What do you think?
Rate this book
The 9/11 Report
The 9/11 Report for Every American
On December 5, 2005, the 9/11 Commission issued its final report card on the government’s fulfillment of the recommendations issued in July 2004: one A, twelve Bs, nine Cs, twelve Ds, three Fs, and four incompletes. Here is stunning evidence that Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón, with more than sixty years of experience in the comic-book industry between them, were right: far, far too few Americans have read, grasped, and demanded action on the Commission’s investigation into the events of that tragic day and the lessons America must learn.
Using every skill and storytelling method Jacobson and Colón have learned over the decades, they have produced the most accessible version of the 9/11 Report. Jacobson’s text frequently follows word for word the original report, faithfully captures its investigative thoroughness, and covers its entire scope, even including the Commission’s final report card. Colón’s stunning artwork powerfully conveys the facts, insights, and urgency of the original. Published on the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States, an event that has left no aspect of American foreign or domestic policy untouched, The 9/11 Report puts at every American’s fingertips the most defining event of the century.
On December 5, 2005, the 9/11 Commission issued its final report card on the government’s fulfillment of the recommendations issued in July 2004: one A, twelve Bs, nine Cs, twelve Ds, three Fs, and four incompletes. Here is stunning evidence that Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón, with more than sixty years of experience in the comic-book industry between them, were right: far, far too few Americans have read, grasped, and demanded action on the Commission’s investigation into the events of that tragic day and the lessons America must learn.
Using every skill and storytelling method Jacobson and Colón have learned over the decades, they have produced the most accessible version of the 9/11 Report. Jacobson’s text frequently follows word for word the original report, faithfully captures its investigative thoroughness, and covers its entire scope, even including the Commission’s final report card. Colón’s stunning artwork powerfully conveys the facts, insights, and urgency of the original. Published on the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States, an event that has left no aspect of American foreign or domestic policy untouched, The 9/11 Report puts at every American’s fingertips the most defining event of the century.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
47 people are currently reading
1598 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 312 reviews
October 26, 2016
This was a textbook-like, tough read. I only recommend it to readers who have a special interest in American counterterrorism and politics.
Could have been so much more engaging and gripping, if the author hadn't included every single detail of the original report in this graphic adaptation. This abundance of facts has resulted in an extremely boring read.
The top notch artwork couldn't save this, unfortunately.
Could have been so much more engaging and gripping, if the author hadn't included every single detail of the original report in this graphic adaptation. This abundance of facts has resulted in an extremely boring read.
The top notch artwork couldn't save this, unfortunately.
November 20, 2016
I never read the original 9/11 report because it was so long. I tried, but it seemed boring to me. I've read so many books on September 11th, but none like this.I found this one and thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did. The organization was pretty good and easy to follow except for a few small portions. I learned facts that I previously hadn't learned. Every frame was interesting. I would recommend it to all.
July 15, 2013
03 April 2007 THE 9/11 REPORT: A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon, Hill and Wang, 2006, ISBN: 0-8090-5738-7
"The Commission Recommends:
WE SHOULD OFFER AN EXAMPLE OF MORAL LEADERSHIP COMMITTED TO TREAT PEOPLE HUMANELY, ABIDE BY THE RULE OF LAW, AND BE GENEROUS AND CARING TO OUR NEIGHBORS. THE VISION OF THE FUTURE SHOULD STRESS LIFE OVER DEATH: INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY."
I have never read the 9/11 Commission's report. And while I've questioned my own ability to be a fully-informed American citizen while lacking a familiarity with the contents of such an important historic document, the original report's 568 pages have always felt like an insurmountable read despite my obvious abilities as a reader. Any notion that the typical adolescent student might ever tackle those 568 pages is rather inconceivable.
In 117 pages that are presented in an inviting graphic format, comic book icons Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon -- contemporaries of my parents -- summarize and superbly illustrate the findings of the 9/11 Commission. They present the essential information from the Commission's report in a manner that makes it fully accessible to adolescents whose lives are forever going to be impacted by what happened that day, and who will participate in future decisions concerning how we might move forward in a way that we can both sustain human civilization on Earth and better fulfill the promise of America's highest ideals.
"SCHEDULED TO LEAVE NEWARK AIRPORT AT 8 O'CLOCK -- FITTING INTO THE TERRORISTS' PLAN OF FOUR FLIGHTS LEAVING AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME -- UNITED FLIGHT 93 HAD TO SIT ON THE GROUND FOR 42 MINUTES BECAUSE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC"
The book is quick to engage readers through the use of long, folding-out pages that present a graphic timeline of the events taking place simultaneously on the four highjacked aircraft and following them to their tragic conclusion. This first section concludes with a haunting illustration in which black and gray ribbons of smoke drift across the Manhattan skyline in the background and across the profile of Lady Liberty in the foreground.
