A History of the World Since 9/11

A History of the World Since 9/11

Author: Dominic Streatfeild

Publisher: Bloomsbury Press

Published: 2011-08-23

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781608192700

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To understand why, you'll need to know how ... - an Australian metals trader named Garry-with help from the CIA-inadvertently triggered the invasion of Iraq - coalition troops were killed by bombs made with explosives that, according to the White House, never existed - the United States Air Force bombed a wedding in Afghanistan by mistake - the U.S. gave material support to the president of Uzbekistan, who, as it happens, boils people aliveThese are not merely random disasters from an otherwise effective war. A History of the World Since 9/11shows us just why, a decade after the horrifying attacks on New York and Washington, we are no closer towinning the war on terror than we were on September 10, 2001. We failed to find Osama bin Laden or quellextremism. We sparked civil wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Around the world, innocents were incarcerated,tortured, and murdered-all in the name of justice. Acclaimed author and journalist Dominic Streatfeild traveled across the world for years in pursuit ofanswers for this stunning collapse of international law. The results of his search form the most fully realized study of the war on terror yet written. Piercing reportage blends with sobering human drama, woven into eight narratives of how our world went wrong after 9/11.


Book Synopsis A History of the World Since 9/11 by : Dominic Streatfeild

Download or read book A History of the World Since 9/11 written by Dominic Streatfeild and published by Bloomsbury Press. This book was released on 2011-08-23 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To understand why, you'll need to know how ... - an Australian metals trader named Garry-with help from the CIA-inadvertently triggered the invasion of Iraq - coalition troops were killed by bombs made with explosives that, according to the White House, never existed - the United States Air Force bombed a wedding in Afghanistan by mistake - the U.S. gave material support to the president of Uzbekistan, who, as it happens, boils people aliveThese are not merely random disasters from an otherwise effective war. A History of the World Since 9/11shows us just why, a decade after the horrifying attacks on New York and Washington, we are no closer towinning the war on terror than we were on September 10, 2001. We failed to find Osama bin Laden or quellextremism. We sparked civil wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Around the world, innocents were incarcerated,tortured, and murdered-all in the name of justice. Acclaimed author and journalist Dominic Streatfeild traveled across the world for years in pursuit ofanswers for this stunning collapse of international law. The results of his search form the most fully realized study of the war on terror yet written. Piercing reportage blends with sobering human drama, woven into eight narratives of how our world went wrong after 9/11.

September 11 in History

September 11 in History

Author: Mary L. Dudziak

Publisher: Duke University Press

Published: 2003-10-28

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 9780822332428

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Table of contents


Book Synopsis September 11 in History by : Mary L. Dudziak

Download or read book September 11 in History written by Mary L. Dudziak and published by Duke University Press. This book was released on 2003-10-28 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Table of contents

Pentagon 9/11

Pentagon 9/11

Author: Alfred Goldberg

Publisher: Office of the Secretary, Historical Offi

Published: 2007-09-05

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13:

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The most comprehensive account to date of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon and aftermath, this volume includes unprecedented details on the impact on the Pentagon building and personnel and the scope of the rescue, recovery, and caregiving effort. It features 32 pages of photographs and more than a dozen diagrams and illustrations not previously available.


Book Synopsis Pentagon 9/11 by : Alfred Goldberg

Download or read book Pentagon 9/11 written by Alfred Goldberg and published by Office of the Secretary, Historical Offi. This book was released on 2007-09-05 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most comprehensive account to date of the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon and aftermath, this volume includes unprecedented details on the impact on the Pentagon building and personnel and the scope of the rescue, recovery, and caregiving effort. It features 32 pages of photographs and more than a dozen diagrams and illustrations not previously available.

