Walking Forward, Looking Back: Lessons from the World Trade Center: A Survivor's Story

by John Labriola, Vanity Fair (Editor), David Friend (Foreword by)

Presents all 110 photographs taken by the author on September 11th, including the only photographs to be taken inside the World Trade Center, personal stories from survivors, and coverage of memorial and anniversary events.

Genres: Photography, Memoir, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 2003

Reviews

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Labriola is an amateur photographer and brings his camera to work on most days taking a picture of anything that strikes his attention. On the day he had a meeting with the Port Authority of New York, he brought the camera as usual and took a couple here and there. Then a catastrophe occurred that burned itself into the consciousness of the people of America and the world - two hijacked airplanes deliberately flew into the World Trade Center towers. Labriola managed to grab his camera and take pictures - lots of them blurry - as the people descended via the stairwells even as firefighters were making their way up. The photo of firefighter Mike Kehoe, caught as he looked directly at the camera, could have been the last image of any of these dedicated people but in this case, Kehoe did survive.

There are a couple other survivors stories but it is mostly Labriola from a morning vegetable market seller and one of the last photos of the undamaged towers to the debris and ash covered cemetery beside St. Paul's Church which sheltered Labriola and others.

It's a nice addition to anyone who has a collection of books regarding 9/11 as it details experiences not generally added to publications about the tragedy.

2021-197

[Pug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't resist anything 9/11. This little book contained remarkable photos of that day, including [apparently the only] pictures from inside the WTC. Including that one with the baby-faced firefighter running up the steps and looking directly into the camera.

Scope it out for the pictures. The author's narration is, I'm sorry to say, not that interesting. Not to mention poorly written and full of typos (e.g. "September 11, 2002." Are you kidding me!?)

[Kim Dixon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The photographs speak, and sometimes much better, than the words.