History and Hope

No modern event has been as thoroughly documented as the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Yet the torrent of words and images continues. The publishing industry is marking the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks by offering readers more than a hundred books relating to Sept. 11, including about 20 picture books, storybooks and coping guides for children and young readers.

Reading more about a tragedy that is still so raw and seeing photographs of events that were witnessed by nearly everyone with a television will reawaken anger in some Americans. Others may experience the “closure” that became one of the buzzwords of Sept. 11.

By telling stories either general or specific, a number of books detail what happened on that day, eradicating historical amnesia. Others attempt to explain how and why the attacks occurred, or consider how we as a nation and as individuals have changed. The question of what we do now is addressed in discussions of political policy and debates about the future of lower Manhattan. In some of the best books, time passed and distance traveled have yielded new information and fresh perspective.

In the days and weeks after the attacks, many people gorged on information, as if a surfeit of details could quell disbelief. “Seeking information is a very basic human impulse when we’re faced with a profound threat,” says Nancy Etcoff, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School. “We try to know everything about the situation that frightens us so we can better seek safety. The pursuit of information makes us feel more secure.”

The crop of Sept. 11 books varies widely in subject, tone and quality, ranging from works that will become classics to others cheesy enough to inspire charges of exploitation. Media coverage of Sept. 11 has generally been so reverent that charges of profiting from tragedy have seldom arisen. But the rather taboo question that hovers over the fetish of commemoration about to be indulged is whether a national tragedy has become a commodity, as marketable as toothpaste.

Many books skirt that indictment by donating all or a portion of their profits to victims’ funds. But a book can contribute to charity and still be silly or shallow. “Where Were You on September 11?,” by Janette Reynolds (Umbrella Publishing), satisfies the curiosity of anyone who was wondering what Donald Trump or Sarah Ferguson were up to when disaster struck. “Faces of Hope,” by Christine Pisera Naman (Health Communications), is a collection of portraits of babies born Sept. 11, one from each of the 50 states. Does either book seriously honor the dead and their survivors?

There are books designed to instill hope and polemics that aim to fill the reader with dread. Heartfelt notions morph into cliches; there’s nothing wrong with the idea that hope can rise from the ashes of sorrow, until repetition transforms it into treacle.

Some books provide a historical record and will enable people who created private archives of newspapers and magazines to toss them into recycling bins. A number of stunning collections of photojournalism guarantee that the visions of Sept. 11 will be indelible.

It’s impossible to know how successful many of the memorial books will be. Of the dozens published in the last year, several reached wide audiences, including “Firehouse,” by David Halberstam (Hyperion), which focuses on a station that lost 12 of its 13 men in the aftermath of the attacks and has been on bestseller lists since May. Publishing industry insiders agree that the sheer number of titles coming out in August and September will likely be self-defeating.

“It will be interesting to see which books will do well, because people will be saturated with information from all the media,” says Morgan Entrekin, publisher of Grove/Atlantic Press, a leading independent publishing house. “To me, the books that will work are those that do what only a book can, which is to give you a really well-reported, in-depth narrative by a fine writer that takes you into a story.”

Entrekin intentionally scheduled publication of “The Lion’s Grave--Dispatches from Afghanistan,” by New Yorker correspondent Jon Lee Anderson in November. “The field is going to be very, very crowded, and we were happy we didn’t have a book in the fray,” he says. “But quality usually wins. Readers have pretty discriminating eyes.”

* Great Expectations--Some of the books expected to be standouts:

“American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center,” by William Langewiesche (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The publishing world is buzzing about this account of the recovery and salvage effort and the community that formed at ground zero, first published in three parts in Atlantic Monthly. War correspondent Langewiesche, who spent nine months at the site, writes, “[The workers] hailed from Staten Island, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and New Jersey, and most had accents to prove it. From the start, therefore, the recovery site was what it remained: an outer-borough New York blue-collar scene--overwhelmingly Irish, Italian and male, terribly unrepresentative by social measures, and yet authentic.”

“On Top of the World: Cantor Fitzgerald and 9/11--A Story of Loss and Renewal,” by Howard Lutnick and Tom Barbash (HarperCollins). Cantor Fitzgerald, the company located on the top floors of the World Trade Center, lost nearly 700 employees, including the brother of CEO Lutnick. His memoir describes the personal and corporate struggles he and the other survivors have faced.

“Out of the Blue: The Story of September 11, 2001, From Jihad to Ground Zero,” by Richard Bernstein and the staff of the New York Times (Times Books). A narrative history of Sept. 11 that chronicles the events of the day, then backtracks to examine the origins of Islamic terrorism in Afghanistan and trace the paths of Mohamed Atta and his terrorist team. Likely to become the definitive history.

