Report from Ground Zero - Softcover

In Report from Ground Zero Dennis Smith, a retired New York City fire-fighter, writes, "There is no centre to this day, no middle or end. All its remaining minutes and hours will be collapsed into that single instant at 8:48 am when September 11, 2001 became the saddest day of our history." Shortly after the two planes hit the World Trade Centre towers, he volunteered to help in the rescue effort. In this diary of the three months following the attack, Smith combines his own observations with interviews of those involved in the work, creating a detailed day-by-day history of the massive effort to find life among the ruins. His 18 years of experience in the field and considerable writing skills (he is the author of Report from Engine Co 82 and nine other books) make him uniquely qualified to cover these events. To say the book is moving is an understatement--it is often overwhelming and difficult to read. Report from Ground Zero exacts an emotional toll on the reader; writing it must have been heartbreaking. In chronicling the hope, courage and compassion embodied by all of the rescue workers, Smith has performed yet another service to his country.
Note: a portion of the proceeds from sales of the book will be contributed by the author to the Foundation for American Fire-fighters. --Shawn Carkonen

"Tremendously powerful." --The New Yorker

"Mr. Smith has captured the horror and chaos of those first terrifying hours, and the ensuing anger and grief and determination. He has also captured the courage of New York city's firefighters and the spirit of the city's firehouses, bloody but unbowed in the wake of that terrible September morning." --Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

"To say the book is moving is an understatement." --Amazon.com