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What We Saw: The Events of September 11, 2001--In Words, Pictures, and Video
A historical record of the events of September 11 and what was learned from them is culled from the CBS News archives and includes a full-length DVD of video footage. 250,000 first printing.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published August 20, 2002
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September 11, 2019
This is going to be a very personal review but the topic is just as personal so it’s only befitting.
As a German, I have a somewhat special relationship to the US and their military. It was the Americans more than anyone who liberated us and ended WWII. Sure, there were a lot of French and Brits and others, but without the US the outcome would very probably have been catastrophically different. Add to that the fact that due to their civilian losses the British and especially French soldiers weren’t exactly thrilled to see Germans. My grandmother could tell you stories that would make your toenails curl up - only that they aren’t „stories“ but actual events that have happened to her, her family and neighbours. So everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the Americans (and later Canadians) came and took over, stopped many more atrocities that would have been done to civilians out of revenge, and restored order.
When I was little (roughly the first 6 years of my life), I was surrounded by American and Canadian military personnel and my family even befriended some. I watched them play baseball with their kids on the front lawns of the barracks; they helped carry grocery bags to our car when they saw my mother and me at the supermarket (there were German men around, too, by the way, but I guess chivalry has been dead here for a long time); I witnessed their impeccable self-restraint even during a bar fight (long story).
In September 2001, I was not in a good place because about a month earlier I had lost my grandfather, an important father-figure in my life. I was in school, having had classes until about 3pm. My mother came and picked me up so we could go and visit my grandmother who was, no surprise there, not doing very well either. When we got to her apartment, she couldn’t speak, which spooked us. She kept pointing at the TV so we settled on the couch. Most of the reports were in English, coming in unfiltered because our news stations were completely overwhelmed. So I translated for them until at least some commentary came.
To say that we were shocked would be a complete understatement.
It wasn’t just that it was THE United States of America, the unbeatable force, that had been struck. Something like this had never ever happened before anywhere on the planet and for it to happen there of all places … not to mention the panicking people we saw, the screams we heard (like I said, the material was unfiltered when we first saw it on German news) ... Even now, all those years later, I have tears in my eyes when typing this.
We even were talking about it in school (and not just in politics lessons). Teachers trying to give us context so it would make a little sense to us. Everyone was scared. Scared shitless. For if it could happen there, it could happen anywhere.
For me, it was mostly about those nice, open and helpful people I had encountered and missed in the couple of years since the occupation had been dissolved in my hometown. While they were with us, my mother and I had no reason to be scared of walking home in the dark, now we did (another reason why my grandfather had never liked me taking the bus home but had picked me up as often as he could while he was still alive). Every American I had ever known was polite, cheerful, vivacious, downright vibrating with a positive attitude towards life that was almost contagious. What I saw on 9/11 and after was like those dust clouds - dull, grey, subdued, hurt and angry.
I will not get into any conspiracy theory here. I believe it was Osama bin Laden and his henchmen just as much as I still am in favor of the Iraq war although there were no weapons of mass destruction. Sometimes, as much as I - as we all - might dislike it, wars are necessary. Maybe it also served a more sinister secondary purpose (oil, cocaine, whatever), but I believe there was good reason for it too.
This review, however, is about 9/11 itself and this tribute to it, so let’s get more into that.
I religiously watched news segments, collected newspaper snippets (still have some of them), even recorded some of the TV coverage. It was important to me in order to process the events because what I was and still am feeling is grief, despite the fact that I’m not American, so I’m actually sad that only few of what I originally collected remains now.
This book and included DVD are a bit like my former collection. They show some of the news reports (yes, I remember some of them), heroic stories, personal tragedies, nationwide shock.
The author, Dan Rather, is a renowned journalist and he’s done a great job on this one. He shows what happened on the day and what impact it had on life in general (the good and the bad), including some accounts of survivors. He never used too much pathos or tried to influence people; it’s simply a collection that gives a 360° view on those fateful events. This is a fine piece of journalism about one of the most important events in current history and it is tastefully presented with the right amount of respect but also critical thinking. Some younger journalists could and definitely should learn from this man. A very important, perfectly executed historical account that also features incredible black-and-white pictures that bring together the wide aspects of the attacks with what individuals felt and experienced.
