Above Hallowed Ground: A Photographic Record of September 11, 2001 (Hardcover)

by Photographers of the New York City Police Department (Author), Christopher Sweet (Author), David Fitzpatrick (Author), Gregory Semendinger (Author) "No one ever imagined this kind of attack..." (more)
Key Phrases: north tower, Ground Zero, World Trade Center, World Financial Center (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-One of the better photographic remembrances of the World Trade Center disaster. None of these color photos have heretofore been published and many depict scenes or were taken from positions that were off-limits to commercial or amateur photographers. Particularly breathtaking are those taken by Dave Fitzpatrick, an off-duty detective who rushed to board a police helicopter that morning and spent the remainder of the day taking thousands of photographs "that became the only aerial views of the devastation and early rescue efforts." The photos are chronologically arranged, beginning minutes after the first plane hit the North Tower, continuing through the succeeding days of search-and-rescue operations, and culminating with the cleanup. Many are full page and there are at least a dozen spreads. As a "photographic record," this coffee-table-sized book documents a historic event, confirming, for example, why no rooftop rescues were possible and the extent of the damage to the entire area now known as Ground Zero. It also stands as a tribute to the public-safety employees, construction workers, and volunteers who worked side by side throughout a horrific ordeal. The book is dedicated to the 23 members of the NYPD who were lost that day and to their families.
Dori DeSpain, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
On the morning of September 11th, a new kind of horror shook the world. Terrorists crashed two passenger airliners into the World Trade Center in the worst attack on U.S. soil in the nation's history. But at the same time a new generation of heroes rose up to fight it. This book chronicles not only the devastation of that day, but also the valor and heroism of thosewho saved thousands of lives.

Not one of these photographs has been published before. On top of that, these images offer a vantage point no ordinary photographers could obtain:They were taken by members of the New York City Police Department, uniformed and civilian, who were on the scene moments after the first plane hit and who were behind the scenes during the entire rescue and recovery effort.

Many officers took pictures during the course of their duties. Some were inside the lobbies of the World Trade Center before they collapsed. Some were in helicopters hovering near the burning towers. Some were trapped in the dust cloud after the buildings fell. They took pictures of the pandemonium around them, the fear, the effort, the exasperation. This collection portrays the courage of those who rushed into the danger so that others could escape it.

One of the featured photographers, Detective Dave Fitzpatrick, was off duty when he heard a report of the attack over his radio. He immediately went to an NYPD airfield, joined a crew boarding a police helicopter, and flew to the World Trade Center. They arrived right after the second plane hit and were instructed to observe the scene and watch for any other incoming aircraft. Over the course of three flights that day, Fitzpatrick shot thousands of photographs that became the only aerial views of the devastation and early rescue efforts downtown. He also covered all Ground Zero operations for the next two months. His best photos, along with those of numerous other members of the NYPD, have been collected in this book.

Together they make up the most in-depth visual document of the September 11th tragedy and its aftermath.

All royalties earned by the publication to the New York City Police Foundation, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Studio; First Edition/First Printing edition (August 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670031712
• ISBN-13: 978-0670031719
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 8.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #133,536 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, January 10, 2003

By	Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In the immediate aftermath of the 911 attacks of 2001, a group of photographs, taken by members of the press, were run and rerun over the media. This book contains a collection of photographs that were not immediately available to the press, these were the pictures taken by the men and women of the New York Police Department. This book contains 192 pages of color pictures that show the horror, the hope and the determination seen at Ground Zero that day. If you are interested in what happened that day, and want to see photos that you have never seen before, then I highly recommend this book to you!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stunning pictorial study of that terrible day..., September 11, 2002

By	James F. Anderson III (Hudson, WI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book, by the official photographers of the NYPD, shows you what the officers on the ground and in the air saw on 9-11-2001 and its aftermath. These photos have never before been published, and they are completely stunning due to the photographers proximity to the event. This book is highly recommended for anyone who desires to see a stunning pictorial study of the tragic, senseless events of 9/11.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Oversaturation" you say? You've not seen these before., September 13, 2002

By	Susan D. Kelly (Wendell, NC United States) - See all my reviews

Absolutely breathtaking and even though the events have been well-recorded and replayed ad nauseum, you will gain a new, harrowing, touching, moving perspective on the events at Ground Zero over the past year.
The book contains previously unpublished photographs taken by members of the New York City Police Department during the attacks on the twin towers and during the excavation of Ground Zero. Many photographs in the beginning of the book were taken from the air in NYPD helicopters assigned to circle over the city from the air in search of additional rogue airplanes, providing images from angles yet etched into memory. Imagine viewing the smoke and fire billowing from the towers against a clear, cerulean blue, cloudless sky.
Words do not do this book justice. The pictures are absolutely moving and of superior technical quality. Captions are succinct yet factual so even those not familiar with the city can get their bearings by well-known landmarks. I plan to add this book to my collection of journalistic records of life as a baby-boomer to be passed down throughout the generations as a transcript of the various historical events that have changed and continue to change the world in which we live.