is the first 9/11 book I read. Why this book? Because it bypasses the human tragedy and focuses on the massive engineering task involved in cleaning up the debris and preparing the site for new buildings. It sounds a little dry I know, but it moves quickly — the pages fly by.
The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation
by Ernie Colon, Sid Jacobson
If you're like me, the thought of sitting down to read the 9/11 Commission report — as important as it is — makes your eyes glaze over. No matter how important the topic, let's face it, it's a government report.
Fortunately this graphic novel takes the most important parts of the report and sets them to a visual depiction (still, with plenty of words) that makes the entire report not only palatable, but downright gripping.
9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
by National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
For a government report, this "book" was a best-seller for months. I'll admit, I never read it — I expect that as a New Yorker I already knew all I needed to know. But then I read the Graphic Novel adaptation and I now recognize that I was hasty. The report seems to read like a gripping thriller.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
by Jonathan Safran Foer
Monica McCutchen from Vancouver says:
Why you need to read this book: I'm in Paris, two weeks on my own in October... while walking in wonder, I'm in Paris after all, I see an English bookstore, which I of course can not pass by. And I pick up this book. And I find a cafe, order coffee, start reading... and can not stop. At all. I moved to a total of four different cafes that day. Drinking coffee and reading this book. Lost in Oskar and his heartbreaking travels through New York.
Mesmerizing. One key. So many locks. And Oskar.
This book will change you. You won't be able to live anything else until you finish. So I either suggest Paris...or a cafe in your city...or your cozy armchair at home. Just prepared to settle in until you turn the last page.
Portraits: 9/11/01: The Collected "Portraits of Grief" from The New York Times
by The New York Times
Every day for the year or so following 9/11 the New York Times ran a photo and a brief biography/obituary of some of the individuals killed on 9/11. As you can imagine, this feature ran for some time before they worked their way through the thousands of victims. While I found the material a little dry, many New Yorkers were moved to tears on a daily basis.
For those looking for the human side of what happened, take a look at this book.
The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
by Lawrence Wright
Rick Umali from Arlington, MA says:
The Looming Tower is an important book outlining the context of the attacks, from the point of view of Al Qaeda, and the important people within that group. The book provides a necessarily sweeping look at Islam and focuses on the difficult relationships between the FBI and the CIA, and how political infighting stifled knowledge sharing. Finally, the book brings to light the efforts of John P. O'Neill, who understood the nature of terrorism, long before it was manifested in the attacks of 9/11.
(Editor's note: this book was widely considered one of the best non-fiction books of 2007 and won the Pulitzer Prize that year.)
Falling Man
by Don DeLillo
Pierre L. says:
A very interesting book about the tragic events of 9/11, in which the personal stories mix up with the general history: the absence of a friend at the weekly poker games, the performance artist hanging himself from ruined architectural structures or the kid watching the sky for more planes. A poignant description of a deep wound in the hearts and heads of many, rendered more powerful by the different view point adopted by the several characters: those who were in the towers, those who were not, some who were not even in New York, and even some of the terrorists themselves.
Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey
illustrated by Maira Kalman
Karen Fowler from TX says:
"WOW, WOW, WOW" is the best way to sum up how my son and I felt about this fabulous children's book. I read this to my son years ago and enjoyed it so much, we donated a copy to the library of his school.
Flashlight Worthy
Recommending books so good, they'll keep you up past your bedtime.
more...
About Peter
I've always been interested in topics of every kind, so what the heck, I built this website to recommend books of every kind. If you have ideas as to how Flashlight Worthy could be better, let me know.
Stay in Touch
Newest book lists
President Obama's Favorite Books of 2017
Books for an Adventurous Childhood
Visiting Venice Through (Mostly) Fiction
Childhood Remembered: Books Of Indelible Childhood Memories
Novels on Art, Artists and Art World Shenanigans
Picture Books with Fun (and Sometimes Friendly) Monsters
Robert Rodi’s Favorite Books About Italy
Fractured Novels that Mirror the Uncertainty of Everyday Life
11 of the Best Books About 9/11
a book list by Peter, the avid reader who runs Flashlight Worthy
As someone who adopted New York as my home just two years before 9/11 — and who watched the first tower fall with his own eyes — I debated whether to create this list. In the end, I think that no matter your literal or emotional distance from Ground Zero on September 11, there's at least one book on this list for you. (Oh, and it's no longer a list of 11 books. A few more have turned up so now it's 13.)
102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers
by Kevin Flynn, Jim Dwyer
As someone who's made his home in New York for the last 9 years — and literally watched the first of the Twin Towers fall — reading about 9/11 can be extremely difficult. This title — a literal minute-by-minute account from the moment the first plane struck to the moment the 2nd tower fell — strikes me as the perfect balance of dispassionate, inspiring and honest.