This was especially interesting to me as I never had the chance (yet) to see the museum in NYC. Apparently, copies are hard to come by but as "recent" as this tragedy has happened, it is still a part of history and, like I said, is of high quality so I recommend it to everyone.
Additional thoughts after re-reading this on September 11, 2019:
It's been 18 years. 2 years since I last read this book. Yes, I've decided to read it again on this anniversary of the tragic event that changed not just lives but how we think about warfare and terrorism in many ways.
I've recounted before where I was and what it was like for me, seeing things unfold from thousands of kilometres away on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
It's like Dan Rather says in the introduction: It has become almost a matter of convention to talk about September 11, 2001, in terms of where one was when one first heard the news. I think it is part of an understandable quest to discover that precise point in time, that bridging nanosecond, between life before and life after. We are trying to recall the feel of things as we knew them and to discover just what changed - and how - in that instant when we became aware that this day would be different from all the days that had preceeded it.
But Dan Rather was right about something else, too: For me, though - and I suspect this is also true for others - the true force of September 11 was revealed not in a single moment but in a series of moments. These moments marched alongside the indelible images of that day, each further advancing an understanding of the attacks' toll.
Many still don't understand why this day means so much to me despite me not being American and not having lost anyone in the attacks or their wake. I don't think I'll ever be able to make those people understand so I shan't even try. It's like people asking me why I keep looking at pictures and footage from that day since it was so horrible and all I can say is that I consider it a form of personal duty and that it's my way of dealing with my feelings. To me, mourning and commemorating is important and neither has an expiration date.
Moreover, and I think this is most important and the true message of this day, some of the individual stories of the bravery of bus drivers, firefighters, cops and random civilians are inspiring and hope-giving and show what actually makes America great. It may also be that spirit I'm hoping to revive.
As a German, I have a somewhat special relationship to the US and their military. It was the Americans more than anyone who liberated us and ended WWII. Sure, there were a lot of French and Brits and others, but without the US the outcome would very probably have been catastrophically different. Add to that the fact that due to their civilian losses the British and especially French soldiers weren’t exactly thrilled to see Germans. My grandmother could tell you stories that would make your toenails curl up - only that they aren’t „stories“ but actual events that have happened to her, her family and neighbours. So everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the Americans (and later Canadians) came and took over, stopped many more atrocities that would have been done to civilians out of revenge, and restored order.
When I was little (roughly the first 6 years of my life), I was surrounded by American and Canadian military personnel and my family even befriended some. I watched them play baseball with their kids on the front lawns of the barracks; they helped carry grocery bags to our car when they saw my mother and me at the supermarket (there were German men around, too, by the way, but I guess chivalry has been dead here for a long time); I witnessed their impeccable self-restraint even during a bar fight (long story).
In September 2001, I was not in a good place because about a month earlier I had lost my grandfather, an important father-figure in my life. I was in school, having had classes until about 3pm. My mother came and picked me up so we could go and visit my grandmother who was, no surprise there, not doing very well either. When we got to her apartment, she couldn’t speak, which spooked us. She kept pointing at the TV so we settled on the couch. Most of the reports were in English, coming in unfiltered because our news stations were completely overwhelmed. So I translated for them until at least some commentary came.
To say that we were shocked would be a complete understatement.
It wasn’t just that it was THE United States of America, the unbeatable force, that had been struck. Something like this had never ever happened before anywhere on the planet and for it to happen there of all places … not to mention the panicking people we saw, the screams we heard (like I said, the material was unfiltered when we first saw it on German news) ... Even now, all those years later, I have tears in my eyes when typing this.
We even were talking about it in school (and not just in politics lessons). Teachers trying to give us context so it would make a little sense to us. Everyone was scared. Scared shitless. For if it could happen there, it could happen anywhere.
For me, it was mostly about those nice, open and helpful people I had encountered and missed in the couple of years since the occupation had been dissolved in my hometown. While they were with us, my mother and I had no reason to be scared of walking home in the dark, now we did (another reason why my grandfather had never liked me taking the bus home but had picked me up as often as he could while he was still alive). Every American I had ever known was polite, cheerful, vivacious, downright vibrating with a positive attitude towards life that was almost contagious. What I saw on 9/11 and after was like those dust clouds - dull, grey, subdued, hurt and angry.
