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On That Day: The Definitive Timeline of 9/11
“A maddening, essential study in misinformation, jingoism, bad intelligence, and other hallmarks of the recent American past.”— Kirkus (starred review)
Anyone who experienced the attacks on September 11 cannot forget the the smoking, falling towers, the Pentagon smoldering, the Shanksville crash site, the first responders.
But there is an invisible story hidden in the wreckage, one that required years of patient investigation and the piecing together of a sequence from many scattered sources. By establishing the most definitive timeline of how that day unfolded, William M. Arkin shows how the US government failed in the face of the unprecedented attack. It is a story of laughable airport security, vulnerable airspace, blind intelligence, poor communications, muddled orders, Pentagon chaos, and presidential isolation. Everything about the emergency procedures of the governments—from White House security to continuity of government to military alerts—went wrong.
On That Day is a stunning, nightmare journey through a government reeling in confusion while many civilians performed individual acts of heroism. It is a chilling exposé of government negligence and overreach, and a constitution in crisis.
Anyone who experienced the attacks on September 11 cannot forget the the smoking, falling towers, the Pentagon smoldering, the Shanksville crash site, the first responders.
But there is an invisible story hidden in the wreckage, one that required years of patient investigation and the piecing together of a sequence from many scattered sources. By establishing the most definitive timeline of how that day unfolded, William M. Arkin shows how the US government failed in the face of the unprecedented attack. It is a story of laughable airport security, vulnerable airspace, blind intelligence, poor communications, muddled orders, Pentagon chaos, and presidential isolation. Everything about the emergency procedures of the governments—from White House security to continuity of government to military alerts—went wrong.
On That Day is a stunning, nightmare journey through a government reeling in confusion while many civilians performed individual acts of heroism. It is a chilling exposé of government negligence and overreach, and a constitution in crisis.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
384 pages, Paperback
Published August 17, 2021
33 people are currently reading
353 people want to read
About the author
William M. Arkin
32 books23 followersWilliam M. Arkin is author, most recently of On That Day: The Definitive Timeline of 9/11 (PublicAffairs), History in One Act: A Novel of 9/11 (Featherproof Books), and The Generals Have No Clothes (Simon & Schuster). He is an Army veteran and long-time national security analyst, and other of more than a dozen other books on military affairs. He writes for Newsweek magazine.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 5, 2021
This is an extremely detailed, and meticulously researched, timeline of 9/11 which concentrates more on the political and government reaction to events than to the personal. There are, though, many excellent books which do obviously focus on what happened to those involved and this book certainly offers a different approach.
Author William Arkin begins his account at 4:45am when one of the hijackers of UA Flight 93, Ziad Jarrah, begins making phone calls at the Days Inn Newark Airport Hotel and ends it when the President finally retired for the night. So many people have commented what a clear, and calm day, it was on that morning and America itself was tranquil, with national security not a major concern and the government scattered; some around the country and others abroad. President Bush was in Saratoga, to promote early reading when he was informed of the attacks.
It seems odd to me that so many people found the first plane hitting the twin towers as 'odd,' or an accident. Personally, thinking back, I had no doubt that it was a terrorist attack and, as reality dawned, reaction is easily criticised, but very human. A disgruntled President Bush was flown to various locations, and back again, while advisors suggested he stay away from Washington and he wanted to return. Communication was often faulty, people wanted to speak to their family members, orders were confused or ignored. Staff evacuated from the Capitol milled around outside, unsure of what to do. People were out of contact, refused to leave their offices or were confused about what was going on. There were erroneous reports of other planes being hijacked, or bombs, or other threats. As I say though, this is normal, bewildered, human behaviour and, despite the confusion, certainly President Bush maintained his outward calm and also other world leaders behaved well; notably, and perhaps surprisingly, Putin, who reassured the Americans that he understood why the country was raising their defences and offered to help.
This is a very precise timeline, with copious footnotes, and the work which has gone into this is phenomenal. The author does use emotive events, obviously - it would be impossible not to. He mentions phone calls made from those on the hijacked planes, for example, but, overall, he deals with the facts and follows the timeline to show the reader what happened, why and what could have been done differently and the implications that such changes could have meant to those involved. A very interesting and detailed account of what happened that day and of the conspiracy theories which were abounding even at the end of the very first day, along with the focus on who was responsible, the beginnings of casting blame, shifting allegiances, and desire for revenge which followed that day of trauma for not only a country, but the world.