A History of the World Since 9/11

A History of the World Since 9/11

Author: Dominic Streatfeild

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2011-08-15

Total Pages: 310

ISBN-13: 1608193861

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To understand why, you'll need to know how ... - an Australian metals trader named Garry-with help from the CIA-inadvertently triggered the invasion of Iraq - coalition troops were killed by bombs made with explosives that, according to the White House, never existed - the United States Air Force bombed a wedding in Afghanistan by mistake - the U.S. gave material support to the president of Uzbekistan, who, as it happens, boils people alive These are not merely random disasters from an otherwise effective war. A History of the World Since 9/11shows us just why, a decade after the horrifying attacks on New York and Washington, we are no closer towinning the war on terror than we were on September 10, 2001. We failed to find Osama bin Laden or quellextremism. We sparked civil wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Around the world, innocents were incarcerated,tortured, and murdered-all in the name of justice. Acclaimed author and journalist Dominic Streatfeild traveled across the world for years in pursuit ofanswers for this stunning collapse of international law. The results of his search form the most fully realized study of the war on terror yet written. Piercing reportage blends with sobering human drama, woven into eight narratives of how our world went wrong after 9/11.


Book Synopsis A History of the World Since 9/11 by : Dominic Streatfeild

Download or read book A History of the World Since 9/11 written by Dominic Streatfeild and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2011-08-15 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To understand why, you'll need to know how ... - an Australian metals trader named Garry-with help from the CIA-inadvertently triggered the invasion of Iraq - coalition troops were killed by bombs made with explosives that, according to the White House, never existed - the United States Air Force bombed a wedding in Afghanistan by mistake - the U.S. gave material support to the president of Uzbekistan, who, as it happens, boils people alive These are not merely random disasters from an otherwise effective war. A History of the World Since 9/11shows us just why, a decade after the horrifying attacks on New York and Washington, we are no closer towinning the war on terror than we were on September 10, 2001. We failed to find Osama bin Laden or quellextremism. We sparked civil wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Around the world, innocents were incarcerated,tortured, and murdered-all in the name of justice. Acclaimed author and journalist Dominic Streatfeild traveled across the world for years in pursuit ofanswers for this stunning collapse of international law. The results of his search form the most fully realized study of the war on terror yet written. Piercing reportage blends with sobering human drama, woven into eight narratives of how our world went wrong after 9/11.

The Long Shadow of 9/11

The Long Shadow of 9/11

Author: Brian Michael Jenkins

Publisher: Rand Corporation

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 227

ISBN-13: 083305838X

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This book provides a multifaceted array of answers to the question, In the ten years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, how has America responded? In a series of essays, RAND authors lend a farsighted perspective to the national dialogue on 9/11's legacy. The essays assess the military, political, fiscal, social, cultural, psychological, and even moral implications of U.S. policymaking since 9/11. Part One of the book addresses the lessons learned from America's accomplishments and mistakes in its responses to the 9/11 attacks and the ongoing terrorist threat. Part Two explores reactions to the extreme ideologies of the terrorists and to the fears they have generated. Part Three presents the dilemmas of asymmetrical warfare and suggests ways to resolve them. Part Four cautions against sacrificing a long-term strategy by imposing short-term solutions, particularly with respect to air passenger security and counterterrorism intelligence. Finally, Part Five looks at the effects of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. public health system, at the potential role of compensation policy for losses incurred by terrorism, and at the possible long-term effects of terrorism and counterterrorism on American values, laws, and society.--Publisher description.


Book Synopsis The Long Shadow of 9/11 by : Brian Michael Jenkins

Download or read book The Long Shadow of 9/11 written by Brian Michael Jenkins and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2011 with total page 227 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a multifaceted array of answers to the question, In the ten years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, how has America responded? In a series of essays, RAND authors lend a farsighted perspective to the national dialogue on 9/11's legacy. The essays assess the military, political, fiscal, social, cultural, psychological, and even moral implications of U.S. policymaking since 9/11. Part One of the book addresses the lessons learned from America's accomplishments and mistakes in its responses to the 9/11 attacks and the ongoing terrorist threat. Part Two explores reactions to the extreme ideologies of the terrorists and to the fears they have generated. Part Three presents the dilemmas of asymmetrical warfare and suggests ways to resolve them. Part Four cautions against sacrificing a long-term strategy by imposing short-term solutions, particularly with respect to air passenger security and counterterrorism intelligence. Finally, Part Five looks at the effects of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. public health system, at the potential role of compensation policy for losses incurred by terrorism, and at the possible long-term effects of terrorism and counterterrorism on American values, laws, and society.--Publisher description.