I will not get into any conspiracy theory here. I believe it was Osama bin Laden and his henchmen just as much as I still am in favor of the Iraq war although there were no weapons of mass destruction. Sometimes, as much as I - as we all - might dislike it, wars are necessary. Maybe it also served a more sinister secondary purpose (oil, cocaine, whatever), but I believe there was good reason for it too.
This review, however, is about 9/11 itself and this tribute to it, so let’s get more into that.
I religiously watched news segments, collected newspaper snippets (still have some of them), even recorded some of the TV coverage. It was important to me in order to process the events because what I was and still am feeling is grief, despite the fact that I’m not American, so I’m actually sad that only few of what I originally collected remains now.
This book and included DVD are a bit like my former collection. They show some of the news reports (yes, I remember some of them), heroic stories, personal tragedies, nationwide shock.
The author, Dan Rather, is a renowned journalist and he’s done a great job on this one. He shows what happened on the day and what impact it had on life in general (the good and the bad), including some accounts of survivors. He never used too much pathos or tried to influence people; it’s simply a collection that gives a 360° view on those fateful events. This is a fine piece of journalism about one of the most important events in current history and it is tastefully presented with the right amount of respect but also critical thinking. Some younger journalists could and definitely should learn from this man. A very important, perfectly executed historical account that also features incredible black-and-white pictures that bring together the wide aspects of the attacks with what individuals felt and experienced.
This was especially interesting to me as I never had the chance (yet) to see the museum in NYC. Apparently, copies are hard to come by but as "recent" as this tragedy has happened, it is still a part of history and, like I said, is of high quality so I recommend it to everyone.
Additional thoughts after re-reading this on September 11, 2019:
It's been 18 years. 2 years since I last read this book. Yes, I've decided to read it again on this anniversary of the tragic event that changed not just lives but how we think about warfare and terrorism in many ways.
I've recounted before where I was and what it was like for me, seeing things unfold from thousands of kilometres away on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
It's like Dan Rather says in the introduction: It has become almost a matter of convention to talk about September 11, 2001, in terms of where one was when one first heard the news. I think it is part of an understandable quest to discover that precise point in time, that bridging nanosecond, between life before and life after. We are trying to recall the feel of things as we knew them and to discover just what changed - and how - in that instant when we became aware that this day would be different from all the days that had preceeded it.
But Dan Rather was right about something else, too: For me, though - and I suspect this is also true for others - the true force of September 11 was revealed not in a single moment but in a series of moments. These moments marched alongside the indelible images of that day, each further advancing an understanding of the attacks' toll.
Many still don't understand why this day means so much to me despite me not being American and not having lost anyone in the attacks or their wake. I don't think I'll ever be able to make those people understand so I shan't even try. It's like people asking me why I keep looking at pictures and footage from that day since it was so horrible and all I can say is that I consider it a form of personal duty and that it's my way of dealing with my feelings. To me, mourning and commemorating is important and neither has an expiration date.
Moreover, and I think this is most important and the true message of this day, some of the individual stories of the bravery of bus drivers, firefighters, cops and random civilians are inspiring and hope-giving and show what actually makes America great. It may also be that spirit I'm hoping to revive.
September 17, 2011
If I were reading this without having the memories of that horrible day, it would probably only receive a 4-star rating. I have read more moving accounts. However, as an overall compilation with views from many different perspectives, it accomplishes what it set out to do.
I remember that day with such vivid clarity. I am still moved to tears when I remember or read accounts of September 11, 2001. Why do I do it? Only in remembering, will we remain vigilant. Only in learning from the past, do we prepare ourselves for the future. Only in feeling the pain of such a loss, can we determine to do all in our power to never let it happen again.
Can we prevent evil? No. But we can remember all those whose lives were lost so that their death is not in vain. We can honor them and learn from them. Though evil won the battle of that day, we will win the war. Contrary to what we see in the news every day, there is a lot of good left in this world. Though our country has its problems, we have learned that we can come together—putting all politics aside—and be as one.
Ten years later, I learned things I had never known. I saw accounts that I had never before seen. As I read about the F-16 pilots that were scrambled, without being armed, to ram United Flight 93, my heart nearly burst. How could I not pause to give gratitude that I live in such a blessed country? When you think of the courage surrounding all of the events of the day, and especially those surrounding United Flight 93, you get a glimpse of the quality of our citizens and military.
Time makes us soft. The further we are removed from a situation the fainter become the lessons of the day. To pause and remember is worthy of our time. It is the only way we are prepared to meet the challenges of the future.