Firehouse
by David Halberstam
This was a small but important book. One of last Halberstam wrote (or maybe the last?) before he died, it covers the lives and motivations of the firefighters from a particular Manhattan firehouse... almost all of whom died on 9/11.
American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center
by William Langewiesche
As a New Yorker who watched 9/11 happen out my window, I'm pretty sure this is the first 9/11 book I read. Why this book? Because it bypasses the human tragedy and focuses on the massive engineering task involved in cleaning up the debris and preparing the site for new buildings. It sounds a little dry I know, but it moves quickly — the pages fly by.
The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation
by Ernie Colon, Sid Jacobson
If you're like me, the thought of sitting down to read the 9/11 Commission report — as important as it is — makes your eyes glaze over. No matter how important the topic, let's face it, it's a government report.
Fortunately this graphic novel takes the most important parts of the report and sets them to a visual depiction (still, with plenty of words) that makes the entire report not only palatable, but downright gripping.
9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
by National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
For a government report, this "book" was a best-seller for months. I'll admit, I never read it — I expect that as a New Yorker I already knew all I needed to know. But then I read the Graphic Novel adaptation and I now recognize that I was hasty. The report seems to read like a gripping thriller.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
by Jonathan Safran Foer
Monica McCutchen from Vancouver says:
Why you need to read this book: I'm in Paris, two weeks on my own in October... while walking in wonder, I'm in Paris after all, I see an English bookstore, which I of course can not pass by. And I pick up this book. And I find a cafe, order coffee, start reading... and can not stop. At all. I moved to a total of four different cafes that day. Drinking coffee and reading this book. Lost in Oskar and his heartbreaking travels through New York.
Mesmerizing. One key. So many locks. And Oskar.
This book will change you. You won't be able to live anything else until you finish. So I either suggest Paris...or a cafe in your city...or your cozy armchair at home. Just prepared to settle in until you turn the last page.
Portraits: 9/11/01: The Collected "Portraits of Grief" from The New York Times
by The New York Times
Every day for the year or so following 9/11 the New York Times ran a photo and a brief biography/obituary of some of the individuals killed on 9/11. As you can imagine, this feature ran for some time before they worked their way through the thousands of victims. While I found the material a little dry, many New Yorkers were moved to tears on a daily basis.
For those looking for the human side of what happened, take a look at this book.
The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
by Lawrence Wright
Rick Umali from Arlington, MA says:
The Looming Tower is an important book outlining the context of the attacks, from the point of view of Al Qaeda, and the important people within that group. The book provides a necessarily sweeping look at Islam and focuses on the difficult relationships between the FBI and the CIA, and how political infighting stifled knowledge sharing. Finally, the book brings to light the efforts of John P. O'Neill, who understood the nature of terrorism, long before it was manifested in the attacks of 9/11.
(Editor's note: this book was widely considered one of the best non-fiction books of 2007 and won the Pulitzer Prize that year.)
Falling Man
by Don DeLillo
Pierre L. says:
A very interesting book about the tragic events of 9/11, in which the personal stories mix up with the general history: the absence of a friend at the weekly poker games, the performance artist hanging himself from ruined architectural structures or the kid watching the sky for more planes. A poignant description of a deep wound in the hearts and heads of many, rendered more powerful by the different view point adopted by the several characters: those who were in the towers, those who were not, some who were not even in New York, and even some of the terrorists themselves.
Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey
illustrated by Maira Kalman
Karen Fowler from TX says:
"WOW, WOW, WOW" is the best way to sum up how my son and I felt about this fabulous children's book. I read this to my son years ago and enjoyed it so much, we donated a copy to the library of his school.
Flashlight Worthy
Recommending books so good, they'll keep you up past your bedtime.
more...
About Peter
I've always been interested in topics of every kind, so what the heck, I built this website to recommend books of every kind. If you have ideas as to how Flashlight Worthy could be better, let me know.
Stay in Touch
Newest book lists
President Obama's Favorite Books of 2017
Books for an Adventurous Childhood
Visiting Venice Through (Mostly) Fiction
Childhood Remembered: Books Of Indelible Childhood Memories
Novels on Art, Artists and Art World Shenanigans
Picture Books with Fun (and Sometimes Friendly) Monsters
Robert Rodi’s Favorite Books About Italy
Fractured Novels that Mirror the Uncertainty of Everyday Life
11 of the Best Books About 9/11
a book list by Peter, the avid reader who runs Flashlight Worthy
As someone who adopted New York as my home just two years before 9/11 — and who watched the first tower fall with his own eyes — I debated whether to create this list. In the end, I think that no matter your literal or emotional distance from Ground Zero on September 11, there's at least one book on this list for you. (Oh, and it's no longer a list of 11 books. A few more have turned up so now it's 13.)