The book proceeds to reveal details of the government's inability to promptly and efficiently react to the attacks, the history of the "New Terrorism," a history of previous threats and terrorist attacks against U.S. interests, and the evolution of America's counterterrorism efforts. (It is fascinating to see Bill Clinton's pre-9/11 agonizing over what collateral loss of life might be acceptable if Bin Laden had been targeted.) We also learn the details of the selection and training of the hijackers, the heroism at Ground Zero, and the eventual U.S. military response to the attacks.
It seems inevitable that a failure to assume the moral leadership recommended by the Commission will result in a continued growth of the ranks of those around the world who are opposed to U.S. interests and are willing to act violently. An example of that process, as cited by the Commission is:
"PAKISTAN'S ENDEMIC POVERTY, WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION, AND OFTEN INEFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ISLAMIST RECRUITMENT. MILLIONS OF FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY THE POOR, SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS OR MADRASSAS. MANY OF THESE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN USED AS INCUBATORS FOR VIOLENT EXTREMEISM. IN KARACHI ALONE, THERE ARE 859 MADRASSAS TEACHING MORE THAN 200,000 YOUNGSTERS."
I certainly appreciate the hard work and vision of the distinguished Americans who served on the 9/11 Commission. But I also think that Jacobson and Colon each deserve a medal for transforming the important yet impenetrable report produced by the Commission into a readily digestible record of the history surrounding the unfathomable events of September 11, 2001. I feel extremely well informed for having read their book and so thankful that this notable work provides effective access and thereby contributes significantly to the national dialogue.
It is a book that certainly belongs in every middle and high school in America.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
"The Commission Recommends:
WE SHOULD OFFER AN EXAMPLE OF MORAL LEADERSHIP COMMITTED TO TREAT PEOPLE HUMANELY, ABIDE BY THE RULE OF LAW, AND BE GENEROUS AND CARING TO OUR NEIGHBORS. THE VISION OF THE FUTURE SHOULD STRESS LIFE OVER DEATH: INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY."
I have never read the 9/11 Commission's report. And while I've questioned my own ability to be a fully-informed American citizen while lacking a familiarity with the contents of such an important historic document, the original report's 568 pages have always felt like an insurmountable read despite my obvious abilities as a reader. Any notion that the typical adolescent student might ever tackle those 568 pages is rather inconceivable.
In 117 pages that are presented in an inviting graphic format, comic book icons Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon -- contemporaries of my parents -- summarize and superbly illustrate the findings of the 9/11 Commission. They present the essential information from the Commission's report in a manner that makes it fully accessible to adolescents whose lives are forever going to be impacted by what happened that day, and who will participate in future decisions concerning how we might move forward in a way that we can both sustain human civilization on Earth and better fulfill the promise of America's highest ideals.
"SCHEDULED TO LEAVE NEWARK AIRPORT AT 8 O'CLOCK -- FITTING INTO THE TERRORISTS' PLAN OF FOUR FLIGHTS LEAVING AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME -- UNITED FLIGHT 93 HAD TO SIT ON THE GROUND FOR 42 MINUTES BECAUSE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC"
The book is quick to engage readers through the use of long, folding-out pages that present a graphic timeline of the events taking place simultaneously on the four highjacked aircraft and following them to their tragic conclusion. This first section concludes with a haunting illustration in which black and gray ribbons of smoke drift across the Manhattan skyline in the background and across the profile of Lady Liberty in the foreground.
The book proceeds to reveal details of the government's inability to promptly and efficiently react to the attacks, the history of the "New Terrorism," a history of previous threats and terrorist attacks against U.S. interests, and the evolution of America's counterterrorism efforts. (It is fascinating to see Bill Clinton's pre-9/11 agonizing over what collateral loss of life might be acceptable if Bin Laden had been targeted.) We also learn the details of the selection and training of the hijackers, the heroism at Ground Zero, and the eventual U.S. military response to the attacks.
It seems inevitable that a failure to assume the moral leadership recommended by the Commission will result in a continued growth of the ranks of those around the world who are opposed to U.S. interests and are willing to act violently. An example of that process, as cited by the Commission is:
"PAKISTAN'S ENDEMIC POVERTY, WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION, AND OFTEN INEFFECTIVE GOVERNMENT CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ISLAMIST RECRUITMENT. MILLIONS OF FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY THE POOR, SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS OR MADRASSAS. MANY OF THESE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN USED AS INCUBATORS FOR VIOLENT EXTREMEISM. IN KARACHI ALONE, THERE ARE 859 MADRASSAS TEACHING MORE THAN 200,000 YOUNGSTERS."
I certainly appreciate the hard work and vision of the distinguished Americans who served on the 9/11 Commission. But I also think that Jacobson and Colon each deserve a medal for transforming the important yet impenetrable report produced by the Commission into a readily digestible record of the history surrounding the unfathomable events of September 11, 2001. I feel extremely well informed for having read their book and so thankful that this notable work provides effective access and thereby contributes significantly to the national dialogue.