I remember that day with such vivid clarity. I am still moved to tears when I remember or read accounts of September 11, 2001. Why do I do it? Only in remembering, will we remain vigilant. Only in learning from the past, do we prepare ourselves for the future. Only in feeling the pain of such a loss, can we determine to do all in our power to never let it happen again.
Can we prevent evil? No. But we can remember all those whose lives were lost so that their death is not in vain. We can honor them and learn from them. Though evil won the battle of that day, we will win the war. Contrary to what we see in the news every day, there is a lot of good left in this world. Though our country has its problems, we have learned that we can come together—putting all politics aside—and be as one.
Ten years later, I learned things I had never known. I saw accounts that I had never before seen. As I read about the F-16 pilots that were scrambled, without being armed, to ram United Flight 93, my heart nearly burst. How could I not pause to give gratitude that I live in such a blessed country? When you think of the courage surrounding all of the events of the day, and especially those surrounding United Flight 93, you get a glimpse of the quality of our citizens and military.
Time makes us soft. The further we are removed from a situation the fainter become the lessons of the day. To pause and remember is worthy of our time. It is the only way we are prepared to meet the challenges of the future.
October 4, 2013
There have been an endless series of stories recounting the horrific events of 11-Sep-2001, many published around the 1-year anniversary of the tragedy. Though obviously a terrifying real story and one that we keep coming back to in the national collective consciousness, some of these tend to be nothing more than regurgitations of stories and news that we've all heard many times over by now.
I had expected something a little more depth or professional from CBS, but this book is really nothing more than a transcript, in book form, of the various live interviews and reports that they aired on 9/11 and in the days following. It even goes so far as to include a DVD containing all of the same reports.
I had expected something a little more depth or professional from CBS, but this book is really nothing more than a transcript, in book form, of the various live interviews and reports that they aired on 9/11 and in the days following. It even goes so far as to include a DVD containing all of the same reports.
May 5, 2014
Disappointing!
The only difference between this book and the edition published in 2002 is a six-page forward entitled "What We Know Now" by Joe Klein. While this is of an interesting perspective, it would have been nice if the stories in the book had been updated ... an additional paragraph or two at the end of each story that started "Today ..." or "Now, almost ten years later..."
It seems almost a waste to republish this book (and that's what they have done), with no real updates to this HUGE impact on American History.
The only difference between this book and the edition published in 2002 is a six-page forward entitled "What We Know Now" by Joe Klein. While this is of an interesting perspective, it would have been nice if the stories in the book had been updated ... an additional paragraph or two at the end of each story that started "Today ..." or "Now, almost ten years later..."
It seems almost a waste to republish this book (and that's what they have done), with no real updates to this HUGE impact on American History.
October 14, 2011
The book is most effective when it just lets the writers/correspondents tell their stories - the new essays by Dan Rather & Joe Klein are pointless, however.
One thing that always irritates me w/9-11 writing - the whole "where was George Bush?" obsession. 4 planes were hijacked & 3 of them were flown into large buildings (one of those being the Pentagon)... OF COURSE he was hidden away by the Secret Service for safety. I'd consider them negligent if they didn't do that. (Whatever your political views, it was the right call.)
One thing that always irritates me w/9-11 writing - the whole "where was George Bush?" obsession. 4 planes were hijacked & 3 of them were flown into large buildings (one of those being the Pentagon)... OF COURSE he was hidden away by the Secret Service for safety. I'd consider them negligent if they didn't do that. (Whatever your political views, it was the right call.)
November 2, 2011
This caught my eye in the library, it was on the new book shelf. The text repeated some of the clips on the DVD. Pictures were mostly black and white. This was the perspective of CBS so it only gives part of the picture, but a worthwhile part nonetheless. The 60 Minutes pieces at the end of the DVD were great.
September 13, 2015
The pictures really do an awesome job of telling the awful story of what happened that day. My students weren't even born on this terrible day, and I believe they need books that capture the pain and memories in an appropriate way. The DVD was awesome; I showed part of it (the first 45 min) to my 5th grade class.
January 22, 2012
Everyone should read this book. Just to keep fresh in everybodys mind. It also have DVD along with it. Very well done! and saw some new things on the DVD that I didn't see when it was all happening. I can tell you I will NEVER forget where I was when the Towers fell!
