The result is remarkable, and Mr. Graff’s curation of these accounts—drawn from hundreds of his own interviews and from the reporting of other journalists and historians—is a priceless civic gift ... On page after page, a reader will encounter words that startle, or make him angry, or heartbroken, or queasy ... it is the goodness of ordinary people that leaves the deepest impression ... In Mr. Graff’s book, the little details are allowed to speak for themselves, and the effect is one of notable eloquence.
Among the most powerful entries in this new canon ... visceral ... also tells stories that, while massive in scope in their own right, were drowned out by the enormity of the day ... brutal, emotionally wracking reading. I repeatedly cried. I could feel my pulse elevate. I often had to put it down after a dozen pages. But I think that's the point of the book. Sept. 11 was terrible and confusing, and the more time passes, sometimes the harder that is to remember. No matter how much we try to describe those feelings to children who didn't live through them, something will be lost in the translation and telling ... This book captures the emotions and unspooling horror of the day. It will be a good text to hand to a curious teenager when he one day asks: What was Sept. 11 really like?
... a diverse group of individual experiences. There are tragedies and losses, moments of heroism and survival, and fears and foreshadowings of a darker future to come ... This book is an excellent resource for readers seeking to understand how, and why.
President George W. Bush, who was shuttled on Air Force One from Washington, DC, to military bases in Louisiana and Nebraska, then back to the capital, all on 9/11, delivered the most important speech of his presidency that evening. That, along with the heartrendering evacuation of New York’s World Trade Center, are two of many threads that will stay with readers. This excellent oral history provides a much-needed perspective of the events and aftermath.
... riveting ... The technique of letting the witnesses tell the story does a remarkable job of bringing to life the horrific day in a way that a writer’s narrative would have a hard time matching ... a gripping read — and a reminder of the country at its best while under attack.
... a harrowing and powerful narrative of that day ... Graff doesn’t shy away from describing casualties, such as those who jumped from the towers, but keeps those passages brief ... The bewilderment, fear, and courage exhibited on that day are palpable in these recollections. This vivid, moving work is painful to read but honors both those who died and those who survived that awful day.
Wrenching, highly personal ... an impressive feat of organization, editing, and balance ... Graff also does an admirable job of maintaining focus on the personal stories and does not drift off into political commentary—or engage in placing blame—or arrange the material so that some of his interviewees look good and some bad. Pretty much everyone emerges looking good ... Graff excels at re-creating the anxiety and terror of that day ... Readers who emerge dry-eyed from the text should check their pulses: Something is wrong with their hearts.