It is a book that certainly belongs in every middle and high school in America.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
January 12, 2015
I recently read the book "The 9/11 Report" by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon, and it was terrible because it was not organized well. This book is a graphic representation of the unfortunate events that took place on September 11, 2001. Two major themes in this book are terrorism and failures by the U.S. from 1979-2001. The first theme was terrorism. The authors use a lot of evidence in the book about terrorism and what the causes and the effects are. The second major theme was that the U.S. did a poor job on safety and security from 1979-2001. Federal agencies like the FBI, CIA, and the FAA were not talking to each other about the information they had.
The book starts with a description of what happened during the 20 year period before September 11th concerning terrorists groups like Al Qaeda. The Persian Gulf War in the early 1990’s was one of the reasons Al Qaeda formed. The U.S. was fighting in the war so they had an army base in Saudi Arabia. Osama Bin-Laden was the head of the Al Qaeda terrorist group. One reason why Al Qaeda had a lot of weapons was because Osama Bin-Laden had a lot of money. Osama Bin-Laden was not happy with Americans being in Saudi Arabia because he thought American culture did not belong there.
The next event that lead up to 9/11 was a van that was planted with a bomb in the garage of one of the twin towers in 1993. Then in 1998, Al Qaeda bombed the U.S embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The authors show enough evidence to get the reader to realize that Al Qaeda hated the U.S. One of the last terrorist attacks leading up to 9/11 was in October of 2000. In 2000, Al Qaeda bombed a USS Cole ship and killed and wounded many people.
After the authors describe what happened before 9/11, they write about the specific actions that took place on that day. There were four planes heading for The White House, The Pentagon, and each of the Twin Towers. The first plane hit one twin tower. The explosion killed all of its crew and passengers on the plane as well as people in the offices above the 92nd floor. Fourteen minutes later another plane hit the second twin tower killing everyone on board and many people in the building. Later, a plane struck one corner of the Pentagon killing and injuring many people. The last plane was scheduled to crash into the White House, but the passengers took over the plane from the hijackers and crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
The end of the book summarizes all the things the U.S. could have done better from 1979-2001. The 9/11 Commission reported that there were four main failures that took place, which were failures in policy, in imagination, in capabilities, and in management. Failure in policy meant that the U.S. had too many army bases in Saudi Arabia, as opposed to spreading army bases across the Middle East. Failure in imagination meant that people were not thinking about the different ways terrorists could attack. Failure in capabilities meant that the U.S. was capable of doing actions that might have prevented 9/11 from happening, like having more air marshals, giving the President many different options to deal with the terrorists, and the FAA taking more aggressive security measures. Failure in management meant that all the information was known but because different people had different parts of the information, they didn’t put the pieces of the puzzle together.
I instantly knew this book wasn't right for me. One reason why I didn't like this book was because there was no organization, which meant it was hard to know what text bubbles came first (because this is a graphic novel). Also, I felt like the authors tried so hard to make a report into a graphic novel. Perhaps, the book should have just been a report or a regular chapter book.
One thing I found interesting about this book was the couple of pages where the authors talk about the Taliban/Al Qaeda. I also thought that the artwork in the book was good because it gave a good visual representation. I would recommend this book for non-fiction/graphic novel readers. I would suggest that if you read this book, you should be at least over 13. I am almost 13 and parts of this book were very difficult and confusing. Overall I would give this book a two out of ten mostly because of the organization.
The book starts with a description of what happened during the 20 year period before September 11th concerning terrorists groups like Al Qaeda. The Persian Gulf War in the early 1990’s was one of the reasons Al Qaeda formed. The U.S. was fighting in the war so they had an army base in Saudi Arabia. Osama Bin-Laden was the head of the Al Qaeda terrorist group. One reason why Al Qaeda had a lot of weapons was because Osama Bin-Laden had a lot of money. Osama Bin-Laden was not happy with Americans being in Saudi Arabia because he thought American culture did not belong there.
The next event that lead up to 9/11 was a van that was planted with a bomb in the garage of one of the twin towers in 1993. Then in 1998, Al Qaeda bombed the U.S embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The authors show enough evidence to get the reader to realize that Al Qaeda hated the U.S. One of the last terrorist attacks leading up to 9/11 was in October of 2000. In 2000, Al Qaeda bombed a USS Cole ship and killed and wounded many people.
After the authors describe what happened before 9/11, they write about the specific actions that took place on that day. There were four planes heading for The White House, The Pentagon, and each of the Twin Towers. The first plane hit one twin tower. The explosion killed all of its crew and passengers on the plane as well as people in the offices above the 92nd floor. Fourteen minutes later another plane hit the second twin tower killing everyone on board and many people in the building. Later, a plane struck one corner of the Pentagon killing and injuring many people. The last plane was scheduled to crash into the White House, but the passengers took over the plane from the hijackers and crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
The end of the book summarizes all the things the U.S. could have done better from 1979-2001. The 9/11 Commission reported that there were four main failures that took place, which were failures in policy, in imagination, in capabilities, and in management. Failure in policy meant that the U.S. had too many army bases in Saudi Arabia, as opposed to spreading army bases across the Middle East. Failure in imagination meant that people were not thinking about the different ways terrorists could attack. Failure in capabilities meant that the U.S. was capable of doing actions that might have prevented 9/11 from happening, like having more air marshals, giving the President many different options to deal with the terrorists, and the FAA taking more aggressive security measures. Failure in management meant that all the information was known but because different people had different parts of the information, they didn’t put the pieces of the puzzle together.