June 28, 2012
really good! learned a lot about 9/11 from it. it gave a different perspective about the enormity of who exactly how many people the event effected.also talks about the change that 9/11 has on everday life. anyway, i very much enjoyed this!
April 24, 2008
Quick overview reads. Voyeuristic CD-ROM accompanies. I just saw the movie United 93 which is why I'm interested in reading about 9-11...again.
February 27, 2009
First person accounts of September 11, 2001. Since the anniversary of 9/11 is less than a month away I thought this would be a good time to read this.
May 17, 2010
Detailing all the events happening on 9/11 with a hardback book and special dvd. It is the coverage provided on the day by the CBS news team.
December 2, 2010
I bought the book about a year after 9/11/2001. I read it and watched the DVD. Nine years later, I saw it my DVD shelf and thought I would read it again.
July 30, 2011
Watch the DVD first. It contains compelling footage from that fateful day, skilfully narrated by former CBS newsman Dan Rather. The companion book offers plenty of poignant anecdotes as well.
September 1, 2011
Painful, but beautiful in its own way. Hard to believe that this was ten years ago.
December 25, 2011
Immer wieder schockierend darüber zu lesen und die Bilder zu sehen...
May 24, 2012
Very good! It helped me explain things to my kids. Their ages 13&9. My 7 yr old a little to young yet. But it helped to have the video that came with.
September 14, 2013
No new info published in this book, but more a chronicle of the events we witnessed
January 18, 2014
A useful narrative with some very human insights into the earliest world event I can remember and one of my earliest memories.
April 13, 2015
outstanding photos and very insightful commentary by first account witnesses to this national tragedy. I've read a few books on 9/11 but this one stands out by far. I highly recommend it!
October 19, 2022
The title of this review was taken from the words of a little girl who was told that God had taken her father up to Heaven on that tragic day that changed America forever. She knew that not only had she lost her father, but that many others had lost their own loved ones in the calamity.
Everybody seems to be able to recall in vivid detail where they were or how they felt on September 11, 2001. I myself was still fresh out of high school, finding where I fit into this jigsaw puzzle of the world when planes crashed into the World Trade Center buildings, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. That day seemed a blur to me and the only thing I can recall is being at work when it happened. I can't remember the rest of that day or of the week that followed. Perhaps it was a shock of sorts that forced me not to remember more.
It wasn't until just recently that I started to research what happened that day and how a great evil changed the lives of an entire nation forever. When I saw this book, I knew this would be a good place to start and try to figure out what exactly happened on 9/11.
A collection of stories and recollections told by journalists, survivors and those who lost loved ones on that terrible day, this book is easy and accessible if you want to understand the events that unfolded on 9/11. All of the stories are touching and heartbreaking. There are even suggestions in some stories that despite the chaos, that life must continue on as normal. In spite of it all. And it must.
My review of this book is based solely on the Kindle edition. I believe this edition is the perfect medium for this kind of book, as videos from news reports are included as well. This books reads like a living and breathing part of history. There are a few sections where some pages tend to repeat themselves, and this can throw you off. But I can overlook this editorial error as the subject matter is much more important.
In the end, after reading this book, I felt a mixture of sadness and anger at the lives taken that day that left before their time was up. But I also felt hope and courage, through the many volunteers and rescue personnel who came together to help and to comfort those who lost their loved ones. Perhaps these are the emotions I felt on that day all those years ago that are still locked deep in my subconscious somewhere.
9/11 should never have happened. I wish it would never have happened. All of the victims who were murdered on that autumn day didn't need to be so cruelly taken from this world. All of the people who died that day still had so much life left to give, and it was taken by a great evil. Although, in the end, we move on with life, we must never forget 9/11. In our current times, we can also learn lessons from all of the people who came together to comfort their neighbors, co-workers and each other in the aftermath of 9/11. America really did band together after 9/11 to offer love and hope to a nation torn forever by the forces of terrorism. I hope in our current climate, that despite our political and religious beliefs, that at the end of the day, we can all band together again when evil knocks on our door, and show that the kind of evil that happened on September 11, 2001 will not defeat us, and we will emerge from the ashes and let love and hope win.