“Portraits 9/11/01: The Collected Portraits of Grief from the New York Times” (Times Books). Beginning Sept. 14, 2001, each day’s New York Times included a page or two filled with brief profiles of men and women who died at the World Trade Center. The verbal snapshots of more than 1,900 executives, window washers, bond traders, dishwashers, stockbrokers and firefighters, in the words of friends and family members, are testaments to what has been called the “democracy of death.” It is impossible to read the concise, impressionistic portraits of the real people behind the statistics and not weep.

“New York September 11” by Magnum Photographers (PowerHouse Books). The photographers of the legendary co-op agency founded in 1947 routinely travel the world, recording wars and natural disasters. On Sept. 10, a dozen had gathered at the Magnum offices in lower Manhattan for a meeting. The next day, they headed into the streets with their cameras. The best of their work was compiled into a book with a first printing of 100,000 copies, released Nov. 9. It sold out. So far, $600,686 in profits have been donated to the New York Times 9/11 Neediest Fund, and the book, with an introduction by Halberstam, is being reissued for the anniversary.

“Above Hallowed Ground: A Photographic Record of September 11, 2001,” by Photographers of the New York City Police Department (Viking Studio). A record of the attacks, the rescue and recovery efforts by Det. David Fitzpatrick and other members of the police department, who had uncommon access, including the opportunity to shoot from helicopters. The captions simply identify what is being shown--their understatement lets the extraordinary photos speak more powerfully.

* Historic Records--Overviews of the events and stories with a narrow focus, as well as collections of reportage and analysis.

“What We Saw: The Events of September 11, 2001, in Words, Pictures and Video” (Simon & Schuster). With an introduction by Dan Rather, the CBS news record of the early hours, days and weeks of America’s seismic jolt is culled from transcripts of television and radio reports and combined with black-and-white photographs. The book is packaged with a two-hour DVD, anchored by Dan Rather, that presents original CBS News reports.

“September 11: An Oral History--Real Stories From Ordinary People,” by Dean E. Murphy (Doubleday). Written and compiled by New York Times reporter Murphy, the book presents eyewitness accounts of survivors of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as well as scenes from the lives of people around the world who watched the events unfold on television.

“Never Forget: An Oral History of September 11, 2001,” by Mitchell Fink and Lois Mathias (Regan Books). The experiences of 81 survivors, in their own words--a paramedic, a police officer, a quadriplegic who was carried down 69 floors to safety by 10 colleagues.

“The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland,” by Jim DeFede (Regan Books). On Sept. 11, 38 jets heading for the U.S. were forced to land at Gander International Airport in the central highlands of Newfoundland. More than 6,500 passengers were stranded. The people of the surrounding small towns put their lives on hold for nearly a week to help the “plane people.” If this nonfiction account hadn’t been written, a novel about the spirit of community that filled Gander those days might have been.

“Afterwords,” compiled by the editors of Salon.com (Washington Square Press). The seven sections of this anthology illustrate the psychological and political progression of the nation in the wake of the attacks, from “Ground Zero” and “Nothing Will Be the Same” to “Collateral Damage” and “Start Making Sense.”

* Preserved on Film--Photographs by unknown photographers and professionals.

“Eleven: Witnessing the World Trade Center 1974-2001,” by the photographers of Contact Press Images (Rizzoli) with an introduction by Toni Morrison. The 110 photos in the book document the tragedy and celebrate the towers with images taken since 1974.

“The American Spirit: Meeting the Challenge of September 11” (Life Books). If Life magazine were still being published, its reports on America’s response to the attacks would have looked like this. With essays by a variety of writers and an introduction by George W. Bush.

“A Nation Challenged: A Visual History of 9/11 and Its Aftermath” (Callaway Editions). Photojournalism from the New York Times, which won six Pulitzer prizes for its coverage, with original essays focused on different aspects of the attack. Although the book provides a comprehensive record of the event, the presence of charts and diagrams diminishes the emotional impact of the photos.

“The September 11 Photo Project,” edited by Michael Feldschuh (Regan Books). Selections from an exhibit of amateur photographs that began in a Soho gallery a month after the attacks.

“Standing Together: America Strong and Proud After 9/11” (Sports Publishing). Photographs from the New York Daily News. Includes the day of the attacks, the rescue efforts, the six-month anniversary tributes, the end of the cleanup efforts at ground zero.

“Pilgrimage: Looking at Ground Zero,” by Kevin Bubriski (PowerHouse Books). Like many who couldn’t explain their actions, photographer Bubriski made five pilgrimages from his home in Vermont to the World Trade Center site to witness and record the impact of the tragedy. The faces of anonymous mourners his camera captured at the barricades surrounding the ruins are a shattering portrait of collective sorrow.

“Faces of Ground Zero” by Joe McNally (Little, Brown). Rescue workers, firefighters, police and survivors, through the lens of an 8-by-12-foot Polaroid camera.

* Heroes and Survivors--The individuals thrust into the spotlight by disaster.