Author William Arkin begins his account at 4:45am when one of the hijackers of UA Flight 93, Ziad Jarrah, begins making phone calls at the Days Inn Newark Airport Hotel and ends it when the President finally retired for the night. So many people have commented what a clear, and calm day, it was on that morning and America itself was tranquil, with national security not a major concern and the government scattered; some around the country and others abroad. President Bush was in Saratoga, to promote early reading when he was informed of the attacks.
It seems odd to me that so many people found the first plane hitting the twin towers as 'odd,' or an accident. Personally, thinking back, I had no doubt that it was a terrorist attack and, as reality dawned, reaction is easily criticised, but very human. A disgruntled President Bush was flown to various locations, and back again, while advisors suggested he stay away from Washington and he wanted to return. Communication was often faulty, people wanted to speak to their family members, orders were confused or ignored. Staff evacuated from the Capitol milled around outside, unsure of what to do. People were out of contact, refused to leave their offices or were confused about what was going on. There were erroneous reports of other planes being hijacked, or bombs, or other threats. As I say though, this is normal, bewildered, human behaviour and, despite the confusion, certainly President Bush maintained his outward calm and also other world leaders behaved well; notably, and perhaps surprisingly, Putin, who reassured the Americans that he understood why the country was raising their defences and offered to help.
This is a very precise timeline, with copious footnotes, and the work which has gone into this is phenomenal. The author does use emotive events, obviously - it would be impossible not to. He mentions phone calls made from those on the hijacked planes, for example, but, overall, he deals with the facts and follows the timeline to show the reader what happened, why and what could have been done differently and the implications that such changes could have meant to those involved. A very interesting and detailed account of what happened that day and of the conspiracy theories which were abounding even at the end of the very first day, along with the focus on who was responsible, the beginnings of casting blame, shifting allegiances, and desire for revenge which followed that day of trauma for not only a country, but the world.
September 15, 2024
A unique, compelling book on 9/11. I picked it up not knowing the words "definitive timeline" were to be taken literally, Upon opening the book, and finishing the intro, you reach page 15, From there on this is what the text looks like:
7:55 AM I dropped my 3rd grader at school
7:56 AM Having forgotten my bottle returns, I went back home.
8:10 AM I left for the grocery store.
Although this is my own timeline for that morning, you get the idea William M. Arkin.has taken recorded timelines from all the departments of government and combined them in such a way that allows you to see the chaos and (sorry) incompetence that flourished that day. There are brief paragraphs through-out the timeline, but the example shown above is the main body of the work.
I was leery about even starting this book, but I decided to at least begin it until I could find something else to cover 9/11, a personal challenge of mine.
The book covers the political and government experience that day. Much different than the personal accounts I have read. Although it discouraged me in the beginning it became so compelling a read that I had to force myself to set it down in the evening and pick up another book to read before I fell asleep.
As I mentioned, reading a book on the subject of 9/11 each year has become a personal challenge. It is my small way of keeping the promise to never forget.
7:55 AM I dropped my 3rd grader at school
7:56 AM Having forgotten my bottle returns, I went back home.
8:10 AM I left for the grocery store.
Although this is my own timeline for that morning, you get the idea William M. Arkin.has taken recorded timelines from all the departments of government and combined them in such a way that allows you to see the chaos and (sorry) incompetence that flourished that day. There are brief paragraphs through-out the timeline, but the example shown above is the main body of the work.
I was leery about even starting this book, but I decided to at least begin it until I could find something else to cover 9/11, a personal challenge of mine.
The book covers the political and government experience that day. Much different than the personal accounts I have read. Although it discouraged me in the beginning it became so compelling a read that I had to force myself to set it down in the evening and pick up another book to read before I fell asleep.
As I mentioned, reading a book on the subject of 9/11 each year has become a personal challenge. It is my small way of keeping the promise to never forget.
July 10, 2024
I could have read this in one day, such was its compelling grimness. The 9/11 attacks were the worst atrocities of the 21st century. I am often moved to tears when I read or watch anything that deals with the hurt inflicted upon the large numbers of people affected.
But this book takes a different approach. William M. Arkin is an ex Army Intelligence Officer turned historian, who examines aspects of modern America, often with a military angle. This book is a meticulous timeline of everything that happened On That Day. It does not chronicle the human angle. It will not tell you how many people jumped out of the two towers or how many children lost a parent that day. Other books do this.