I instantly knew this book wasn't right for me. One reason why I didn't like this book was because there was no organization, which meant it was hard to know what text bubbles came first (because this is a graphic novel). Also, I felt like the authors tried so hard to make a report into a graphic novel. Perhaps, the book should have just been a report or a regular chapter book.
One thing I found interesting about this book was the couple of pages where the authors talk about the Taliban/Al Qaeda. I also thought that the artwork in the book was good because it gave a good visual representation. I would recommend this book for non-fiction/graphic novel readers. I would suggest that if you read this book, you should be at least over 13. I am almost 13 and parts of this book were very difficult and confusing. Overall I would give this book a two out of ten mostly because of the organization.
March 11, 2009
An excellent job with a few flaws - some key factors that weren't mentioned or were glossed over, e.g. the way that a number of Bin Laden's family were flown out of the U.S. while civilian flights were grounded. Still, the idea of presenting the content of the 9/11 Commission's report in this graphic novel format is ingenious and the execution very well done, a better job of presenting a mass of detail and maintaining an appropriate tone than I anticipated.
September 16, 2015
September 11, 2001, 8:45 am, how could this possibly be happening? It seemed like a normal day in New York City and then BAM!, the deadliest terrorist attack ever on American soil. The 9/11 Report by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón is a book that tells the story of 9/11. This amazing, but scary book mentions the incident minute by minute, as seen in the following quote: “At 8:46, American Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.” (pg 9) We also learn about what happened before and after the attack, and how president George W. Bush got involved. You will also to get to read about how Bin Laden and his terrorist group, Al Qaeda, planned this attack starting in Saudi Arabia in the late 90’s and every sacrifice they made for this attack. You will read about everything that happened on those 4 planes that crashed that morning.
Personally I love this book. I don’t like the topic the book is about, but the book was amazing. I love action-packed books or books that are unpredictable. This book was action-packed and unpredictable. The book was unpredictable for me because I didn’t know too much about 9/11 (I didn’t know the aftermath, and how the Al Qaeda planned the attack). I think a good book is a book that can make someone imagine the events in their head, a book that makes you have different emotions while reading it, and a book that makes you have a lot of questions. This book had all of those characteristics. I sadly could imagine the planes crashing into the 4 landmarks in my head. I had many different emotions while reading this book. I really loved how the authors wrote the book, there was times when I felt like I couldn’t stop reading the book. While reading the book I felt very sad for the people who died that day, the, “2,977 people died that day.” (pg 46) The graphics in this amazing graphic novel are great. The graphics impacted my experience, they helped me imagine the image of the incident. I think people today need to read this book because I think children and adults need to learn more about 9/11. This book gives amazing information about it. Overall I thought it was a very interesting book and an important book that everyone needs to read.
Personally I love this book. I don’t like the topic the book is about, but the book was amazing. I love action-packed books or books that are unpredictable. This book was action-packed and unpredictable. The book was unpredictable for me because I didn’t know too much about 9/11 (I didn’t know the aftermath, and how the Al Qaeda planned the attack). I think a good book is a book that can make someone imagine the events in their head, a book that makes you have different emotions while reading it, and a book that makes you have a lot of questions. This book had all of those characteristics. I sadly could imagine the planes crashing into the 4 landmarks in my head. I had many different emotions while reading this book. I really loved how the authors wrote the book, there was times when I felt like I couldn’t stop reading the book. While reading the book I felt very sad for the people who died that day, the, “2,977 people died that day.” (pg 46) The graphics in this amazing graphic novel are great. The graphics impacted my experience, they helped me imagine the image of the incident. I think people today need to read this book because I think children and adults need to learn more about 9/11. This book gives amazing information about it. Overall I thought it was a very interesting book and an important book that everyone needs to read.
December 13, 2009
The concept for this graphic novel was great -- take the massive 9/11 report; illustrate it; pare it down to the basic need-to-know info about the history leading up to 9/11, the major players, who to blame and why, etc. . . .
But the execution lacked efficient organization and, often, strong writing. When someone takes a nonfiction subject and uses the graphic novel as the medium through which to illuminate that subject, usually the goal is to make things less muddled, not more.
Language should be more sparse, allowing the graphics to tell more of the story. However, the small bit of language that does make it into the narrative needs to be all the more tight because of its sparing use, and in this graphic novel, the writing just wasn't there. The sentences were 4th grader-ish.
Also, the organization of the novel lacked coherence in many places. Certain sequences of events and stories pertaining to all the major persons of interest were repeated several times throughout the book, with no clear purpose as to why. For instance, the chain of events between 7-10ish a.m. on the morning of 9/11 was illustrated from start to finish at least 3 times . . . granted, the events were from slightly different viewpoints, but they still had too much redundancy and it muddied up the narrative sequence.
