In the tradition of Studs Terkel's The Good War and the Roosevelt Administration's Slave Narratives, Damon DiMarco has offered a lasting literary contribution of inestimable importance to American culture. The policemen ... the firemen ... paramedics ... witnesses ... volunteers ... business owners ... theoreticians ... the bereaved of 9/11 ... herein their voices are pres
In the tradition of Studs Terkel's The Good War and the Roosevelt Administration's Slave Narratives, Damon DiMarco has offered a lasting literary contribution of inestimable importance to American culture. The policemen ... the firemen ... paramedics ... witnesses ... volunteers ... business owners ... theoreticians ... the bereaved of 9/11 ... herein their voices are preserved for all time. So that we, their contemporary countrymen and citizens of a peace-loving world can hear them and share in their intimate understanding of that horrible day. So that our children and grandchildren will inherit a point of reference from which to begin their quest for answers. In our fast-paced technological society, in a modern political world fraught with staggeringly complex international relations ... today -- more than ever before -- there is a dire need to pause and bear witness. Our mission must be to never forget. Tower Stories fulfills this promise. By capturing the voices of the people who were there, it truly offers "the autobiography of September 11th," the definitive account of the day that shaped the political landscape of the 21st century.
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Hardcover
,
396 pages
Published
September 1st 2004
by Revolution Publishing
I could not put this book down. Very compelling oral history of 9/11, from survivors, rescue workers and volunteers, and family and friends of the victims. The editor, Damon DiMarco, wisely divided this 524-page book into five sections: At the Towers; Outside the Towers; Ground Zero and the Volunteers; The Aftermath; and Viewpoints. So it covers a wide spectrum—from the attacks and the fight for survival, to the rescue effort, to the clean up and rebuilding of communication networks, to the effe
I could not put this book down. Very compelling oral history of 9/11, from survivors, rescue workers and volunteers, and family and friends of the victims. The editor, Damon DiMarco, wisely divided this 524-page book into five sections: At the Towers; Outside the Towers; Ground Zero and the Volunteers; The Aftermath; and Viewpoints. So it covers a wide spectrum—from the attacks and the fight for survival, to the rescue effort, to the clean up and rebuilding of communication networks, to the effect it had on families and New Yorkers and Americans, to finally what came afterward.
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Damon DiMarco talked with people immediately after the 9/11 attacks, literally walking the streets and stopping passersby. The accounts he records have the ring of authenticity and immediacy. The author is channeling his inner Studs Terkel here! The stories read exactly as people talk, although I'm sure a great deal of editing was required. Mr. DiMarco is a fine writer who has made a valuable contribution to 9/11 literature.
Although difficult to read, the book is one I am glad to have read. Towa
Damon DiMarco talked with people immediately after the 9/11 attacks, literally walking the streets and stopping passersby. The accounts he records have the ring of authenticity and immediacy. The author is channeling his inner Studs Terkel here! The stories read exactly as people talk, although I'm sure a great deal of editing was required. Mr. DiMarco is a fine writer who has made a valuable contribution to 9/11 literature.
Although difficult to read, the book is one I am glad to have read. Toward the end of the book my attention flagged, though, as the accounts widen out to include people whose stories seemed peripheral to me. After mourning the endlessly horrific ways people died, I didn't really care about the structural beauty of the Towers as expounded by an engineer, how Verizon got the stock market back up and running or the viewpoint of someone who was in L.A. at the time. And I really didn't want to read ruminations on the ethics of profiling airline passengers in the days immediately following the attacks.
I also had hoped for more insightful follow-up interviews. I want to know how the interviewees felt and thought about 9/11 today, not what plays they'd had produced in the intervening years, what shows they'd acted in or how many kids they had. The author may have been limited by who he could locate or what people wanted to say; one conversation with a paramedic who went on to be a skilled search-and-rescue medic is a great follow-up. Perhaps the author is working on updates like that to coincide with the opening of the Freedom Tower. I hope so.
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For the most part this was an excellent book. Most of the stories are interesting and really do show a slice of history that needs to be preserved. I like that there are occasional updates about some of the storytellers.
What I didn't like is that there are 2 sections of the book I could have done without. The one about how 9/11 effected the..."average", maybe, New Yorker. The guy who's shop across the street from WTC isn't getting business and the guy who wandered around and saw flyers and an i
For the most part this was an excellent book. Most of the stories are interesting and really do show a slice of history that needs to be preserved. I like that there are occasional updates about some of the storytellers.
What I didn't like is that there are 2 sections of the book I could have done without. The one about how 9/11 effected the..."average", maybe, New Yorker. The guy who's shop across the street from WTC isn't getting business and the guy who wandered around and saw flyers and an impromptu gathering of people. Also the "Viewpoints" part that has a slimy lawyer blathering on. In those two areas I would really have liked to hear more about D. C. and Pennsylvania or from survivors and first responders telling their stories. For it to be a true "Oral history" I'd think those areas would be better talked about.