Arkin instead focusses on the Presidential and Federal response. Suffice to say it’s a good job al Qaeda weren’t more ambitious as the official response was shambolic, to say the least. Further terrorist atrocities could easily have been committed. The most surprising faux pas was that President Bush remained in the school he’d been visiting for 37 minutes after being informed of the first tower being hit by an airliner. A lot of officials assumed the first plane crash was an accident. It was not initially known that it was a hi-jacked jumbo jet. But when the second plane hit the south tower it was clear something terrible was going on. But the Presidential Secret Service detail appeared to be paralysed. They are supposed to move the President in response to the most minor of incidents, but they were as stunned as everybody else.
I won’t mention any other errors but it’s good that Arkin puts his conclusions in the introduction. That allows us to recognise the failings when they appear, to recognise the significance of them. Arkin’s sources include news reports, the official 9/11 commission, the records of the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and excerpts from the biographies of the major players.
Bush actually comes off quite well here, with the benefit of hindsight.
9:05 a.m.
President Bush is about to begin reading the pet goat to students at Emma E.Book elementary school when White House chief of staff Andrew Card whispers in his ear: “A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack.”
Bush says: “My first reaction was outrage. Someone had dared attack America. They were going to pay… I saw reporters at the back of the room, learning the news on their cell phones and pagers. Instinct kicked in. I knew my reaction would be recorded and beam throughout the world. The nation would be in shock; the president could not be.”
Granted, those are Bush’s own words, but I was slightly surprised by how presidential his reaction was.
If you are a student of history or would like to learn more about what happened on 9/11 this book is a must read.
But this book takes a different approach. William M. Arkin is an ex Army Intelligence Officer turned historian, who examines aspects of modern America, often with a military angle. This book is a meticulous timeline of everything that happened On That Day. It does not chronicle the human angle. It will not tell you how many people jumped out of the two towers or how many children lost a parent that day. Other books do this.
Arkin instead focusses on the Presidential and Federal response. Suffice to say it’s a good job al Qaeda weren’t more ambitious as the official response was shambolic, to say the least. Further terrorist atrocities could easily have been committed. The most surprising faux pas was that President Bush remained in the school he’d been visiting for 37 minutes after being informed of the first tower being hit by an airliner. A lot of officials assumed the first plane crash was an accident. It was not initially known that it was a hi-jacked jumbo jet. But when the second plane hit the south tower it was clear something terrible was going on. But the Presidential Secret Service detail appeared to be paralysed. They are supposed to move the President in response to the most minor of incidents, but they were as stunned as everybody else.
I won’t mention any other errors but it’s good that Arkin puts his conclusions in the introduction. That allows us to recognise the failings when they appear, to recognise the significance of them. Arkin’s sources include news reports, the official 9/11 commission, the records of the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and excerpts from the biographies of the major players.
Bush actually comes off quite well here, with the benefit of hindsight.
9:05 a.m.
President Bush is about to begin reading the pet goat to students at Emma E.Book elementary school when White House chief of staff Andrew Card whispers in his ear: “A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack.”
Bush says: “My first reaction was outrage. Someone had dared attack America. They were going to pay… I saw reporters at the back of the room, learning the news on their cell phones and pagers. Instinct kicked in. I knew my reaction would be recorded and beam throughout the world. The nation would be in shock; the president could not be.”
Granted, those are Bush’s own words, but I was slightly surprised by how presidential his reaction was.
If you are a student of history or would like to learn more about what happened on 9/11 this book is a must read.
September 19, 2021
A lot of abbreviations of names so it’s hard to keep track of everything. And the timeline repeats ALOT!
I did learn some thing though- it was
Informative
I did learn some thing though- it was
Informative
December 10, 2023
I appreciate this author creating a thorough timeline for this complicated subject. The methodical and sterile breakdown of the events of 09/11/2001 paint a picture that is hard to look at too closely without wincing.
Reading this book further bolsters my belief that meticulous preparedness and governmental chain of command is second to the political ego, and it is not even close.
Many procedures were rendered aimless at best and useless at worst because of their reliance on weak or non-existent technological infrastructure during unprecedented times.
The more things change, the more they stay the same; the government's failure to prevent or mitigate disaster has been repeated throughout American History before 9/11 and since.
