Customer Reviews

September 11, 2001

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

(...) This is not a collection of photos of the 9/11 tragedies, per se, but a collection of 9/12 newspaper front pages from nearly all the major US dailies, the biggest national papers (USA Today, WSJ, Christian Science Monitor), plus several major newspapers from around the world. Horrible as the events of that day were, it is interesting (and revelatory in some cases) to see how the events were covered. Obviously the NYC and Washington newspapers had a special closeness to the events but there is plenty to learn from reviewing the coverage in distant cities and small towns across North America, by US allies and traditionally non-allied nations (and even a few enemy states), and of editorial decisions about headline phrasing and photo selection. In a way, a book like this makes a case, for better or worse, for the world as global village. Not for the feint-hearted, perhaps, but an interesting collection and certainly worth preserving.

This book although paperback has high quality photograph paper for the book interior.
Showing front page news of newspapers all over the world with photographs.
You can actually read the front pages of each newspaper.
(of course a magnifying glass may come in handy)
I purchased this book along with * "New York September 11" by Magnum Photographers, David Halberstam *
I bought this book as a keepsake for myself, my children
and grandchildren so we will never forget those
lives lost and the strength, courage and closeness our
nation has achieved because of it.
I recommend both of these books.

As a native New Yorker who had looked at those two icons from my Brooklyn home every day, I found this book to be a wonderful tribute. I always took for granted that the World Trade Centers would be there to admire, visit and enjoy. Now, I have this book instead.

Although I was disappointed in my purchase of "September 11th, A Testimony" by Reuters that I bought here at amazon, (see my review) I really am happy with this purchase. It is fascinating to see every publications' coverage of that unbelievably horrifying and disastrous day in American history. It's as if you were able to go out and purchaseevery single newspaper from all over the globe, only beautifully packaged in one convenient and fascinating book.

What happened in Washington DC, Pennsylvania, and here at home for me was unforgettable, and something I honestly won't get over. I didn't have a personal loss in human form, as many unfortunate victims and their loving families have suffered, but I lost the WTCs! I can't go out on my terrace and look at the formerly impressive, now unbearably flat looking NYC skyline and see those twin icons of Americas #1 largest city. In the morning they glinted and glittered with a golden sunrise glow. In the midday, they shone in a fantastically bright silver white like precious platinum. In the summer sun they shimmered in the heat. At sunset, they glowed orange deeper and deeper until sundown, when all those thousands of lights came on and made a statement on that one of a kind skyline, like no other building(s) do now. Looking at that skyline makes me sad instead of awed like before. The only thing sadder was coming home at 8:55AM 9/11, to see one burning, then both, going to my mailbox, and never seeing EITHER one live ever again. Tower two fell when I went out, and the smoke was too thick to ever see tower one again until it too, turned to dust.

I think sharing my thoughts beyond the book review can help. Now that you know this subject means alot to me, perhaps my positive endorsement will help you judge for yourself if YOU would like to own this book too. It is certainly a very different take on the 9/11 tragedy that can augment your other selections, or stand on it's own for it's originality.

For anyone who wants a great tribute to the shattering events of September 11, 2001, and how it affected the world in wonderfully archival form, this is a great selection to add to your personal book collection. I know I want many memories of the World Trade Centers, I NEVER want to forget that they existed. You can help keep the memory alive for yourself too, with this great tribute.

This is a book of headlines that followed the September 11th attacks. It is an excellent primary source and is in full colour which makes it a good teaching aid. My criticism of this book would be that it does not feature enough international newspapers. Ireland and Germany are not featured and both these nations have experienced terrorism before. Likewise there were no Japanese papers in this book, or Arab papers.

As such it is most useful as an account of how the American press reacted to the tragedy with a few token international papers at the end.

Dozens of books related to the September 11th tragedy have been published in the last year, with many providing pictures of minute-by-minute events on that horrible day. This book is merely a reproduction of many of the front pages of our nation's (and the world's) newspapers the day after the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon were attacked by terrorists.