Also some of the better known stories could be retreaded for future generations. The guy with the red bandana, Stanley P. Watching the jet from under his desk and the "Surfer" guy.
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This book was a four star book for me until the very last chapter. True accounts from people in and around events from 9-11, specifically the Twin Towers. Amazing stories of self sacrifice, bravery, heroism, survival, and most of all the special and unique American spirit. I loved how the author provided all kinds of different stories from people in the building, people on airplanes, people who worked nearby, people who helped set up food and shelter for workers, people who helped get the phone
This book was a four star book for me until the very last chapter. True accounts from people in and around events from 9-11, specifically the Twin Towers. Amazing stories of self sacrifice, bravery, heroism, survival, and most of all the special and unique American spirit. I loved how the author provided all kinds of different stories from people in the building, people on airplanes, people who worked nearby, people who helped set up food and shelter for workers, people who helped get the phone lines up again, and even the perspective of a man who worked at the firm that built and constantly inspected the towers.
Unfortunately, all of these amazing stories were somewhat ruined by the very last chapter called "View Points." I do understand there are lots of view points to what happened on 9-11, however, I did not feel the author actually covered many of them. In fact the view points he did provide were more offensive than anything else. If you want to include a view points section you ought to include all kinds of different view points (as he did so well in the rest of the book).
All in all a decent read but I would skip the last chapter.
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We all remember what we were doing. Many people call it a Kennedy moment. I was doing homework. I was 6 or 7 at the time, so I don't recall much about what happened. But I remember my mom crying, I remember watching footage on the news, the Towers falling, the airplanes grounded, EVERYONE calling everyone they knew. And I was scared it would ruin my Birthday(Sept. 15).
Tower Stories is divided into 5 different parts: At the Towers; Outside the Towers; Ground Zero and the Volunteers; The Aftermath
We all remember what we were doing. Many people call it a Kennedy moment. I was doing homework. I was 6 or 7 at the time, so I don't recall much about what happened. But I remember my mom crying, I remember watching footage on the news, the Towers falling, the airplanes grounded, EVERYONE calling everyone they knew. And I was scared it would ruin my Birthday(Sept. 15).
Tower Stories is divided into 5 different parts: At the Towers; Outside the Towers; Ground Zero and the Volunteers; The Aftermath; and Viewpoints. Different viewpoints, different walks of life, different races, all trying to describe what they went through, what struck them the most. Taken as a whole, it becomes an overwhelmingly obvious fact most people just wanted to help in some way. Of course, someone said (Being me, I really couldn't tell you a 4th of the names in Tower Stories), it brought out the best in some and the worst in others.
Personally? I came away with a greater understanding and sympathy for everyone involved in the crash. But, you know, Someone said that it was the US Government's fault we got attacked in the first place. I take issue with that. When we start blaming the Government for the crimes of terrorists who drive planes into towers, we really are in trouble. As an anonymous note outside of Proffesor Gerges's office [one of the contributors to this book] said,
"To my fellow Americans,
No American actions, however flawed, contributed to the misfortune of the Middle East peoples-nothing in this world ever justifies the slaughter of one, let alone thousands of innocent civilians.
This kind of fashionable rationalization for evil is called "blaming the victim" and it must be exposed for what it truly is: mental poison that only adds insult to injury. America shoulders no blame for the evil perpetrated to her on September 11th. The people who freely choose a path of absolute wickedness, of terror, bear complete responsibility."
But, you know, yes, there were viewpoints I didn't agree with, but this book was all about the different people that make up America and obviously there's going to be some who rub you the wrong way. That's one of the beautiful things about America. We can all disagree, but we can still get together and talk, SHOUT, at each other without fear of imprisonment and harm. God Bless America.
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I wanted to read something looking back on the events of 9/11 at this time of the 10th anniversary. This was the update from 2007. There is another one that is more recent from 2009. I very sincerely recommend this book for a series of snapshots of that day and the aftermath. These were oral histories taken within days or at most about a month after 9/11. It is divided into sections roughly equivalent to the distance from Ground Zero. The first section was taken from people in the Towers who sur
I wanted to read something looking back on the events of 9/11 at this time of the 10th anniversary. This was the update from 2007. There is another one that is more recent from 2009. I very sincerely recommend this book for a series of snapshots of that day and the aftermath. These were oral histories taken within days or at most about a month after 9/11. It is divided into sections roughly equivalent to the distance from Ground Zero. The first section was taken from people in the Towers who survived. Then stories from people immediately outside the Towers. There is an amazing section on the volunteers at Ground Zero and what they accomplished. There is a section from family members and friends left behind. My least favorite section was at the end with statements from people commenting on the culture of the Middle East and why America has become so hated. That is worthy of discussion, of course, but I feel it is out of place in this extremely poignant memoir from people immediately affected by the tragedy. There are some photographs taken at the scene as well. Extremely well done and highly recommended.