Everybody seems to be able to recall in vivid detail where they were or how they felt on September 11, 2001. I myself was still fresh out of high school, finding where I fit into this jigsaw puzzle of the world when planes crashed into the World Trade Center buildings, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. That day seemed a blur to me and the only thing I can recall is being at work when it happened. I can't remember the rest of that day or of the week that followed. Perhaps it was a shock of sorts that forced me not to remember more.
It wasn't until just recently that I started to research what happened that day and how a great evil changed the lives of an entire nation forever. When I saw this book, I knew this would be a good place to start and try to figure out what exactly happened on 9/11.
A collection of stories and recollections told by journalists, survivors and those who lost loved ones on that terrible day, this book is easy and accessible if you want to understand the events that unfolded on 9/11. All of the stories are touching and heartbreaking. There are even suggestions in some stories that despite the chaos, that life must continue on as normal. In spite of it all. And it must.
My review of this book is based solely on the Kindle edition. I believe this edition is the perfect medium for this kind of book, as videos from news reports are included as well. This books reads like a living and breathing part of history. There are a few sections where some pages tend to repeat themselves, and this can throw you off. But I can overlook this editorial error as the subject matter is much more important.
In the end, after reading this book, I felt a mixture of sadness and anger at the lives taken that day that left before their time was up. But I also felt hope and courage, through the many volunteers and rescue personnel who came together to help and to comfort those who lost their loved ones. Perhaps these are the emotions I felt on that day all those years ago that are still locked deep in my subconscious somewhere.
9/11 should never have happened. I wish it would never have happened. All of the victims who were murdered on that autumn day didn't need to be so cruelly taken from this world. All of the people who died that day still had so much life left to give, and it was taken by a great evil. Although, in the end, we move on with life, we must never forget 9/11. In our current times, we can also learn lessons from all of the people who came together to comfort their neighbors, co-workers and each other in the aftermath of 9/11. America really did band together after 9/11 to offer love and hope to a nation torn forever by the forces of terrorism. I hope in our current climate, that despite our political and religious beliefs, that at the end of the day, we can all band together again when evil knocks on our door, and show that the kind of evil that happened on September 11, 2001 will not defeat us, and we will emerge from the ashes and let love and hope win.
March 20, 2021
Originally, I checked this book out near the 10th anniversary of 9/11 figuring I’d read it and watch a bit of the videos in commemoration of the anniversary of the attacks. Almost eight months later, I decided it was time to enter it in my reading log and call it done. Not because the book was bad; it was emotional.
While I didn’t know anyone who was in the attacks or the aftermath nor did I even live through the attacks, we lived during the attacks. Like many big events, one will always remember where they were. It was terrifying how fresh it all is, how the words CBS News shares just brings all the images flowing back. I remember watching film coverage of the plane hit the 2nd tower, the fireman pulling the body of a child from the wreckage, and the fireman in a scene eerily reminiscent of the Iwo Jima memorial. Goosebumps were frequent, tears flowed freely. I kept putting the book aside, swearing to myself that I’d finish it. Enough … it is too fresh and I wonder if it will ever not be.
One particular account was one I had never heard before: an excerpt from a Wall Street Journal piece titled “Flying Blind: On That Fateful Day, Two Airlines Faced Their Darkest Scenario.” It details what American and United Airlines went through on 9/11, their initial reaction and response. I had never really considered what those employees were experiencing as they tried to find their planes and safely land them while also realizing that their colleagues were hostages on some flights
Part of me wishes I could finish the book. All of me knows this will be a valuable book and a part of conveying this major event in US history.
While I didn’t know anyone who was in the attacks or the aftermath nor did I even live through the attacks, we lived during the attacks. Like many big events, one will always remember where they were. It was terrifying how fresh it all is, how the words CBS News shares just brings all the images flowing back. I remember watching film coverage of the plane hit the 2nd tower, the fireman pulling the body of a child from the wreckage, and the fireman in a scene eerily reminiscent of the Iwo Jima memorial. Goosebumps were frequent, tears flowed freely. I kept putting the book aside, swearing to myself that I’d finish it. Enough … it is too fresh and I wonder if it will ever not be.
One particular account was one I had never heard before: an excerpt from a Wall Street Journal piece titled “Flying Blind: On That Fateful Day, Two Airlines Faced Their Darkest Scenario.” It details what American and United Airlines went through on 9/11, their initial reaction and response. I had never really considered what those employees were experiencing as they tried to find their planes and safely land them while also realizing that their colleagues were hostages on some flights
Part of me wishes I could finish the book. All of me knows this will be a valuable book and a part of conveying this major event in US history.