Still, I learned a lot from the graphic novel that I know I wouldn't have had the patience to sit through and learn from the actual 9/11 Commission Report. Another major positive for the novel were the graphics, which were outstanding.
But the execution lacked efficient organization and, often, strong writing. When someone takes a nonfiction subject and uses the graphic novel as the medium through which to illuminate that subject, usually the goal is to make things less muddled, not more.
Language should be more sparse, allowing the graphics to tell more of the story. However, the small bit of language that does make it into the narrative needs to be all the more tight because of its sparing use, and in this graphic novel, the writing just wasn't there. The sentences were 4th grader-ish.
Also, the organization of the novel lacked coherence in many places. Certain sequences of events and stories pertaining to all the major persons of interest were repeated several times throughout the book, with no clear purpose as to why. For instance, the chain of events between 7-10ish a.m. on the morning of 9/11 was illustrated from start to finish at least 3 times . . . granted, the events were from slightly different viewpoints, but they still had too much redundancy and it muddied up the narrative sequence.
Still, I learned a lot from the graphic novel that I know I wouldn't have had the patience to sit through and learn from the actual 9/11 Commission Report. Another major positive for the novel were the graphics, which were outstanding.
February 9, 2024
A must read for every American. An excellent summary of the 9/11 Panel's findings without the 1000-plus pages of the original report issued by the Panel. The illustrations are concise and serious; no "comic book" feel at all. I first heard about this book when the authors were interviewed on NPR; I was impressed with how they took this project seriously and how they felt very strongly that they needed to make the most critical information accessible to as many people as possible.
This is a history of a catastrophic event on American soil, so it may be disturbing to younger adults.
This is a history of a catastrophic event on American soil, so it may be disturbing to younger adults.
September 25, 2016
I am always a fan of making complex information accessible. This graphic novel is unexpectedly good at making the very muddled timeline leading up to 9/11 understandable, while at once communicating the underlying problems of our intelligence community. As a classroom resource, this could be invaluable in explaining the change that happened in our country after 9/11, especially to a generation of students who did not experience it.
August 12, 2024
as a child i have always had an interest in learning about 9/11, so when i saw this book at my local used bookstore, there was no other option- it was mine. after purchasing, i realized this isn’t just a graphic novel about 9/11 it is a graphic novel adaptation of the almost 600 page 9/11 report by the national commission on terrorist attacks upon the united states. one of my biggest qualms with this adaption is that it is almost impossible to turn about 600 pages into about 100 pages. there was a lot left out (although i’ve only read excerpts of the original report) and the text organization was absolutely horrific. everything felt jumbled and squished into these 100 pages that it was difficult to keep up with my place on the page.
however, there are aspects of this book that i did enjoy. obviously the illustrations were beautiful and the color palette on each page kept me invested. but perhaps my enjoyment of the book is that it is accessible to a reader of any kind, young or old, to learn more about the behind the scenes information on 9/11. the text itself was easy to read (definitely not organization wise but rather content wise) and the pictures aligned well with the text. overall, it’s a 3 star read. definitely information heavy, so if you’re overwhelmed by that, i’d skip this one. but it does give insight into what the us has done well and poorly in response to the 9/11 attacks, which i think, offers a very interesting perspective.
however, there are aspects of this book that i did enjoy. obviously the illustrations were beautiful and the color palette on each page kept me invested. but perhaps my enjoyment of the book is that it is accessible to a reader of any kind, young or old, to learn more about the behind the scenes information on 9/11. the text itself was easy to read (definitely not organization wise but rather content wise) and the pictures aligned well with the text. overall, it’s a 3 star read. definitely information heavy, so if you’re overwhelmed by that, i’d skip this one. but it does give insight into what the us has done well and poorly in response to the 9/11 attacks, which i think, offers a very interesting perspective.
November 14, 2019
I am really glad I read this book. I learned a lot, since I confess I didn't read the original 400+page 9/11 Report. This graphic adaptation was easy to read and very accessible. The only other graphic novel I have read is MARCH by John Lewis.
There is a chilling timeline section. I liked the organization of the book, even though I know many other readers didn't. By having chronological sections and then sections that provide background information, this book clarified for me many of the reasons for the attacks and the reasons our government has cracked down on our civil liberties in the aftermath. I do think Bin Laden has won because these attacks changed how Americans live and think and travel.
There is a chilling timeline section. I liked the organization of the book, even though I know many other readers didn't. By having chronological sections and then sections that provide background information, this book clarified for me many of the reasons for the attacks and the reasons our government has cracked down on our civil liberties in the aftermath. I do think Bin Laden has won because these attacks changed how Americans live and think and travel.
January 11, 2020
You've got to pay attention with this one. The format makes the complicated parts easier to understand, but understanding is still work.
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 reminded me of how awful 9/11 was...and how amazing Americans were on that day. This book shows how and why it happened.
I'm putting it in my classroom library, but I don't expect it to be a hit. Nonetheless, I'm really glad I read it.