102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers
by Kevin Flynn, Jim Dwyer
As someone who's made his home in New York for the last 9 years — and literally watched the first of the Twin Towers fall — reading about 9/11 can be extremely difficult. This title — a literal minute-by-minute account from the moment the first plane struck to the moment the 2nd tower fell — strikes me as the perfect balance of dispassionate, inspiring and honest.
Firehouse
by David Halberstam
This was a small but important book. One of last Halberstam wrote (or maybe the last?) before he died, it covers the lives and motivations of the firefighters from a particular Manhattan firehouse... almost all of whom died on 9/11.
American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center
by William Langewiesche
As a New Yorker who watched 9/11 happen out my window, I'm pretty sure this is the first 9/11 book I read. Why this book? Because it bypasses the human tragedy and focuses on the massive engineering task involved in cleaning up the debris and preparing the site for new buildings. It sounds a little dry I know, but it moves quickly — the pages fly by.
The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation
by Ernie Colon, Sid Jacobson
If you're like me, the thought of sitting down to read the 9/11 Commission report — as important as it is — makes your eyes glaze over. No matter how important the topic, let's face it, it's a government report. Fortunately this graphic novel takes the most important parts of the report and sets them to a visual depiction (still, with plenty of words) that makes the entire report not only palatable, but downright gripping.
9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
by National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States
For a government report, this "book" was a best-seller for months. I'll admit, I never read it — I expect that as a New Yorker I already knew all I needed to know. But then I read the Graphic Novel adaptation and I now recognize that I was hasty. The report seems to read like a gripping thriller.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
by Jonathan Safran Foer
Monica McCutchen from Vancouver says:
Why you need to read this book: I'm in Paris, two weeks on my own in October... while walking in wonder, I'm in Paris after all, I see an English bookstore, which I of course can not pass by. And I pick up this book. And I find a cafe, order coffee, start reading... and can not stop. At all. I moved to a total of four different cafes that day. Drinking coffee and reading this book. Lost in Oskar and his heartbreaking travels through New York. Mesmerizing. One key. So many locks. And Oskar. This book will change you. You won't be able to live anything else until you finish. So I either suggest Paris...or a cafe in your city...or your cozy armchair at home. Just prepared to settle in until you turn the last page.
Portraits: 9/11/01: The Collected "Portraits of Grief" from The New York Times
by The New York Times
Every day for the year or so following 9/11 the New York Times ran a photo and a brief biography/obituary of some of the individuals killed on 9/11. As you can imagine, this feature ran for some time before they worked their way through the thousands of victims. While I found the material a little dry, many New Yorkers were moved to tears on a daily basis. For those looking for the human side of what happened, take a look at this book.
The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
by Lawrence Wright
Rick Umali from Arlington, MA says:
The Looming Tower is an important book outlining the context of the attacks, from the point of view of Al Qaeda, and the important people within that group. The book provides a necessarily sweeping look at Islam and focuses on the difficult relationships between the FBI and the CIA, and how political infighting stifled knowledge sharing. Finally, the book brings to light the efforts of John P. O'Neill, who understood the nature of terrorism, long before it was manifested in the attacks of 9/11. (Editor's note: this book was widely considered one of the best non-fiction books of 2007 and won the Pulitzer Prize that year.)
Falling Man
by Don DeLillo
Pierre L. says:
A very interesting book about the tragic events of 9/11, in which the personal stories mix up with the general history: the absence of a friend at the weekly poker games, the performance artist hanging himself from ruined architectural structures or the kid watching the sky for more planes. A poignant description of a deep wound in the hearts and heads of many, rendered more powerful by the different view point adopted by the several characters: those who were in the towers, those who were not, some who were not even in New York, and even some of the terrorists themselves.
Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey
illustrated by Maira Kalman
Karen Fowler from TX says:
"WOW, WOW, WOW" is the best way to sum up how my son and I felt about this fabulous children's book. I read this to my son years ago and enjoyed it so much, we donated a copy to the library of his school.
Flashlight Worthy
Recommending books so good, they'll keep you up past your bedtime. more...
About Peter
I've always been interested in topics of every kind, so what the heck, I built this website to recommend books of every kind. If you have ideas as to how Flashlight Worthy could be better, let me know.
Stay in Touch
Newest book lists
President Obama's Favorite Books of 2017
Books for an Adventurous Childhood
Visiting Venice Through (Mostly) Fiction
Childhood Remembered: Books Of Indelible Childhood Memories
Novels on Art, Artists and Art World Shenanigans
Picture Books with Fun (and Sometimes Friendly) Monsters
Robert Rodi’s Favorite Books About Italy
Fractured Novels that Mirror the Uncertainty of Everyday Life