Readers praise these captivating books for their immersive storytelling, rich characters, and the unique blend of mystery and passion that keeps them eagerly turning the pages, making these novels a must-read for anyone seeking a memorable literary experience.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, we watched through tears the horror that was unfolding on our TV. This first-hand account of the events of 9/11 is filled with much-researched information assembled over many years utilizing many sources. It is a hard-hitting expose’ of the many failures that led to the worst attack on America since World War II. Barbara Dorger probed extensively, asked hard questions, and looked for answers but found a bureaucratic wall blocking full disclosure. Ultimately, she paints a tragic picture of sacrifice through the loss of life by 33 United and American Airlines employees and how that day ultimately affected thousands of other employees of both airlines. It is a perspective I had not heard before. I highly recommend this book. It is fascinating and intelligently written.
Ms Dorger has incredible insight into the events of 9/11. The author writes from the very personal experience of being a flight attendant during 9/11 plus deep research.
The author worked in the industry that she wrote about for decades so there is credibility to her words. Very touching.
This book was written by a former flight attendant with 39 years of experience, and it's quite informative. So much has been written about 9/11, but I was looking for a different perspective, and this book provided it. Share the book with friends; they'll enjoy it.
Barbara Dorger had a calling to do the research and write on this horrific account on September 11th, 2001. No one has the personal background experience, the passion for the crew members & their families nor the drive to complete this 10+ years of research uncovering the details in those cockpits and how the crew responded. This is an incredible accounting of the actions of but a few, 33, crew members in saving the lives of possibly thousands of others. While it’s a hard book to read, it’s simply essential in our understanding of what transpired and what can yet happen again in this country. A must-read!
The Very First Responders
Perhaps everyone knows where they were on 9/11; a singularly tragic event in modern
American history. Such a catastrophe left us all bereft and, in the aftermath, with many enduring questions. Why did it happen? How could our superior security have let this happen? And what steps would be taken to ensure it never happens again? In The Forgotten: The Flight Crews of 9/11 (The Very First Responders) author Barbara
Dorger gives the reader an illuminating and unique perspective on the events. having
been a flight attendant at the time. Though focused on the perspective of aviation
workers before, during, and following the attacks, this is a comprehensive and
fascinating study with revealing insights leading to questions yet unanswered: a diligent tribute to the 33 flight crew members "Our 33" who lost their lives on 9/11.
On that fateful day, Dorger, still a flight attendant. was laid over in Hong Kong. Upon returning home, she and her coworkers are met with indifference which she dismissed as a product of an entire nation in shock. As the grieving transitioned into investigation, the hows, whys, and what ifs multiplied. That indifference continued, leading to layoffs and thousands forced into early retirement. inasmuch as the author pursued this as a study of failures that led to 9/11, it is an illustration of the plight aviation workers faced in its aftermath.
In later chapters, the author provides brief but cogent histories of the FBI, CIA, the FAA, hijackings, airline security responses, and regulation/deregulation. In addition to the government-airline complex for context, Dorger relates accounts from fellow flight attendants, some of whom had actually served on flights containing eventual 9/11 hijackers, presumable gathering information for their destructive plot. Again, this underscores the notion that mechanisms were not in place for flight worker' concerns to be heard. More vitally, it shows how little government counterintelligence and airline security were sharing with these front-line workers. With ample warnings during both the Clinton and Bush administrations, questions on this lack of communication persist.
While nothing the obvious failures in preventing the attacks, this book also highlights the day's heroics. The author praises how other countries expressed solidarity around the world and notably how helpful Canada was in accommodating passengers of rerouted flights when all were grounded. She wholeheartedly champions the flight crews' brave and remarkably calm response, noting people like Betty Ong (American Airlines flight 11) whose prompt communications from her hijacked flight alerted those on the ground and possibly prevented other hijackings that very day.
The author demonstrates a remarkable grasp of the history of aviation and its relation to governmental bureaucracy. Nothing overtly conspiratorial here; simple still wondering about the whys, hows, and what ifs. The fallout in the aviation industry led to thousands laid off or forced into early retirement, pensions and salaries gutted, lawsuits merely settled, leaving victims' families meagerly compensated with questions left unanswered.
This book is a compelling analysis of events sorounding 9/11, a tribute to "Our 33," and a call to flight workers everywhere that their efforts before, during, and after 9/11 have not gone unnoticed. I highly recommend this for all americans but particularly those interested in a different perspective and insight on the 9/11 attacks.