Fall and Rise

Fall and Rise

Author: Mitchell Zuckoff

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 2019-04-30

Total Pages: 624

ISBN-13: 0062275666

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“Better and more comprehensive than any prior account. . . . Those of us who lived through those days will find the book cathartic; those rising generations who were too young to remember 9/11, or who weren’t yet born, will find it revelatory.” — John Farmer, senior counsel to the 9/11 Commission and author of The Ground Truth “With his rigorous research and moral clarity, Mitchell Zuckoff has provided us with an invaluable service. He has deepened our understanding of what happened on 9/11 and recorded the voices of the victims and the survivors. What’s more, he has ensured that we never forget.” —David Grann, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon Years in the making, this spellbinding, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting narrative is an unforgettable portrait of 9/11. This is a 9/11 book like no other. Masterfully weaving together multiple strands of the events in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Fall and Rise is a mesmerizing, minute-by-minute account of that terrible day. In the days and months after 9/11, Mitchell Zuckoff, then a reporter for the Boston Globe, wrote about the attacks, the victims, and their families. After further years of meticulous reporting, Zuckoff has filled Fall and Rise with voices of the lost and the saved. The result is an utterly gripping book, filled with intimate stories of people most affected by the events of that sunny Tuesday in September: an out-of-work actor stuck in an elevator in the North Tower of the World Trade Center; the heroes aboard Flight 93 deciding to take action; a veteran trapped in the inferno in the Pentagon; the fire chief among the first on the scene in sleepy Shanksville; a team of firefighters racing to save an injured woman and themselves; and the men, women, and children flying across country to see loved ones or for work who suddenly faced terrorists bent on murder. Fall and Rise will open new avenues of understanding for everyone who thinks they know the story of 9/11, bringing to life—and in some cases, bringing back to life—the extraordinary ordinary people who experienced the worst day in modern American history. Destined to be a classic, Fall and Rise will move, shock, inspire, and fill hearts with love and admiration for the human spirit as it triumphs in the face of horrifying events.


Book Synopsis Fall and Rise by : Mitchell Zuckoff

Download or read book Fall and Rise written by Mitchell Zuckoff and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2019-04-30 with total page 624 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Better and more comprehensive than any prior account. . . . Those of us who lived through those days will find the book cathartic; those rising generations who were too young to remember 9/11, or who weren’t yet born, will find it revelatory.” — John Farmer, senior counsel to the 9/11 Commission and author of The Ground Truth “With his rigorous research and moral clarity, Mitchell Zuckoff has provided us with an invaluable service. He has deepened our understanding of what happened on 9/11 and recorded the voices of the victims and the survivors. What’s more, he has ensured that we never forget.” —David Grann, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon Years in the making, this spellbinding, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting narrative is an unforgettable portrait of 9/11. This is a 9/11 book like no other. Masterfully weaving together multiple strands of the events in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, Fall and Rise is a mesmerizing, minute-by-minute account of that terrible day. In the days and months after 9/11, Mitchell Zuckoff, then a reporter for the Boston Globe, wrote about the attacks, the victims, and their families. After further years of meticulous reporting, Zuckoff has filled Fall and Rise with voices of the lost and the saved. The result is an utterly gripping book, filled with intimate stories of people most affected by the events of that sunny Tuesday in September: an out-of-work actor stuck in an elevator in the North Tower of the World Trade Center; the heroes aboard Flight 93 deciding to take action; a veteran trapped in the inferno in the Pentagon; the fire chief among the first on the scene in sleepy Shanksville; a team of firefighters racing to save an injured woman and themselves; and the men, women, and children flying across country to see loved ones or for work who suddenly faced terrorists bent on murder. Fall and Rise will open new avenues of understanding for everyone who thinks they know the story of 9/11, bringing to life—and in some cases, bringing back to life—the extraordinary ordinary people who experienced the worst day in modern American history. Destined to be a classic, Fall and Rise will move, shock, inspire, and fill hearts with love and admiration for the human spirit as it triumphs in the face of horrifying events.