February 3, 2024
September 11 is one of those moments that you never forget - where you were when you heard about the first crash, what you were doing. It was an event that made us, as Americans, feel less safe - n o longer isolated from the violence of the world.
This book shares many stories of people who had first-hand experience with this national tragedy.
They were in the towers when the planes hit and, after descending humdreds of flights of stair, escaped. They were on the ground, shocked by the devestation. They were first responders, bravely giving their own lives attempting to save others. They were among the masses of volunteers from all over the city and the country, who flocked to New York needing to help, needing to be part of the American resistance to tyranny. The were the families, co-workers, friends, parents of the thousands killed.
This is a heart-breaking account for any of us who remember these days and events.
They are a lesson to all th young people who have only a vague idea what we mean when we remember 9-11.
This book shares many stories of people who had first-hand experience with this national tragedy.
They were in the towers when the planes hit and, after descending humdreds of flights of stair, escaped. They were on the ground, shocked by the devestation. They were first responders, bravely giving their own lives attempting to save others. They were among the masses of volunteers from all over the city and the country, who flocked to New York needing to help, needing to be part of the American resistance to tyranny. The were the families, co-workers, friends, parents of the thousands killed.
This is a heart-breaking account for any of us who remember these days and events.
They are a lesson to all th young people who have only a vague idea what we mean when we remember 9-11.
November 26, 2025
What We Saw is a book and DVD combination about the CBS News coverage of the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks. The book mainly contains write-ups by reporters who covered the attacks or their aftermath in the days and months that followed. It also includes accounts from a few of the eyewitnesses or survivors. The DVD contains the documentary that aired on CBS around the first anniversary of the attacks. The documentary includes part of the CBS news coverage from that day, as well as reports from the evening news or 60 Minutes following the attacks, reporting on the recovery operation, clean-up, and the effect the attacks and the following days and months had on the survivors and the friends and loved ones of the people who died.
The hardcover version of the book is 140 pages long and contains many pictures, so it can be finished in an hour or so. The documentary is just under two hours long. While the book is not as emotional as some of the books written about 9/11, the documentary is very emotional, especially for those who lived through the events of the day. The book is absolutely worth reading, and the DVD is worth watching.
The hardcover version of the book is 140 pages long and contains many pictures, so it can be finished in an hour or so. The documentary is just under two hours long. While the book is not as emotional as some of the books written about 9/11, the documentary is very emotional, especially for those who lived through the events of the day. The book is absolutely worth reading, and the DVD is worth watching.
September 25, 2021
I dug this out of my bookshelf to read during the 9/11 anniversary weekend. This coffee table style book is filled with pictures and first person accounts of September 11, 2001. Many of the accounts are by CBS reporters, others by other journalists and ordinary people, primarily in New York. The accompanying DVD is a fascinating record of about 30 minutes of CBS reporting on 9/11 and the day following, along with a number of reports from CBS News and 60 Minutes from the weeks after 9/11 about the heroes and victims of the tragedy. Inspirational and a reminder both to remember the fallen and to be encouraged by those faced what they saw and experienced with great courage. A nice keepsake that can be read in 2-3 hours. The DVD is 2 hours long.
September 17, 2019
A heartbreaking read of real stories and broadcasts from September 11th. I learned some things I hadn't known before, some interesting, some I could have done without knowing. Being so young, I don't remember much of the news broadcasts or what was being reported. I appreciated being able to read some of those now.
January 5, 2025
We said we would “never forget” but many seemed to have. Any recorded history of those events is, therefore, beneficial. This was definitely not a favorite format though. A lot of it is transcript from CBS news and I wouldn’t even say highlights. Full disclosure, I did not watch the included video footage.
September 8, 2023
Brings all the feelings back from the days and weeks after. Since I'm currently taking a mass communication and media class, it was reinforcing to read how news reporting changed after 9/11 and the proof is here in the immediate coverage.
December 28, 2024
Have had this book for some time, but never read it. Interesting information I didn't know from eyewitness accounts. Personal experiences & emotions documented as the events transpired. Eye opening even now.
October 22, 2020
Every year, on September 11, this book is taken off the shelf and read cover to cover and the DVD included is watched.
Never Forget
Never Forget
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