Vicki S. (curledupwithabook) - , reviewed on 10/3/2010 + 169 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

A book that reveals the structural deficiencies that led to the early collapse of the twin towers. Both an historical analysis of the building of the towers and a heart-wrenching account of the human toll that resulted from political and economic decisions made decades before.

The authors do not look to place blame on anyone but the terrorists for the deaths of those innocents killed in the airplanes or the towers' impact zones, but fact by fact they show how early decisions made by politicians, contractors, and Port Authority administrators during the planning and building of the twin towers doomed almost everyone who died after the initial impacts. Through interviews of survivors and witnesses, Dwyer and Flynn reconstruct the routine pre-attack busyness of people planning for meetings, arriving at their desks, going for coffee and making the hundreds of simple daily decisions that, on this day, are of far greater consequence. The authors provide personal histories and more current details of the lives of those connected to the towers through work or rescue, making the outcome all the more poignant to the reader.

While non-fiction, the account reads like the taut human drama that it is and you may well find yourself reading into the night, hoping against hope that different decisions will be made and lives will be saved. In the end, the reader is left with the impact of the realization that this was the wretched reality of 9/11 and nothing he or she or anyone else does from this day forward can change it. While we may never comprehend the disturbed minds of those who would purposely fly airplanes into buildings, Dwyer and Flynn have provided us with information that helps us understand why the buildings collapsed so quickly and why so many were lost who could have been saved. Highly recommended.

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details