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of September 11, 2001 reminded me of how awful 9/11 was...and how amazing Americans were on that day. This book shows how and why it happened.
I'm putting it in my classroom library, but I don't expect it to be a hit. Nonetheless, I'm really glad I read it.
June 16, 2022
This graphic novel illustrates the highlights of the 9/11 Commission Report. The text is government detail heavy with a focus much less on the day of the attacks and more on the steps of Bin Laden and Al Qaeda that lead up to the attacks. One section I found helpful was a 4-5 page fold out timeline of what was happening on each of the 4 planes during pivotal moments on the morning of 9/11. It was a visual sequencing I had not seen before, very sobering but also-informative.
Read
March 31, 2023After reading this book and doing some research, it was really sad how many innocent people lost their lives. Its all about what happened on 9/11 but in pictures. I rated this book a 4 because of all the info and i learned something new and also i dont like how small the letters are
August 31, 2021
Super dense, but very informative
November 19, 2019
Very dry reading. Pedestrian artwork. Narrative bounces back and forth too much. I gave up on it. I knew a lot of it already, but what I didn’t know I’ll get from a different source.
November 14, 2022
I wouldn't have read original 9/11 Report if hadn't been for this graphic novel. I learned a lot but on the other hand, a lot of it went over my head. Sad how as a country and ally we still continue to fail on combating terrorism.
December 5, 2022
This is an interesting book to rate. Not my favorite by far, but it was interesting and had some interesting facts and kept my interest so I round up to a 4. I was scrolling through the graphic novels and came across it. I thought since I was getting into GN, I would give this a go and see if it provided me with any new insight. I was excited, but also looking at it, had lots of info and mini paragraphs; looked intimidating and feared it would be lost on me. I was pretty young and naive during the time of 9/11. I remember it hitting emotionally, but I didn't truly understand. I enjoyed the creative way of working through the time line, not realizing that 9/11 was a lead up to many years prior to it happening. The info, names and time line was a lot to take in and iver my head at times, but I got the gist and feel a little more mature and knowledgeable to the story behind it. Reading something in so much detail about something over 20 years ago, and it's still emotional and makes me angry to how and why it happened and just how unprepared the US was for it.
If you in your selfish years like me, between HS and college when this happened, or I would assume younger, this is an interesting way to learn about the key players and events to what happened. Its amazing how many people this event impacted.
If you in your selfish years like me, between HS and college when this happened, or I would assume younger, this is an interesting way to learn about the key players and events to what happened. Its amazing how many people this event impacted.
September 17, 2010
THE 9/11 REPORT: A GRAPHIC ADAPTATION BY SID JACOBSON AND ERNIE COLON: Naturally, this graphic adaptation has been getting a lot of flack from different people related to the September 11th attacks, because they still feel that comics are for a child’s enjoyment, to entertain and encourage a child’s humor, and they don’t know that in some ways they can do more than books in both informing through words and explaining through art. Sometimes a lot more can be said through a picture with words.
I have to say though, after sloughing through this graphic adaptation of the 9/11 Report, I will not be reading that long and important source any time soon. The graphic novel is heavy and complicated enough to get through. But if one wishes to get the complete story of not just exactly what happened on September 11th, 2001, but all the events leading up to it with the terrorists and the state of our foreign policy with the Middle East, then pick up this graphic novel and take it all in . . . it’s all there.
Apart from the introduction from two of the commissioners of the 9/11 Report, the graphic adaptation begins with a four-way split streamline of the four planes, when they took off and under what circumstances, what happened on the planes with the hijackers, and what the eventual resulting attack was. What makes this quite fascinating is that by charting them all together one can see the initial plan of having all the hijackers carry out their plans at the same time, but due to different circumstances and delays this was not the case.
In the next chapter, the authors go into detail on how the FAA and different government bodies could have and should have done things differently according to all their previous regulations. It does prove that had everyone been doing what they should’ve, some of those planes may not have hit those targets, or at least something else and less devastating might have happened.
The rest of the book is spent in going into the history of the circumstances that led up to the hijackers boarding the planes. It’s heavy reading, but the pictures make it a lot clearer and easier to understand. One gets a full picture on everyone and what they were doing, and how many different people and places were involved. It’s actually quite surprising.
The book (as I’m sure the 9/11 Report does also) is clear in pointing out that while the Bush administration was certainly to blame in some cases, the previous Clinton administration was very much also, and even had everything been working smoothly, the attacks may still have not been prevented. One can say they would’ve never happened had Clinton carried out the assassination of Usama Bin Laden, as he’d planned in the late 90s; but one can also say had Bush focused on terrorism in the Middle East when he came into office, as all his advisors were telling him (specifically Richard Clarke), then again September 11th may never have happened.
While I’m sure the graphic adaptation covers nowhere near the same ground as the actual report, it nevertheless serves its own unique purpose in making everything more succinct and clearer and easier to understand as a whole. It’s the perfect book to keep in one’s library so that one day in the future one can pick it up again, read it, and understand exactly what happened and more importantly why on September 11th, 2001.