September 11

September 11

Author: Associated Press

Publisher: Union Square & Co.

Published: 2021-08-03

Total Pages: 637

ISBN-13: 1454943602

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A commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 9/11 as told through stories and photographs from The Associated Press—covering everything from the events of that tragic day to the rebuilding of the World Trade Center and beyond. This important and comprehensive book commemorates the 20th anniversary of September 11 as told through stories and images from the correspondents and photographers of The Associated Press—breaking news reports, in-depth investigative pieces, human interest accounts, approximately 175 dramatic and moving photos, and first-person recollections. AP’s reporting of the world-changing events of 9/11; the heroic rescue efforts and aftermath; the world’s reaction; Operation Enduring Freedom; the continuing legal proceedings; the building of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City as a place of remembrance; the rebuilding of downtown NYC and much more is covered. Also included is a foreword by Robert De Niro. The book tells the many stories of 9/11—not only of the unprecedented horror of that September morning, but also of the inspiring resilience and hope of the human spirit.


Book Synopsis September 11 by : Associated Press

Download or read book September 11 written by Associated Press and published by Union Square & Co.. This book was released on 2021-08-03 with total page 637 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 9/11 as told through stories and photographs from The Associated Press—covering everything from the events of that tragic day to the rebuilding of the World Trade Center and beyond. This important and comprehensive book commemorates the 20th anniversary of September 11 as told through stories and images from the correspondents and photographers of The Associated Press—breaking news reports, in-depth investigative pieces, human interest accounts, approximately 175 dramatic and moving photos, and first-person recollections. AP’s reporting of the world-changing events of 9/11; the heroic rescue efforts and aftermath; the world’s reaction; Operation Enduring Freedom; the continuing legal proceedings; the building of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City as a place of remembrance; the rebuilding of downtown NYC and much more is covered. Also included is a foreword by Robert De Niro. The book tells the many stories of 9/11—not only of the unprecedented horror of that September morning, but also of the inspiring resilience and hope of the human spirit.

New York After 9/11

New York After 9/11

Author: Susan Opotow

Publisher: Fordham Univ Press

Published: 2018-09-04

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0823281299

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An estimated 2 billion people around the world watched the catastrophic destruction of the World Trade Center. The enormity of the moment was immediately understood and quickly took on global proportions. What has been less obvious is the effect on the locus of the attacks, New York City, not as a seat of political or economic power, but as a community; not in the days and weeks afterward, but over months and years. New York after 9/11 offers insightful and critical observations about the processes set in motion by September 11, 2001 in New York, and holds important lessons for the future. This interdisciplinary collection brings together experts from diverse fields to discuss the long-term recovery of New York City after 9/11. Susan Opotow and Zachary Baron Shemtob invited experts in architecture and design, medicine, health, community advocacy, psychology, public safety, human rights, law, and mental health to look back on the aftereffects of that tragic day in key spheres of life in New York City. With a focus on the themes of space and memory, public health and public safety, trauma and conflict, and politics and social change, this comprehensive account of how 9/11 changed New York sets out to answer three questions: What were the key conflicts that erupted in New York City in 9/11’s wake? What clashing interests were involved and how did they change over time? And what was the role of these conflicts in the transition from trauma to recovery for New York City as a whole? Contributors discuss a variety of issues that emerged in this tragedy’s wake, some immediately and others in the years that followed, including: PTSD among first responders; conflicts and design challenges of rebuilding the World Trade Center site, the memorial, and the museum; surveillance of Muslim communities; power struggles among public safety agencies; the development of technologies for faster building evacuations; and the emergence of chronic illnesses and fatalities among first responders and people who lived, worked, and attended school in the vicinity of the 9/11 site. A chapter on two Ground Zeros –in Hiroshima and New York – compares and historicizes the challenges of memorialization and recovery. Each chapter offers a nuanced, vivid, and behind-the-scenes account of issues as they unfolded over time and across various contexts, dispelling simplistic narratives of this extended and complicated period. Illuminating a city’s multifaceted response in the wake of a catastrophic and traumatic attack, New York after 9/11 illustrates recovery as a process that is complex, multivalent, and ongoing.