To make matters worse, the U.S. Government's overreaction to their own failures have led to consequences that far outweigh the positive:
1. Removal and restrictions of American freedoms with little or no push back from it's nations citizens for fear of anti-patriotism, not unlike the Woodrow Wilson presidency in the early 20th century during The Great War and the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic.
2. Perpetual war and constant ramping up of U.S. Military, causing imbalance between the states ability to govern themselves and the federal government's seemingly insatiable need for more control over the everyday life of the citizens of America, all under the guise of safety and protection.
From someone who watched the towers fall from his fifth grade classroom, grew up during the War on Terror, entered my final year of high school during the crash of 2008, and as an adult watched as the presidency fumbled every step of the COVID-19 Pandemic leading to widespread needless loss of life, the worst period of inflation since 1982, a flagrant inciting of an insurrection of government by a sitting POTUS who refuses to concede an election in an act of defiance of the continuity of government; I can honestly say that things have not gotten much better since 2001
Reading this book further bolsters my belief that meticulous preparedness and governmental chain of command is second to the political ego, and it is not even close.
Many procedures were rendered aimless at best and useless at worst because of their reliance on weak or non-existent technological infrastructure during unprecedented times.
The more things change, the more they stay the same; the government's failure to prevent or mitigate disaster has been repeated throughout American History before 9/11 and since.
To make matters worse, the U.S. Government's overreaction to their own failures have led to consequences that far outweigh the positive:
1. Removal and restrictions of American freedoms with little or no push back from it's nations citizens for fear of anti-patriotism, not unlike the Woodrow Wilson presidency in the early 20th century during The Great War and the H1N1 Influenza Pandemic.
2. Perpetual war and constant ramping up of U.S. Military, causing imbalance between the states ability to govern themselves and the federal government's seemingly insatiable need for more control over the everyday life of the citizens of America, all under the guise of safety and protection.
From someone who watched the towers fall from his fifth grade classroom, grew up during the War on Terror, entered my final year of high school during the crash of 2008, and as an adult watched as the presidency fumbled every step of the COVID-19 Pandemic leading to widespread needless loss of life, the worst period of inflation since 1982, a flagrant inciting of an insurrection of government by a sitting POTUS who refuses to concede an election in an act of defiance of the continuity of government; I can honestly say that things have not gotten much better since 2001
February 28, 2023
Exhaustive timeline of September 11, 2001. Writing notes as I read, but I'm struck by the chaos that happened in the government in the first hours after the attack. No one followed Continuity of Government procedures appropriately, there was extreme difficulty getting the appropriate people on teleconferences throughout the morning especially, multiple teleconferences ongoing at the same time, etc. I realize this was an unprecedented event, but the size of government with multiple agencies seemingly having responsibility in overlapping areas really complicated the response in the early going. Supposedly the creation of Homeland Security is to have helped eliminate some of that in the aftermath of 9/11, but I have my doubts. Overall very interesting and informative. Hard to rate how well I "liked" a book like this and put into numbers.
September 19, 2021
I very much enjoyed this book and the format in which it was written. The sometimes minute by minute time-line was part of the reason I wanted to read this book. I'd previously read The Only Plane in the Sky also written in this fashion. While that book was very focused on the actual targets and people, this was more related to what was going on with the terrorists, the airlines, the government, etc...
Some say this was not new information, but as someone who has only read two other books, this book was very informative. It did get a bit repetitive at times, or I felt it was repetitive. Let's just say I got a tad tired of reading about DEFCON 3, ROE and COG. If you aren't familiar with the way the day played out for the politicians, the government, the airlines, etc I highly recommend.
Some say this was not new information, but as someone who has only read two other books, this book was very informative. It did get a bit repetitive at times, or I felt it was repetitive. Let's just say I got a tad tired of reading about DEFCON 3, ROE and COG. If you aren't familiar with the way the day played out for the politicians, the government, the airlines, etc I highly recommend.
October 13, 2021
This is an intense description of what occurred both leading up to the actual planes hitting the NY twin towers, but the details of those who took over the planes when and how.
It was difficult to read at times because of the intensity. In addition to the description of the event, there were numerous details of when our government was inadept, including the fact that the President of the United States was without security immediately after the bombings.
There were errors of miscommunications of the flight numbers and where they might have been headed.