It is interesting what approaches the papers took that day. From half-page type to vivid pictures of the plane's impact into the second tower to the San Francisco Chronicles use of a word that one wouldn't expect to be used as a headline, it is a unique and interesting chronicle of that day.

Other reviewers have claimed that this book is an exploitation of the people impacted by that day, but it really isn't. You don't see pictures of people leaping to their death, you just see the news. It happened, it will always be a part of our history and it should be documented. I think this book does a good job of doing that.

Obviously, it is not the best book on chronically the events of that day. Others show the collapse of the building, the jumping victims, the bravery of the fire and police, but this one does a great job of showing how the nation and the world reacted.

If you were wondering what various newspapers said on 9/11, this is the book for you. High quality paper, it is a very well done publication to immortalize the headlines after the attack on American soil.

Just as December 7, 1941 was remembered as "a date that will live
in infamy" and "Remember Pearl Harbor!" became the battle cry of our Nation, so, too, will this date and these places become etched in the annals of the United States of America. This book
represents a stunning collection of the front pages of newspapers
across the nation as well as around the world reporting and depicting the events of this fateful day in our history. Page after page reveals the shock and horror experienced by all people who lived through that day. This book will be a historical record for future generations who will look back on these times in attempting to understand our collective experience. I highly recommend obtaining this book to pass on to your children and their children's children as a reminder of the evil which is ever present in this world.

This book features very scant international coverage. The volume of US headlines is overwhelming and monotonous. More interesting would have been headlines from around the globe, affording us a glimpse of the love and solidarity shown by other peace-loving peoples, and perhaps even identifying those mediocre presses who displayed less sympathetic reactions.

It is sad that so much international unity has been mostly taken for granted by our egocentric and conceited reporters here at home. I was extremely surprised, flattered, and also a bit saddened when I recently saw a photo of about 100,000 Canadians protesting terror on September 12. It was posted on a web site that featured MANY international headlines, and inspired me to buy this book. How could such a poignant display of friendship have been ignored by the US press?

Seriously, in an age when everybody criticizes our nation, our culture, our values, our appearance, our food, and our everything, are American reporters really so intellectually challenged that 100,000 people in another country holding "We love USA" signs in their nation's capital doesn't draw attention? How would any of us feel if we in America made a similar mass show of affection, marching down Washington D.C., and the media/public response in the target country turned out to be "Duh, I didn't hear about it," utter ambivalence and silence?

I believe that this book is a rather narcissistic collection of every redundant headline in every town of every state in the union. Basically, it's 122 pages of "we were attacked," which is hardly revealing, and 23 pages of a few countries' very unique and interesting takes on the situation.

Imagine if your local news reported the state tally for a presidential election, and then never bothered to reveal how every other state voted, or say who got elected, would that serve any purpose?

But worst of all, even those 23 pages of foreign news feature mostly the same countries over and over, while omitting others. How can editors in their right mind dedicate FOUR entire pages to Sweden and not even include one single headline from Germany? Only 1 each from France and England, but 2 from Brazil? This is editing at its worst.

I love the concept. I respect and applaud the publicists and editors for their good intentions. But the end product is rather mediocre... nay, poor journalism.

A very good collection of newspaper front pages from across America on that fateful day and those that followed. Will appeal to more than just journalists and newspaper buffs. Many of the pages, photos and headlines are gripping, and will remind many just how awful those first days after the attacks were. Good, bare-bones presentation marred only by sub-par reproduction of a handful of pages.

While this book does contain some good photographs from newspapers around the world in regard to the horrific events of September 11, 2001, I found the book did not have the quality of other books published to date. This book is in paperback, not hardcover, which will not be nearly as durable if you are purchasing the book as a keepsake to hand down to future generations. The book is well organized and has some very good photographs but it would not be my first choice. I would recommend "New York September 11" with photographs by Magnum Photographers before this one.

On the plus side, proceeds from the book will go to the September 11 Fund administered by the United Way, but it does not say what percentage, if any, of the funds will be used for administrative costs. Readers my want to review other books before purchasing this one and, if they so choose, give directly to the September 11 Fund through a direct donation.