Book Synopsis New York After 9/11 by : Susan Opotow

Download or read book New York After 9/11 written by Susan Opotow and published by Fordham Univ Press. This book was released on 2018-09-04 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An estimated 2 billion people around the world watched the catastrophic destruction of the World Trade Center. The enormity of the moment was immediately understood and quickly took on global proportions. What has been less obvious is the effect on the locus of the attacks, New York City, not as a seat of political or economic power, but as a community; not in the days and weeks afterward, but over months and years. New York after 9/11 offers insightful and critical observations about the processes set in motion by September 11, 2001 in New York, and holds important lessons for the future. This interdisciplinary collection brings together experts from diverse fields to discuss the long-term recovery of New York City after 9/11. Susan Opotow and Zachary Baron Shemtob invited experts in architecture and design, medicine, health, community advocacy, psychology, public safety, human rights, law, and mental health to look back on the aftereffects of that tragic day in key spheres of life in New York City. With a focus on the themes of space and memory, public health and public safety, trauma and conflict, and politics and social change, this comprehensive account of how 9/11 changed New York sets out to answer three questions: What were the key conflicts that erupted in New York City in 9/11’s wake? What clashing interests were involved and how did they change over time? And what was the role of these conflicts in the transition from trauma to recovery for New York City as a whole? Contributors discuss a variety of issues that emerged in this tragedy’s wake, some immediately and others in the years that followed, including: PTSD among first responders; conflicts and design challenges of rebuilding the World Trade Center site, the memorial, and the museum; surveillance of Muslim communities; power struggles among public safety agencies; the development of technologies for faster building evacuations; and the emergence of chronic illnesses and fatalities among first responders and people who lived, worked, and attended school in the vicinity of the 9/11 site. A chapter on two Ground Zeros –in Hiroshima and New York – compares and historicizes the challenges of memorialization and recovery. Each chapter offers a nuanced, vivid, and behind-the-scenes account of issues as they unfolded over time and across various contexts, dispelling simplistic narratives of this extended and complicated period. Illuminating a city’s multifaceted response in the wake of a catastrophic and traumatic attack, New York after 9/11 illustrates recovery as a process that is complex, multivalent, and ongoing.

The Hidden History of 9-11-2001

The Hidden History of 9-11-2001

Author: Paul Zarembka

Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 374

ISBN-13: 0762313056

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This important volume brings together rigorous scholarship on the events of 9-11-2001, and assesses whether the truth has been told by the U.S. government. The lead chapter shows that eleven of FBI-named Arabic hijackers could not have been on the planes, while the Dulles airport videotape -- essentially being the case that hijackers boarded flights -- has very serious authentication problems. The next three chapters examine insider trading beforehand and the 9-11 flights themselves, then the evidence -- based partly upon newly-released reports of more than 500 firefighters -- permitting a conclusion that three buildings in the WTC complex were brought down by demolition, followed by discussion of scheduled military drills which confused standard operating procedures, and concluding with a surprising connection to the death of Senator Wellstone, leading critique of the Bush administration. The third part opens with a chapter examining the connection between Al-Qaeda and Western covert operations, showing how Al-Qaeda is inseparably connected to the latter. The following chapter shows that Machiavellian state terrorism is rather common and not at all unlikely for 9-11, while the following examines how the 9-11 Commission wrote its own history, rather than reporting and analyzing true history. The rise of Islamophobia as an ideological force to sustain U.S. imperialism is then introduced. The final chapter, while not explicit, offers a possible connection to the process of undermining pensions in the U.K. The volume can be seen as a definitive, scholarly explanation of 9-11 as a world-changing event.


