Never Forget: An Oral History of September 11

by Mitchell Fink

"The real voices of 9/11 are here, and they will echo down through history as a haunting reminder of loss and hope, courage and heroism."

-- Tom Brokaw On September 11, 2001, waves of shock rippled through the country as the United States came under terrorist attack. Never Forget collects the unbelievably moving stories of survivors, rescue workers, volunteers, family members, and friends whose loved ones perished on that day -- from the moments the planes first struck the Twin Towers through the painstaking recovery efforts. As these unforgettable stories reveal, many Americans transcended their own confusion and despair to help one another escape, to offer one another kindness, and to affirm life in the face of catastrophe. This concert of voices shows, as never before, the heartbreaking grief and slow, but uplifting, healing process that the people of this nation have experienced individually and as one.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, American History, Survival, Book Club

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profound, traumatic, and heartbreaking. Although this book was difficult to read because of the intensity of the tragic events, I learned much about the details of this horrific day. I was touched to tears by the heroes, the tragedy, humanity, and the generosity of spirit of the people involved in the events of September 11th and the days and months that followed.

[Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I ever read about September 11th and, quite possibly, my last simply because the authors did such and outstanding job with the interviews that I have no need to pick up another.
Never Forget is not a very long book at all and I can usually get through a book this size in about two to three days. However, the sheer horror and devastation described by many of those interviewed brought me such grief that I was forced to put it down several times, making it the most difficult book I have ever tried to get through.

Mr. Fink divides the book into three parts: events just before and leading up to the crash and how many were able to escape the towers, accounts of the NYPD and the FDNY, and the resuce and recovery accounts of many volunteers. There is also testimony of Flight 93 passengers as told by their loved ones right before the plane crashed and a few accounts of the devastation left at the Pentagon. The eyewitness accounts of the New York Police and Fire departments get a little repetitive at times when different officers give their own versions of the same stories, which to me seemed unneccesary.

The most memorable accounts in my opinion belong to civilians--those who escaped the towers and their horrifying descent down countless flights of stairs to get outside. Equally engaging is LT.Col. Ted Anderson's account at the Pentagon and those of the passengers of Flight 93 and the AirFone telephone operators, the flight attendants and the family of those lost, the volunteers and the construction workers.

Never Forget is not an easy read, but I can't imagine not doing so in order to fully understand and empathize with those who were there and needed us to listen to their stories of that fateful day.

[Susy Flory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart wrenching and unforgettable.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book every September.

[Marianne Kleve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never forget - about 20 of us huddled in Amid's cubicle at Qwest because he was the only one who had streaming at that time.

[Shawna Deines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a few years ago and the stories brought me to tears. Stories by people who experienced this horrible event first hand. It is absolutely worth a read!

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartbreaking book about one of the most devastating days in America. The traumatic first account stories made this very hard to read at times. I often found myself putting the book down for awhile due to some of the details. Some of the descriptions of the things seen, experienced or found may be very hard for some to read.
This book was written shortly after 2001 and it made me wonder what happened to the people in the 22 years since. I often found myself searching online to see if there was any other information on them. One of the stories was about a gentleman who was helping in the search and cleanup at Ground Zero. He spoke of a man he met who was looking for his wife that worked in the South Tower and was 4 months pregnant. He talked about the man having a flask his wife gave him, how he offered him a drink and invited him to his wife's funeral. He ended up attending the funeral and sharing a drink with him and some of his male friends & family after the funeral. My online research found this additional information: The wife, Vanessa Lang Langer (age 29), worked on the 93rd floor of the South Tower. She ended up making it out of Tower 2, but was killed as the tower collapsed. She was only about 10 feet away from an alley between towers 4 and 5. Sadder yet, her husband Tim (age 34) died in 2005 due to liver failure from drinking.
Every September I try to read a book about September 11 as a reminder not to take things for granted. So many years have passed, but yet it still seems like yesterday at times. As I read this book, it brought back memories of how Americans came together in a time of tragedy. Although this book was very hard to read, it was also touching reading the stories on how strangers helped one another and the lengths that people took to help. As the title of this book states, Never Forget!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

the second oral history of 9/11 i’ve read. both had very different feels. this one was easier to connect with each individual’s story, as it followed each through start to finish before moving one. it felt very personal and emotional. the other one was much more visceral. it arranged the oral histories chronologically, jumping from story to story. it was a lot harder to keep track of the individual’s stories that way, but it made the events feel much more real and harrowing. though i don’t think it’s necessary to read both, both were good reads. which to read would just depend on what experience you’re looking for from the story.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can honestly say that reading this book was an emotional experience. I’ve been to the 9/11 memorial, gone on the walking tour and been to the museum. However to read what all the people interviewed for this book had to say was beyond powerful. If you want to really get a sense of the enormity of 9/11 and it’s aftermath then this book is a good start.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First hand accounts of a variety of experiences from September 11, 2001. This is great reading for anyone interested in knowing more about the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

[Liselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book by this author I’ve read but it’s not the last. I loved the characters and how they were there for each other.

[ElizabethD · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love any books about 9-11. Many heartwarming stories from that day.

[Tanya Bjerke · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a powerful reminder of that day's events and how it impacted our world.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very tough book to get through, very eye-opening, brutal to read and at the same time uplifting. Seeing complete strangers helping others, watching people lay their lives on the line (I was particularly moved by the volunteers who helped with the clean-up of Ground Zero), people finding a kind of peace and sacredness in such a horrible place. I actually got a few more books on 9/11 but couldn't read them. Maybe someday, but three of this kind of story back-to-back would be too much to take at once.

[Badly Drawn Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offers the perspectives and experiences from a wide range of people personally impacted by Sept. 11th. I was really interested in the reflections from the people at the Pentagon, since that seems to get overlooked. This is not an easy read, a lot of it is stomach churning and disturbing. But it's an important read. Some of the stories are linked, which made them that much more interesting. But others were similar and I found myself losing interest at times.

[Elusive.Mystery · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although many people worldwide have suffered from various terrorist attacks, the attacks of September 11, 2001 are of particular interest because they were a common experience that affected many people in New York City. It didn’t matter whom one was, what one was doing, or how well off. For some, the difference between life and death amounted to a minute, a few footsteps, slowing down to help, or even to make the choice to not help someone else. A gripping book.

[Seth Zimmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clearly one of the darkest days in American history. This book tells the tales of the survivors of that tragic day. From first responders, to families of the fallen, and eye witnesses, this book is extremely moving. After a few of these stories, my faith in humanity was restored. There are good people out there and there are heros.

[Jenny.p · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories tend to error to the gory side and almost sensationalize the tough emotions and details of the event. It is a really great cross section of interview subjects though, and represents a complete picture of the story.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will break your heart.

[Kbullett]

This book makes it real in a way that others have not...because it is the stories of the people who were there, who were affected by it.