For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.
I have to say though, after sloughing through this graphic adaptation of the 9/11 Report, I will not be reading that long and important source any time soon. The graphic novel is heavy and complicated enough to get through. But if one wishes to get the complete story of not just exactly what happened on September 11th, 2001, but all the events leading up to it with the terrorists and the state of our foreign policy with the Middle East, then pick up this graphic novel and take it all in . . . it’s all there.
Apart from the introduction from two of the commissioners of the 9/11 Report, the graphic adaptation begins with a four-way split streamline of the four planes, when they took off and under what circumstances, what happened on the planes with the hijackers, and what the eventual resulting attack was. What makes this quite fascinating is that by charting them all together one can see the initial plan of having all the hijackers carry out their plans at the same time, but due to different circumstances and delays this was not the case.
In the next chapter, the authors go into detail on how the FAA and different government bodies could have and should have done things differently according to all their previous regulations. It does prove that had everyone been doing what they should’ve, some of those planes may not have hit those targets, or at least something else and less devastating might have happened.
The rest of the book is spent in going into the history of the circumstances that led up to the hijackers boarding the planes. It’s heavy reading, but the pictures make it a lot clearer and easier to understand. One gets a full picture on everyone and what they were doing, and how many different people and places were involved. It’s actually quite surprising.
The book (as I’m sure the 9/11 Report does also) is clear in pointing out that while the Bush administration was certainly to blame in some cases, the previous Clinton administration was very much also, and even had everything been working smoothly, the attacks may still have not been prevented. One can say they would’ve never happened had Clinton carried out the assassination of Usama Bin Laden, as he’d planned in the late 90s; but one can also say had Bush focused on terrorism in the Middle East when he came into office, as all his advisors were telling him (specifically Richard Clarke), then again September 11th may never have happened.
While I’m sure the graphic adaptation covers nowhere near the same ground as the actual report, it nevertheless serves its own unique purpose in making everything more succinct and clearer and easier to understand as a whole. It’s the perfect book to keep in one’s library so that one day in the future one can pick it up again, read it, and understand exactly what happened and more importantly why on September 11th, 2001.
For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.
March 31, 2020
This graphic novel adaptation of the 9/11 commission report did exactly what it needed to do. It provides an excellent overview of a dense government document in an engaging visual format. Of particular interest and concern is the list of recommended reforms and policies at the end which was woefully incomplete at the date of publication in 2006, and which is still incomplete in 2020 (though the realities of national security and foreign policy have changed somewhat).
Overall, I recommend this graphic novel as a quick and informative read on a topic that is still quite relevant to current events today!
Overall, I recommend this graphic novel as a quick and informative read on a topic that is still quite relevant to current events today!
January 27, 2024
Pretty interesting but I was expecting them to talk way more about September 11 than anything, however, surprisingly they mainly focused on the people involved before and after 9/11. Which I felt was a smarter move but they kinda lost me at the end when they started talking about a bunch of new improvements to the US Agencies and government to counter terrorism. Oh and illustrations were good BUT the portraits of the people featured in the book were especially great!
July 24, 2014
I'm torn on this book. On the one hand, I really liked the idea behind it- take an important yet dense government report that everyone should (but almost nobody will) read and make it more accessible and appealing to a different audience. And in that regard I guess it worked on me- reading the real report has been on my to-do list for years and was likely to stay that way until I discovered this graphic novel and figured I would give it a try. I read the whole thing in about four days (very quick for me).
BUT... I still don't think I was quite the target audience. Another reviewer said she didn't recommend this unless you're already a big reader of graphic novels (I think I've only read 4 or 5 ever), and he or she may be right. With a couple notable exceptions (specifically, the timelines towards the beginning of the book), I didn't find the information any easier to follow in this format than I think I would have in a narrative form. The pictures in most cases do little to add to the info or even really illustrate anything being said. If anything, the format was frustrating because it FELT like it should have all been easy to digest due to the format, but instead was still just as dry. The condensed info, highlighting only the most important points, meant that there was no real explanation for most facts, meaning that every fact was lost in the fray of giant bullet points. It was like watching a long power point presentation where the presenter doesn't actually explain anything- just reads the bullets off one by one, making them all utterly forgettable.
Like I said, I'm not really the target audience here since I'm already a huge fan of nonfiction involving serious topics. But I can see this version working for some people, and that is great. I still love the idea of trying to make the report more approachable and condensed, but I think it would have worked better as a well-done CliffsNotes style blog post or something along those lines.
BUT... I still don't think I was quite the target audience. Another reviewer said she didn't recommend this unless you're already a big reader of graphic novels (I think I've only read 4 or 5 ever), and he or she may be right. With a couple notable exceptions (specifically, the timelines towards the beginning of the book), I didn't find the information any easier to follow in this format than I think I would have in a narrative form. The pictures in most cases do little to add to the info or even really illustrate anything being said. If anything, the format was frustrating because it FELT like it should have all been easy to digest due to the format, but instead was still just as dry. The condensed info, highlighting only the most important points, meant that there was no real explanation for most facts, meaning that every fact was lost in the fray of giant bullet points. It was like watching a long power point presentation where the presenter doesn't actually explain anything- just reads the bullets off one by one, making them all utterly forgettable.
