102 Minutes by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn

[Syracusefan]

This book was absolutely incredible. It is about the 102 minutes between when the WTC was hit on 9/11 and when the towers fell. It was written by NYT writers and is INCREDIBLE. It is not the usual media propaganda. It examines the structure of the buildings and how city codes actually became deadly, how many people who worked there did not know the layout of the buildings because they never used the stairs, the communications system that failed, and the strong rift between the NYPD and FDNY and how they hated working together. Most importantly it tells the story of the unsung heroes. Not the just the firefighters, policemen, and Port Authority workers, but of the everyday people who worked in the building and the depths they went to save co-workers and people they didn't know inside the buildings. The writers gathered the information from people trapped that the writers spoke to during the crisis, last emails, 911 calls, and last messages to loved ones.

It is such an amazing read. Keep the tissues ready. It is very sad. It will also keep you on the edge of your seat at times. You may think you know everything about 9/11, but you don't. I can't recommend this book highly enough. What an incredible book.

 

[Jbug]

This is on my To-Read list, but I was worried about the emotional impact.
Have you read Afterwords? It's a compilation of essays and thoughts written about 9/11 and was so difficult to read because of the emotional impact. It brought that awful day back again.

 

[Syracusefan]

This is on my To-Read list, but I was worried about the emotional impact.
Have you read Afterwords? It's a compilation of essays and thoughts written about 9/11 and was so difficult to read because of the emotional impact. It brought that awful day back again.

I haven't. Thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely pick it up. I think books about this - although painful to read are important. It is part of our history and we should never forget it.

As far as the emotional impact of it, it is very well written. You will definitely cry at parts. I would say for the most part you are left to wonder - what if? What if this happened, what if that happened, what if people knew this, or what if the city building codes weren't what they were.

I would be interested to hear your thoughts after you are done with it.

 

[sanyuja]

Thanks for the suggestion, Syracusefan. You helped me add another book to my super-long To-Read list
Just curious, how big is the book? I mean, how many pages?

 

[Syracusefan]

It was over 300 pages. I don't remember exactly and I have lent it to someone. Honestly though, I read it in one day. Once I started I couldn't put it down.

 

[sanyuja]

It was over 300 pages. I don't remember exactly and I have lent it to someone. Honestly though, I read it in one day. Once I started I couldn't put it down.

I thought as much. Thanks