After September 11th, rumors ran rampant about every aspect of the attacks, from the nature of terrorism and life in Afghanistan to the United States’ and the world’s response to the events and the ability to predict such occurrences. With all the misinformation out there, it’s especially important to keep yourself well-informed about all sides of the situation. Below is a list of works that is just a starting point for understanding 9/11 and its components.
>> The Events of 9/11
Many Americans, myself included, were not directly affected by the New York and Washington tragedies. However, in order to be a well-informed and sympathetic citizen, it is necessary to understand the 9/11 events and their aftermath. These books offer accounts of the tragedies, as well as hope for life after the attacks and strategies for fighting terrorism.
Report from Ground Zero: The Story of the Rescue Efforts at the World Trade Center
By Dennis Smith Hardcover, 366 pages. Viking (2002). $24.95.
A book that will take you beyond the news reports, Report’s author, an 18-year New York Fire Department veteran, writes about the attacks and the rescue effort taken on by Manhattan firefighters. Part oral history, part journal, the book is devastating in its detailed description of the destruction and despair felt by all involved. This book is informed as well as moving due to Mr. Smith’s knowledge on the subject.
Lady Liberty’s Still Standing: Poems in Memory of September 11, 2001
By Sue Ikerd
Paperback, 28 pages. Country Blessings (2002), $11.95.
After September 11th, Ikerd wrote 78 poems which delved into her feelings about the tragedy, and her daughter put them on an online website. After popular respose in the form of over one thousand supportive emails, the poems were published. Ikerd, a farm wife from Missouri, reveals how the events touched those remote from Ground Zero. The constant vein of hope running throughout her poems is poignant, not overdone.
Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy
By Paul R. Pillar.
Hardcover, 272 pp. Brookings Institution Press (2001). $26.95.
Not only is the subject matter heavy, but so is Mr. Pillar’s approach. Former deputy chief of the Counterterrorist Center at the Central Intelligence Agency, Pillar argues that due to terrorism’s psychological strength and its presence in many nations, efforts to curb it will take time and an effort similar to the Cold War. Although his predictions are glum and not always correct, this is a good read on the subject.
>> Understanding Islam
Afghanistan and Islam
While living in the Wash U bubble, I took Anthropology in the Modern World, and I was just as amazed at my ignorance concerning other societies as I was at all I learned from that class. Since it is such a small world, it is essential to learn about histories and current events in other nations.
My Forbidden Face-Growing Up Under the Taliban: A Young Woman’s Story
By Latifa with Shekeba Hachemi.
Translated by Linda Coverdale.
210 pp. Hard Cover, Talk Miramax Books/Hyperion (2002). $21.95.
When attempting to understand the history and current events in Afghanistan, it’s very helpful to consult a personal account of a native in order to maintain a human perspective on the past year’s events and other societies’ role. My Forbidden Face is a thought-provoking look into adjusting to Taliban rule and their treatment of women. A good read that will have you asking questions about women’s rights and the difficulties that come with change.
Searching for Saleem: An Afghan Woman’s Odessey
By Farooka Gauhari and Nancy Dupree.
Hardcover, pp. U of NE Press (1997), $27.00.
Imagine one of your loved ones disappearing and never being able to locate them. This seems absurd to us, but this is the true story of Mrs. Gauhari, whose husband Saleem disappeared during the 1978 Communist takeover in Afghanistan. Written in diary form, the book chronicles the Gauharis’ happy life before 1978, the bewilderment and confusion during the coup, and Mrs. Gauhari’s frustrating attempts to learn news of her husband. Her search will leave you frustrated too, but this book is a great insight into Afghanistan before the latest events.
Islam and Resistance in Afghanistan
By Olivier Roy
Paperback, 284 pages. Cambridge UP (1990), $30.00
For more of Afghanistan’s background history, this book is an excellent choice that documents the Afghan resistance movement during the 1980s. As the Afghans fought against the Soviets, many changes took place in their society that influenced the post-Communist State. This is academic reading, but its analysis is well worth the read.