Like I said, I'm not really the target audience here since I'm already a huge fan of nonfiction involving serious topics. But I can see this version working for some people, and that is great. I still love the idea of trying to make the report more approachable and condensed, but I think it would have worked better as a well-done CliffsNotes style blog post or something along those lines.
October 2, 2017
The 9/11 Report by Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colon talks about the horrible day that shocked the world. Two terrorist high jacked planes and were planning to hit the World Trade Center and the Twin Towers. The artist portrays the history of this event and their pictures. There is a lot of color and the artist also uses black and white. This comic makes me feel what the people went through on that day. The author gave a clear message through a comic of what happened on 9/11. I would recommend this novel because it goes into detail and shows what happened that day.
December 24, 2014
Q: Would you like a comic book adaptation of the gigantic, official government commission's report on the events of September 11th, 2001?
A: Yes, please! Thank you thank you thank you!
Q: OK, how about THIS comic book adaptation?
A: Since there ain't no other alternative, i guess i'll have to take it.
If you read through several 1- and 2-star reviews, you'll get the full complement of valid criticisms: repetitive; artwork and text that don't work together; poor writing (jargon, acronyms, lack of parallelism, disjointed); lack of facial expression variety (ie, if the official hijacker's mugshot showed him scowling, then he was scowling in every drawing regardless of context).
Worst of all, i think, is the difficulty of knowing how to follow the images and text on each page or from page to page. The authors frequently used ellipses, but there'd be multiple caption boxes with "..." at their start and finish points.
Presumably the goal was to simplify an otherwise daunting experience, namely, attempting to read the official 585-page commission report, which includes almost 150pp of "Notes." This comic is, indeed, much simpler to consume, so it has the benefit of increasing the chance that The Common Person will pick it up. If any of these commoners aren't comic book lovers, though, they'll probably be put off by how hard it is to follow what's being said.
A tepid 2.5 stars, mostly for the effort and the good intentions (besides the obvious desire to make a profit by selling for $30 what is a free publication).
A: Yes, please! Thank you thank you thank you!
Q: OK, how about THIS comic book adaptation?
A: Since there ain't no other alternative, i guess i'll have to take it.
If you read through several 1- and 2-star reviews, you'll get the full complement of valid criticisms: repetitive; artwork and text that don't work together; poor writing (jargon, acronyms, lack of parallelism, disjointed); lack of facial expression variety (ie, if the official hijacker's mugshot showed him scowling, then he was scowling in every drawing regardless of context).
Worst of all, i think, is the difficulty of knowing how to follow the images and text on each page or from page to page. The authors frequently used ellipses, but there'd be multiple caption boxes with "..." at their start and finish points.
Presumably the goal was to simplify an otherwise daunting experience, namely, attempting to read the official 585-page commission report, which includes almost 150pp of "Notes." This comic is, indeed, much simpler to consume, so it has the benefit of increasing the chance that The Common Person will pick it up. If any of these commoners aren't comic book lovers, though, they'll probably be put off by how hard it is to follow what's being said.
A tepid 2.5 stars, mostly for the effort and the good intentions (besides the obvious desire to make a profit by selling for $30 what is a free publication).
September 21, 2016
So disappointing. I found this book for a recommended list of graphic novels for 6th graders. There is a fat chance that a 12-year-old could or would want to read this book. Even for a graphic novel, the text is so small and the pages so cluttered it was way overstimulating. Rather than try to pack the whole 9/11 Report into a graphic novel, they should have just condensed the main ideas to create a fluid graphic novel.
January 10, 2018
*Book source ~ Library
The 9/11 Commission’s report in graphic novel form.
For those who want an easier way to read about 9/11 this graphic novel does the trick. I can’t say I’m enthusiastic about the artwork, but it’s acceptable and the story is very detailed for a graphic novel. I recommend anyone who hasn’t read some books about 9/11, but would like to, start with this one. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
The 9/11 Commission’s report in graphic novel form.
For those who want an easier way to read about 9/11 this graphic novel does the trick. I can’t say I’m enthusiastic about the artwork, but it’s acceptable and the story is very detailed for a graphic novel. I recommend anyone who hasn’t read some books about 9/11, but would like to, start with this one. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
August 21, 2007
It was a little hard to get through, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't used to reading comics. Overall though it's VERY interesting and communicates information to a reading base who might not get the message otherwise- like me : )
May 22, 2010
This book is beautifully illustrated and makes it easier to understand the very complex events that led to the 9/11 attacks. I highly recommend this as a compelling guide to study this historical event.
September 27, 2016
I really liked the first parts, but when it came to policy suggestions and recommended changes to US security, I didn't feel that the comic book format was very well-suited anymore. Very good job on the rest, though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 312 reviews