Despite the millions spent in a plan in the event something like these bombings would occur, few plans were followed through.
What a mess!!!!!
It was difficult to read at times because of the intensity. In addition to the description of the event, there were numerous details of when our government was inadept, including the fact that the President of the United States was without security immediately after the bombings.
There were errors of miscommunications of the flight numbers and where they might have been headed.
Despite the millions spent in a plan in the event something like these bombings would occur, few plans were followed through.
What a mess!!!!!
June 1, 2025
I enjoyed the format of this book. The author takes you through the timeline of events on 9/11, from his thorough research of many different sources in order to get a complete picture that is as accurate as possible.
Satisfies Nappanee Public Library's 2025 Expand Your Horizons reading challenge, category: Read a nonfiction book about an event that happened in your lifetime
Satisfies Nappanee Public Library's 2025 Expand Your Horizons reading challenge, category: Read a nonfiction book about an event that happened in your lifetime
March 30, 2022
Blow by blow account of 9/11/01. It can sometimes be confusing to read but very interesting.
May 7, 2023
Hard to rate since it is literally just a timeline but still fascinating to read and remember.
September 16, 2023
Very sad what happened on that day. There are a lot of acronyms that get super confusing throughout the book. Overall interesting book it’s devastating what occurred.
May 8, 2022
This is a fantastically detailed, painstakingly researched, exhaustive timeline of events on September 11, 2001.
The author is a journalist and consultant with expertise in reporting and analysis of this watershed day in American history. He used government documents and records, including the 9/11 Commission Report, and memoirs written by some of the major players, to construct the closest approximation possible of what various entities, agencies, and individuals did and said as the tragedies and their aftermath unfolded. He did his best to figure out actual times of phone calls and arrivals and departures and conversations, using layers of logic to iron out discrepancies. It's an achievement if you only look at the volume of material he had to slog through to assemble the timeline, much less all the aligning of schedules and records he had to do to arrive at a pretty solid framework of what happened when (not to mention who said what). Given that one point of the book, as Arkin says in the introduction, is showing that the deluge of information, combined with human error, means that what actually happened doesn't always line up exactly with the record.
The other point, as I see it, is to show that the aforementioned flood of information (a significant proportion of it false) is just one factor in rendering decision-making processes, no matter how well-meaning, inadequate to the rapidly developing moment. Another reason those processes are so faulty is that they were already inadequate to the rapidly developing moment (but nobody had realized it yet) because the relevant agencies and entities had no idea that the enemy they were facing lay not outside the nation's borders but had already penetrated them, and would use not missiles and bombs against the nation and its citizens but everyday objects and procedures that were so mundane that nobody really thought about them, either. Long story short, Arkin partly sets out to show that much of the US's response to what happened on 9/11 was ineffective, window dressing, redundant, and/or confusing. And after reading the book, getting the opportunity to see beneath the surface presented by the media and the public-facing facets of the various levels of government, and having even a glimpse of the constant inflow of information coming to those who had to act upon it, I'm just surprised that things weren't even more confused and chaotic than they were, and that the day didn't end up with more damage and destruction than had happened at the beginning.
The author is a journalist and consultant with expertise in reporting and analysis of this watershed day in American history. He used government documents and records, including the 9/11 Commission Report, and memoirs written by some of the major players, to construct the closest approximation possible of what various entities, agencies, and individuals did and said as the tragedies and their aftermath unfolded. He did his best to figure out actual times of phone calls and arrivals and departures and conversations, using layers of logic to iron out discrepancies. It's an achievement if you only look at the volume of material he had to slog through to assemble the timeline, much less all the aligning of schedules and records he had to do to arrive at a pretty solid framework of what happened when (not to mention who said what). Given that one point of the book, as Arkin says in the introduction, is showing that the deluge of information, combined with human error, means that what actually happened doesn't always line up exactly with the record.
The other point, as I see it, is to show that the aforementioned flood of information (a significant proportion of it false) is just one factor in rendering decision-making processes, no matter how well-meaning, inadequate to the rapidly developing moment. Another reason those processes are so faulty is that they were already inadequate to the rapidly developing moment (but nobody had realized it yet) because the relevant agencies and entities had no idea that the enemy they were facing lay not outside the nation's borders but had already penetrated them, and would use not missiles and bombs against the nation and its citizens but everyday objects and procedures that were so mundane that nobody really thought about them, either. Long story short, Arkin partly sets out to show that much of the US's response to what happened on 9/11 was ineffective, window dressing, redundant, and/or confusing. And after reading the book, getting the opportunity to see beneath the surface presented by the media and the public-facing facets of the various levels of government, and having even a glimpse of the constant inflow of information coming to those who had to act upon it, I'm just surprised that things weren't even more confused and chaotic than they were, and that the day didn't end up with more damage and destruction than had happened at the beginning.