Book Synopsis The Hidden History of 9-11-2001 by : Paul Zarembka

Download or read book The Hidden History of 9-11-2001 written by Paul Zarembka and published by Emerald Group Publishing. This book was released on 2006 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This important volume brings together rigorous scholarship on the events of 9-11-2001, and assesses whether the truth has been told by the U.S. government. The lead chapter shows that eleven of FBI-named Arabic hijackers could not have been on the planes, while the Dulles airport videotape -- essentially being the case that hijackers boarded flights -- has very serious authentication problems. The next three chapters examine insider trading beforehand and the 9-11 flights themselves, then the evidence -- based partly upon newly-released reports of more than 500 firefighters -- permitting a conclusion that three buildings in the WTC complex were brought down by demolition, followed by discussion of scheduled military drills which confused standard operating procedures, and concluding with a surprising connection to the death of Senator Wellstone, leading critique of the Bush administration. The third part opens with a chapter examining the connection between Al-Qaeda and Western covert operations, showing how Al-Qaeda is inseparably connected to the latter. The following chapter shows that Machiavellian state terrorism is rather common and not at all unlikely for 9-11, while the following examines how the 9-11 Commission wrote its own history, rather than reporting and analyzing true history. The rise of Islamophobia as an ideological force to sustain U.S. imperialism is then introduced. The final chapter, while not explicit, offers a possible connection to the process of undermining pensions in the U.K. The volume can be seen as a definitive, scholarly explanation of 9-11 as a world-changing event.

The Day That Shook America

The Day That Shook America

Author: J. Samuel Walker

Publisher: University Press of Kansas

Published: 2023-06-16

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 0700636188

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On September 11, 2001, author J. Samuel Walker was far from home when he learned of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Stricken by incredulity and anxiety, he found the phone lines jammed when he tried to call his wife, who worked in downtown Washington, DC. At the time and ever since, Walker, like many of his fellow Americans, was and remains troubled by questions about the disaster that occurred on 9/11. What were the purposes of the attacks? Why did US intelligence agencies and the Defense Department, with annual budgets in the hundreds of billions of dollars, fail to protect the country from a small band of terrorists who managed to hijack four airliners and take the lives of nearly three thousand American citizens? What did responsible government agencies and officials know about Al-Qaeda and why did they not do more to head off the threat it posed? What were American policies toward terrorism, especially under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and why did they fall so far short of defending against a series of attacks? Finally, was the tragedy of 9/11 preventable? These are the most important questions that The Day That Shook America: A Concise History of 9/11 tries to answer. The Day That Shook America offers a long perspective and draws on recently opened records to provide an in-depth analysis of the approaches taken by the Clinton and Bush administrations toward terrorism in general and Al-Qaeda in particular. It also delivers arresting new details on the four hijackings and the collapse of the twin towers. J. Samuel Walker covers both the human drama and the public policy dimensions of one of the most important events in all of US history, and he does so in a way that is both comprehensive and concise.


Book Synopsis The Day That Shook America by : J. Samuel Walker

Download or read book The Day That Shook America written by J. Samuel Walker and published by University Press of Kansas. This book was released on 2023-06-16 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On September 11, 2001, author J. Samuel Walker was far from home when he learned of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Stricken by incredulity and anxiety, he found the phone lines jammed when he tried to call his wife, who worked in downtown Washington, DC. At the time and ever since, Walker, like many of his fellow Americans, was and remains troubled by questions about the disaster that occurred on 9/11. What were the purposes of the attacks? Why did US intelligence agencies and the Defense Department, with annual budgets in the hundreds of billions of dollars, fail to protect the country from a small band of terrorists who managed to hijack four airliners and take the lives of nearly three thousand American citizens? What did responsible government agencies and officials know about Al-Qaeda and why did they not do more to head off the threat it posed? What were American policies toward terrorism, especially under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and why did they fall so far short of defending against a series of attacks? Finally, was the tragedy of 9/11 preventable? These are the most important questions that The Day That Shook America: A Concise History of 9/11 tries to answer. The Day That Shook America offers a long perspective and draws on recently opened records to provide an in-depth analysis of the approaches taken by the Clinton and Bush administrations toward terrorism in general and Al-Qaeda in particular. It also delivers arresting new details on the four hijackings and the collapse of the twin towers. J. Samuel Walker covers both the human drama and the public policy dimensions of one of the most important events in all of US history, and he does so in a way that is both comprehensive and concise.