Notes: Experienced New York Times reporter Richard Bernstein collects and edits the newspaper's September 11th coverage into a seamless and engaging narrative of the day. From moving personal accounts of the people who survived the attacks to profiles of the terrorists who carried them out, the book "provides striking glimpses into the unimaginable human details of the tragedy" (Christian Science Monitor).

Notes: For 15 weeks after the September 11th attacks, The New York Times ran short profiles of those who died in their "A Nation Challenged" section. Collected here are all of those "portraits," over 1,800 biographies of the firefighters and business people, fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, and children who perished in the World Trade Center collapse. These brief glances into the abruptly shortened lives of everyday Americans are profoundly moving to read.

Notes: LIFE magazine assembles a series of powerful photographs on the subject of 9/11, from pictures of the World Trade Center before and after the attacks, to images of people escaping the destruction, firefighters attempting rescues, and everyday Americans dealing with grief. More than just pictures, the book also includes essays on 9/11 and profiles of both those who braved Ground Zero and those who lost loved ones in the destruction. Former Mayor Giuliani provides the introduction.

Notes: Taken by officers of the New York City Police Department, these photographs offer a perspective of the attack on the World Trade Center that was not available to commercial or civilian photographers. From unique aerial shots of the buildings, to up-close pictures of the destruction and rescue and recovery efforts, these pictures form an affecting and behind-the-scenes look at the events of 9/11.

Notes: A reporter for the New York Times, Dean Murphy records interviews with eyewitnesses to the events of 9/11, from people who narrowly escaped with their lives from the World Trade Center, to firefighters and rescue workers, and people who were nearby as the towers collapsed. "Scenes from the lives of those who were closest to the disaster, they provide a crucial and moving record, one guaranteed to produce chills in all but the toughest of readers" (Publisher's Weekly).

Notes: Tom Brokaw writes of Never Forget, "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." Gossip columnist Mitchell Fink and wife Lois Mathias record oral histories of people whose lives were directly affected by 9/11, including those who survived the World Trade Center collapse, relatives of passengers on Flight 93, and people working in the Pentagon. This is a collection of short but powerful stories that put a human face to the events of the day. Note: limited availability.

Notes: American Ground tells the story of what came to be known by rescue and recovery workers as "the Pile," the remains of the Twin Towers after 9/11. Beginning with a detailed account of exactly how the World Trade Center collapsed, the book then follows the massive clean-up effort that came after. Somehow managing to gain access to Ground Zero, Langewiesche was able to observe first-hand the difficult and oftentimes dangerous work of emergency responders, engineers, and construction workers in the wreckage. Publisher's Weekly calls it "a genuinely monumental story, told without melodrama, an intimate depiction of ordinary Americans reacting to grand-scale tragedy at their best--and sometimes their worst."

Notes: A commercial pilot herself, Lynn Spencer interviews the air traffic controllers and pilots who were on the job during the attacks of 9/11. She tells of their horror when they learn that hijacked planes had essentially become guided missiles and their tense efforts to get every remaining commercial airliner out of the sky. She also tells of military air response during the day, including a plan for an F-16 to ram Flight 93 had the passengers not staged their revolt. A suspenseful account of the steely men and women who struggled to comprehend the attacks and make America's skies safe again, the book "expertly elucidates the complexities and pitfalls of American aviation as it faced a staggering challenge" according to a starred review in Publisher's Weekly.

Notes: Jere Longman, a reporter for the New York Times who covered the crash of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, tells the story of what he calls the "brave uprising [that] will surely be remembered as a defining moment in American history." After an extensive investigation in which he interviewed all of the victims' families and those who were in contact with the flight that day, he puts together a thrilling account of the passengers' final moments as they grasp that the flight will be their last and rise up against the terrorists who hijacked the plane. He remembers each one of the passengers in turn, even including some pictures of them that family and friends provided. Their stories are deeply affecting and unforgettable.

Notes: Dennis Smith is a retired New York City firefighter and author of the bestselling book Report From Engine Co. 82. On 9/11, he volunteered to help with the Fire Department's rescue effort, and he records his and other firefighter's experiences in this heartbreaking book. With the unique perspective of a fireman who was actually at the scene, he recalls the stories of survivors of the collapse and the traumas of the search and rescue efforts-- including searches for missing colleagues and the sons of the firefighters themselves.