December 20, 2021
On That Day is exactly what it claims to be: a meticulous timeline of what occurred on the sunny Tuesday of September 11, 2001. In lieu of taking a personal approach, Arkin's book focuses on the definitive truth of what was gleaned from deep research and cross-referencing of many documents, memoirs, investigations, and more.
I was in grade school on 9/11/2001. While many say that they remember exactly what they were doing, I don't remember a thing. Maybe it was the distance from the eastern coast, maybe it was the fact that my parents were extremely careful to keep me shielded from such a horror. But for whatever reason, I have no particular recollection of these events, and it wasn't until recently that I became intensely interested in the events of this day.
Disclaimer: I'm not a big nonfiction reader. I'm still figuring out what exactly I like to read when it comes to nonfiction, and while I thought this book was very informative and researched, I learned that I prefer more personal narratives.
On That Day primarily focuses on the actions of the government, from the people at the top of our nation to the entities they control. It highlights the ways the government failed and how it prevailed, and how hindsight colors our view of the events. It also draws parallels to the current Coronavirus crisis, discussing government readiness, chain of command, and what is actually possible from a governmental perspective.
If you take anything from this review: this was punctilious history of a time that will never leave the minds of America. And while it wasn't exactly my cup of tea, I can't say that it wasn't well researched and written.
I was in grade school on 9/11/2001. While many say that they remember exactly what they were doing, I don't remember a thing. Maybe it was the distance from the eastern coast, maybe it was the fact that my parents were extremely careful to keep me shielded from such a horror. But for whatever reason, I have no particular recollection of these events, and it wasn't until recently that I became intensely interested in the events of this day.
Disclaimer: I'm not a big nonfiction reader. I'm still figuring out what exactly I like to read when it comes to nonfiction, and while I thought this book was very informative and researched, I learned that I prefer more personal narratives.
On That Day primarily focuses on the actions of the government, from the people at the top of our nation to the entities they control. It highlights the ways the government failed and how it prevailed, and how hindsight colors our view of the events. It also draws parallels to the current Coronavirus crisis, discussing government readiness, chain of command, and what is actually possible from a governmental perspective.
If you take anything from this review: this was punctilious history of a time that will never leave the minds of America. And while it wasn't exactly my cup of tea, I can't say that it wasn't well researched and written.
April 10, 2022
This may not be the most riveting or entertaining page turner, but it does *exactly* what it says on the tin: it provides an extremely well-researched timeline of the events of September 11, 2001. For that reason, I think it unfair to give it anything other than five. The book will serve as excellent reference material for those of us who are fascinated by this historical event and the context surrounding it. Even though it is primarily a reference, I didn't find it dry to read, as some other reviewers indicated.
There's only a little bit of analysis offered by the author in the introduction and at the beginning of each chapter, but I think this is actually a good thing: the work just sticks to the presentation of the facts of the day. There are lots of other places we can look for analyses.
I think I bought every single book that was referenced, so I've now got about a dozen others on this subject that I'm looking forward to reading.
There's only a little bit of analysis offered by the author in the introduction and at the beginning of each chapter, but I think this is actually a good thing: the work just sticks to the presentation of the facts of the day. There are lots of other places we can look for analyses.
I think I bought every single book that was referenced, so I've now got about a dozen others on this subject that I'm looking forward to reading.
June 22, 2021
This book is a detailed timeline of events that happened on a single day, with some references to previous days and years. I don't think that there is anything here that if you have read enough about 9/11 that would be critically new, minus some fine-grain details. The 9/11 report is pretty comprehensive itself. If you are looking for a detailed play by play so to speak, this book is great. However, I found it a bit much. There are a few recent works, and undoubtedly more to come in the future, about 9/11. If you are wanting to know exactly what was going on with a certain person, this book would be the go-to.
September 28, 2021
It's hard to rate this book because it's not a typical narrative. It instead focuses on the minute by minute events that occurred on Sep. 11, 2001. Some of which is very interesting, some of which is mundane (so-and-so sat in Seat 9B).
