9/11 Books Historica

Learn more about the historical context leading up to the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks by checking out these books in our library.

Books in our Library

Provides insight into the scale and complexities of terrorism across a sweeping landscape of time, geography, act, and motive. Despite the suffering inflicted on the innocent, it is an unarguable political reality that what constitutes terrorism is often contentious and heavily tied to cultural perspective. A suicide bomber labeled as a terrorist by one society may be referred to as a martyr in the news reports designed for more politically sympathetic audiences. Groups and governments often resort to tortured language and labels as they attempt to either justify or dissociate themselves from often-horrific acts of violence...

Call Number: HV 6431 .T465 2006

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Terrorism: Essential Primary Sources

Author: K. Lee Lerner

Draws on thousands of recently released official documents and new interviews to present a report on the September 11 attacks that examines why the crisis was not prevented, how the government and military responded, and who was behind it.

Call Number: HV 6432.7 S86 2011

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The Eleventh Day: The Full Story of 9/11

Author: Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan

Explores both the American and Arab sides of the September 11th terrorist attacks in an account of the people, ideas, events, and intelligence failures that led to the tragedies.

Call Number: HV 6432.7 .W75 2007b

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The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11

Author: Lawrence Wright

A former FBI special agent offers an insider's account of how the September 11th attacks could have been prevented, as well as his role in the war on terror, including his highly effective interrogation efforts.

Call Number: HV 6432.5 .Q2 S68 2011

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The Black Banners: The Inside Story of 9/11 and the War Against al-Qaeda

Author: Ali H. Soufan

Details how warfare has always targeted civilians, and argues that brutality never achieves its goals, but instead leads to resentment followed by even bloodier retaliation.

Call Number: HV 6431 .C376 2002

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The Lessons of Terror

Author: Caleb Carr