Tuesday, January 30, 2024

In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, and Years After the 9/11 Attacks

Brown, Down. In the Shadow of the Fallen Towers: The Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Months, and Years After the 9/11 Attacks. 2021. 120p. ISBN 9780358223573. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.


The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, struck at the heart of the American psyche. The events directly impacted thousands of people in New York City, Washington D.C, and in Pennsylvania. Hundred of thousands more then served to first rescue then retrieve bodies from the crash sites and from the collapsed towers, while others served in the military to bring the fight to those who had planned and sponsored the attack. 

The story is by now well known. What is not well known, however, are individual stories of valor, sacrifice, courage, and determination to survive. In this powerful graphic novel, the lives of people, from a cameraman who happened to be filming near the Twin Towers to heroic firefighters who ran into the burning towers moments after airplanes crashed into them. Each life was irrevocably changed by the attacks, causing permanent injuries and deaths.

Over the course of the next days and months, the fires in New York were put out, and the grisly task of clearing out the rubble and respectfully recovering the bodies of those still entombed began. At the same time, war started in Afghanistan as American troops, allied with local warlords, sought to capture or kill Osama Bin Laden, the terrorist mastermind behind the attacks. 

Readers who enjoy history will appreciate the attention to details the author provides for each and every panel. The story is engaging and serves as a reminder that individuals can make a difference and change the world.

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