Honestly, I skipped long swaths of this book but the information I did read was interesting, especially reading that Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld did not even HEAR about the hijacking until after the planes hit. They all independently thought the first plane hitting the tower was pilot error. And Lynne Cheney even thought the SECOND plane hitting the tower was also an accident...good grief!
Honestly, I skipped long swaths of this book but the information I did read was interesting, especially reading that Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld did not even HEAR about the hijacking until after the planes hit. They all independently thought the first plane hitting the tower was pilot error. And Lynne Cheney even thought the SECOND plane hitting the tower was also an accident...good grief!
September 27, 2021
I am not sure how to rate this book. If you want a minute by minute account of what happened on 9/11 without going into details, this is the book you want. While I did learn some things about what happened that day that I was not previously aware of, this is a dry read which does not stir the emotions or give individual accounts as some of the others that I have read. That being said, it is exactly what is says - a timeline of the events of the day.
December 11, 2021
Terrifyingly quotidian minute by minute review of a truly awful day. In general remarkably detailed but distressingly lacking in crucial aspects, e.g., Rumsfeld's targeting of Iraq day one with no evidence, the lack of any emphasis on the role of the Saudis. After all, Osama, the vast majority of hijackers and, most dammingly, NO mention of the midnight flights out of the US for many Saudi nationals.
September 27, 2023
Interesting book detailing in extreme detail a minute by minute recount of the day as it happened. Lots of facts that I was not aware that I guess have come to light over the years. Very interesting.
If you have some interest in the detail of what happened and how it happened, this should answer your questions.
4/5 stars
If you have some interest in the detail of what happened and how it happened, this should answer your questions.
4/5 stars
April 11, 2022
Very detailed, beautifully researched and absolutely bizarre to read how things unfolded that day
The second half of the book seemed to be a million acronyms that kind of melted my brain trying to keep up with
The second half of the book seemed to be a million acronyms that kind of melted my brain trying to keep up with
May 1, 2022
really interesting angle to 9/11 — lays out the bureaucratic/federal response and how jumbled/disorganized it was. only thing was that there were 20 million acronyms that i didn’t know & lots of entries seemed kind of unnecessary but the important parts were really well done.
September 20, 2023
Fascinating at the beginning, but eventually it seems like it descends into the author's own personal agenda and diatribe. The research done is extensive and you can't argue with the facts, but his own personal distaste eventually clouds the journalistic narrative.
September 24, 2021
Read as my personal way to honor the memory of those lost that day
December 5, 2022
You should only read this if you are a 9/11 completist. It's fascinating stuff, but really dry and not accessible. Certainly not a good starter for learning about 9/11!
September 23, 2024
Riveting!
I was in the area living in Northern Virginia; teaching US History, US Govt and Political Science at Herndon High School. I can tell you this no one will forget that day.
I was in the area living in Northern Virginia; teaching US History, US Govt and Political Science at Herndon High School. I can tell you this no one will forget that day.
January 12, 2022
It is ok, gets a little dry after a while. But there are fascinating details of the confusion that reigned that day.
March 2, 2023
September 11, 2001, was a day that most people, at least those who were old enough (or still had enough mental faculties) to be aware of what was happening will remember for the rest of their lives. This is one of the many books that have been written about 9/11 around the 20th anniversary. It lays out a very thorough and very detailed timeline of events starting at about 4:45 AM detailing as many of the actions and movements of the hijackers that can be reproduced, to 11:50 PM when President Bush returned to the White House residence after being dragged down to the bunker because of a false alarm of another attack.
The focus of the book is mostly on the government's response to the attacks, and really illustrates just how chaotic and dysfunctional everything was. The author does not spend much time detailing things that were happening in the buildings or on the planes. He does mention some of the phone calls that were made and some of what was going on in the buildings, but the core of the author's attention was on the communications (or lack thereof) between politicians, the FAA, and the military.