“Heart of a Soldier: A Story of Love, Heroism and September 11th,” by James B. Stewart (Simon & Schuster). The story of Rick Rescorla, a decorated Vietnam veteran and the head of security for Morgan Stanley, whose actions saved 3,700 of the company’s employees spread throughout 25 floors of the twin towers. Stewart says, “Rescorla’s story is about human nature and our capacity to act on behalf of our fellow man.... He was one of the few victims of 9/11 who consciously put his own life at risk, when he wasn’t really required to do so, by knowingly going back into the building at a moment of great peril.”

“Among the Heroes: United Flight 93 and the Passengers and Crew Who Fought Back,” by Jere Longman (HarperCollins). New York Times reporter Longman conducted more than 300 interviews to reconstruct the most likely series of events on the hijacked United flight that crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside. His research led to the conclusion that the passengers on board weren’t ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances. They were a special group of strong, smart, brave individuals perfectly suited to become the first victors in the war on terrorism.

“Father Mike,” by Michael Daly (Thomas Dunne Books). A biography of the New York Fire Department priest who perished administering last rites at the World Trade Center, by a New York Daily News columnist.

“Strong of Heart: Life and Death in the Fire Department of New York,” by Thomas Von Essen (Regan Books). In his memoir, the fire commissioner relates how he faced the loss of 343 members of the NYFD and began the process of rebuilding.

“Let’s Roll: Finding Hope in the Midst of Crisis,” by Lisa Beamer and Ken Abraham (Tyndale House). Memoir by the widow of Flight 93 passenger Todd Beamer.

* Looking for Understanding or Blame--Who is the enemy, why do they hate us, and why did their strategy succeed?

“The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot, and Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It,” by John Miller, Michael Stone and Chris Mitchell (Hyperion). The authors show the failure of anti-terrorism efforts under three administrations, including the present one. They claim several opportunities to stop the terrorists were not acted on because the threat had not exceeded what a State Department official called an “acceptable level of terrorism.”

Miller, a correspondent for ABC News, says, “This is a story I’ve been following since 1990. We did this book to promote understanding. This is not just another book that takes the easy street of bashing the FBI and CIA and saying that they screwed up. They did an awful lot right. The people on the ground level were always on the right trail, and they were often waved off by some bureaucrat upstairs.”

“Longitudes & Attitudes: Exploring the World After September 11,” by Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). Foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times and winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for commentary offers selections from his columns that examine the angry divide between the Western and Arab worlds.

“The Spirit of Terrorism and Requiem for the Twin Towers,” by Jean Baudrillard, “Ground Zero” by Paul Virilio and “Welcome to the Desert of the Real,” by Slavoj Zizek (all from Verso). Analyses of the United States, the media and the events surrounding Sept. 11 by three European philosophers.

“Al-Qaeda: The Terror Network That Threatens the World,” by Jane Corbin (Thunder’s Mouth Press). The BBC’s senior correspondent in the Middle East examines the West’s response to Sept. 11, declares it a failure and warns that further attacks should be expected.

“War of Words: Language, Politics and 9/11,” by Sandra Silberstein (Routledge). A professor of English at the University of Washington, Silberstein probes the stories that were repeated after the attack for clues to changes in the national character, concluding that sentimental appeals manipulated a national tragedy into a consumer opportunity. A metaphor for the book explosion?

“A Fury for God: The Islamist Attack on America,” by Malise Ruthven (Granta Books). The religious and intellectual background of the terrorist attacks, analyzed by a Middle Eastern scholar.

* Now What?--The political, security and sociological ramifications of living with terrorism.

“Combating Terrorism: Strategies of Ten Countries,” edited by Yonah Alexander (University of Michigan Press). Essays that evaluate the counterterrorism policies of 10 nations, including the U.S.

“A New World Trade Center: Design Proposals From the World’s Leading Architects,” by Max Protetch (Regan Books). Fifty-eight leading architects’ proposals for the space where the towers stood, based on an exhibition mounted at the author’s gallery in January. The proposals represent different views of the symbolic, economic, social and political role of architecture, but most conclude that the core of any rebuilding project should be a memorial.

“Critical Views of September 11: Analyses from Around the World,” edited by Eric Hershberg and Kevin Moore (The New Press). Essays by an international collection of intellectuals who consider the future of globalization, the relationship of security, terrorism and social values and the intersection of religion and politics.

“Understanding September 11,” edited by Craig Calhoun, Paul Price and Ashley Timmer (The New Press). Leading American sociologists, political scientists, economists and historians cover topics related to Sept. 11, including homeland defense and civil liberties and past and present perceptions of Islam.

“It’s A Free Country: Personal Freedom in America After September 11,” edited by Danny Goldberg, Victor Goldberg and Robert Greenwald (RDV Books). A collection of new pieces that consider the effect of the Bush administration’s legislation to combat terrorism on civil liberties. With original essays by former state Sen. Tom Hayden, syndicated columnist Robert Scheer, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and social critic Michael Moore, among others.