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Incredible, emotional anthology of the stories of the victims and volunteers of 9/11. Their memories and recounts of that day and the days and weeks immediately following the attack take you closer than you would ever care to be to the terror, chaos and loss experienced at Ground Zero. At the same time, it's important to read and understand it, to never forget.
The way the citizens of New York, as well as others across the country, rallied to assist in the recovery efforts is nothing short of ex
Incredible, emotional anthology of the stories of the victims and volunteers of 9/11. Their memories and recounts of that day and the days and weeks immediately following the attack take you closer than you would ever care to be to the terror, chaos and loss experienced at Ground Zero. At the same time, it's important to read and understand it, to never forget.
The way the citizens of New York, as well as others across the country, rallied to assist in the recovery efforts is nothing short of extraordinary. People gave everything they had to search for survivors or to support those on the front lines doing so. The hardest part about listening to these stories was experiencing the hope, expectation and preparation that survivors would be found, only to have no one come out alive. It was like it happened all over again.
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This was a great book about 9/11 from different angles and views. Everyone should read this as we should not forget this day and all that dies that tragic day.
This book had so many stories of loss, courage, dedication, love, bravery and kindness. I couldn't put it down and still can't stop thinking about it. I can't imagine what it was like to have been in the towers on Sept. 11 and to have escaped. And to think about the horrible experience of those who didn't. Some stories were dedications of people who died that day in the towers, on the planes or in the pentagon. Some stories were about the volunteers who helped so much afterward. The stories of l
This book had so many stories of loss, courage, dedication, love, bravery and kindness. I couldn't put it down and still can't stop thinking about it. I can't imagine what it was like to have been in the towers on Sept. 11 and to have escaped. And to think about the horrible experience of those who didn't. Some stories were dedications of people who died that day in the towers, on the planes or in the pentagon. Some stories were about the volunteers who helped so much afterward. The stories of loss, courage and patriotism were sad and inspiring. So much was lost that day...
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I wasn't sure if I could emotionally handle this book, but I am so glad I gave it a chance. As sad as it was, overall, I was glad I got the chance to learn about some of the lives of the people lost. In addition, the stories of heroism and volunteerism were welcome perspectives and while they do not take away from the tragedy that was/is 9/11, they certainly help one realize that those are two ways we can triumph over terrorism and move forward to continue picking up the pieces.
Can't read too much in one sitting...rather read a chapter here and there. These stories are from very different and interesting points of view and this book really shows how we banded together as Americans to help each other after this horrible tragedy. I started losing interest about 65% through. I also did not care for the "viewpoints" section at the end at all. Politics give me tired head. (over all, I preferred the book 102 minutes)
This was a difficult book to read because it felt so immediate. These stories were told to the author within days and weeks of the events of 9/11 (with short follow-ups later on) and were just as raw and real and emotional as you would expect. If you want to read any book on this topic, I would recommend this one.
This was a very good book about September 11th. The book is a compilation of interviews given by many people about their experience on 9-11 (in the towers, outside the towers, the rescue workers, etc.)
It is difficult to read for obvious reasons, but tells the story very well.
Sad, brutally honest, real. This book was recommended to me by my friend Kerfe. It is important to read what the witnesses of this pivotal event had to say about this day. Hard to read, but necessary to all Americans to know what really happened.
This book was amazing. It showed many gripping stories about people trying to survive inside the world trade center. It was very interesting and kept my attention the whole time. Great book.
This book was fantastic! Really let you know what people went through, whether they were in the towers that day, lost a loved one, volunteered, or just lived in NYC. Compelling and real.
Reading the accounts of the people in the towers made me feel like I was there. It was terrifying yet at the same time I felt like I was honoring them by reading their story.
Damon DiMarco was born in Princeton, New Jersey and currently lives in New York City. He holds a Masters degree in Fine Arts from Rutgers University.
Damon has been a guest on national television and radio, including FOX, CNN, The National Geographic Channel, and the Premiere Radio Network. He has been a guest speaker at colleges, universities, and community groups across the country.
A professional
Damon DiMarco was born in Princeton, New Jersey and currently lives in New York City. He holds a Masters degree in Fine Arts from Rutgers University.
Damon has been a guest on national television and radio, including FOX, CNN, The National Geographic Channel, and the Premiere Radio Network. He has been a guest speaker at colleges, universities, and community groups across the country.
A professional actor as well as a writer, Damon has appeared in primetime and daytime television programs on CBS, ABC, and NBC; commercials; independent films; regional theatres; and trade shows. He has written for the stage, television, and screen, and taught acting on the faculties of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey and the New York Film Academy in Manhattan.
In 2012, Damon initiated the Writing for Public Intellectuals workshop for PhD students in the History and Culture program at Drew University's Caspersen Graduate School.