The main thing I took away from reading the book is that almost nobody in a position of power really had a handle on what was going on as events were unfolding or followed the procedures that they should have. For example, the Speaker of the House was the only person in the line of succession that actually went to where he was supposed to. The communication was so bad that day that President Bush could barely get in touch with anyone, which was making him madder as the day went on, especially since the secret service was not allowing him to return to Washington DC. And, there were a ton of false reports of other attacks, whether bombings or other supposedly hijacked planes. There were planes that officials were told were hijacked, then a few minutes later would be told were not hijacked and landed safely, and then a few minutes later would get another report that they were hijacked and crashed. And, officials never really got a good handle on what happened to the planes that were actually involved in the attacks, as there were reports that Flights 11 and 77 were still in the air long after they had crashed into their targets. The author also makes clear (as others have before him) that several members of the administration wanted desperately to tie the attacks to Iraq (although it was clear even by that afternoon who was responsible) and were planning to use the attack as justification to go into Iraq and take out Sadaam Hussein.
The book is very well-sourced, using a ton of footnotes, that not only point to sources but also flesh out the cited text. The author identifies a lot of the false reports that were being circulated that day (and in the days after), which gives you an idea of just how chaotic it was. The one thing I would have liked the author to focus on more is a flight that many believe would have been a fifth hijacked flight, United Airlines flight 23 which was flying from JFK in NY to Los Angeles, had it not been caught up in initial closure and ground stop of air traffic in the NY area. There were reports of several middle eastern men on that plane who became extremely agitated when the plane did not take off who pushed their way off the plane when it returned to the gate, and that box cutters were found in their carry-on bags (which they left on the plane). The author says this turned out to be false, but does not provide any details about what in the reported information was wrong and how it was determined to be incorrect.
Overall, it is a very detailed book with a lot of information. There are some typos that did not get caught, but they really do not affect the readability or cause anything to be misleading. I would not say it is as emotional as some of the other books that have been released over the years, especially those from survivors telling their stories of the day. That said, it is definitely worth reading.
The focus of the book is mostly on the government's response to the attacks, and really illustrates just how chaotic and dysfunctional everything was. The author does not spend much time detailing things that were happening in the buildings or on the planes. He does mention some of the phone calls that were made and some of what was going on in the buildings, but the core of the author's attention was on the communications (or lack thereof) between politicians, the FAA, and the military.
The main thing I took away from reading the book is that almost nobody in a position of power really had a handle on what was going on as events were unfolding or followed the procedures that they should have. For example, the Speaker of the House was the only person in the line of succession that actually went to where he was supposed to. The communication was so bad that day that President Bush could barely get in touch with anyone, which was making him madder as the day went on, especially since the secret service was not allowing him to return to Washington DC. And, there were a ton of false reports of other attacks, whether bombings or other supposedly hijacked planes. There were planes that officials were told were hijacked, then a few minutes later would be told were not hijacked and landed safely, and then a few minutes later would get another report that they were hijacked and crashed. And, officials never really got a good handle on what happened to the planes that were actually involved in the attacks, as there were reports that Flights 11 and 77 were still in the air long after they had crashed into their targets. The author also makes clear (as others have before him) that several members of the administration wanted desperately to tie the attacks to Iraq (although it was clear even by that afternoon who was responsible) and were planning to use the attack as justification to go into Iraq and take out Sadaam Hussein.
The book is very well-sourced, using a ton of footnotes, that not only point to sources but also flesh out the cited text. The author identifies a lot of the false reports that were being circulated that day (and in the days after), which gives you an idea of just how chaotic it was. The one thing I would have liked the author to focus on more is a flight that many believe would have been a fifth hijacked flight, United Airlines flight 23 which was flying from JFK in NY to Los Angeles, had it not been caught up in initial closure and ground stop of air traffic in the NY area. There were reports of several middle eastern men on that plane who became extremely agitated when the plane did not take off who pushed their way off the plane when it returned to the gate, and that box cutters were found in their carry-on bags (which they left on the plane). The author says this turned out to be false, but does not provide any details about what in the reported information was wrong and how it was determined to be incorrect.
Overall, it is a very detailed book with a lot of information. There are some typos that did not get caught, but they really do not affect the readability or cause anything to be misleading. I would not say it is as emotional as some of the other books that have been released over the years, especially those from survivors telling their stories of the day. That said, it is definitely worth reading.
October 3, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and PublicAffairs for an advance copy!
Quick and dirty review because it’s late, to be expanded upon in the morning:
My god, this is incredibly detailed. I can’t imagine the amount of research that went into this.
Quick and dirty review because it’s late, to be expanded upon in the morning:
My god, this is incredibly detailed. I can’t imagine the amount of research that went into this.
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