New York September 11

By some cosmic quirk of fate, the illustrious collective known as Magnum Photographers had one of their big meetings in New York City on Monday, September 10th, 2001. This means, of course, that when the horrific events of Tuesday, September 11th took place, there were dozens and dozens of superbly qualified and talented photographers all over the city. As if by reflex, these brave women and men documented the events of that day.The photographs get first consideration here. There is text, of course, but the photographs tell the story. It's difficult to look through the book and not feel as though you were there yourself. Witness Steve McCurry's triptych of the second tower coming down, looking for all the world like a dying flower, the smoke almost appearing like drooping petals curving down towards the earth (p. 8). Witness Susan Meiselas' photograph of one of those life-size statues you see hither and yon in Manhattan--this one of a cheerfully smiling businessman seated on a bench, opening up his briefcase to check on something. He is knee-deep in debris, and trees behind and beside him are crushed and bent (p. 30). The juxtaposition perfectly captures the sense of disconnectedness and inability to understand that we all felt that day. Witness Eli Reed's enormously moving photo of a construction worker wielding only a hammer. The man sits on a steel beam, hard hat on, booted feet tucked behind him. When you look beyond his hammer, you see the physical devastation all around him--yet there he sits, hammering as though he will make a difference (p. 104). Witness Gilles Peress' shots of shocked people appearing out of the snowy dust, accompanied by his simple and heartfelt statement: "I don't trust words. I trust pictures" (pp. 46 - 63)."New York September 11" is an astonishing and heartbreaking photographic documentary of that day. I recommend it as a record for your children and yourself.

I want my daughter and grandchildren to know about September 11th. This book will help them understand. Great photography, and documents the events well.

An excellent compilation of good photos of the event that changed the way the world went.I will keep this book in my memory forever.

By now, the images of the soaring twin towers falling back to earth are seared in our collective memories. What took years to build now is reduced to a smoking pyre in a mere matter of multiple minutes.New Yorkers exhibit their best when faced with a calamity - be it the elements of snow or rain, a power failure or the unforeseen attack of a cruel, faceless enemy. In a city that is known for its heartlessness, they rise to the occasion; exhibiting compassion and courage.This book testifies to those emotions. Being a New Yorker assumes more than a geographic label. It speaks to the millions of people who energize this great city. Their story is recorded in this series of 70 color and 20 black and white photographs.Magnum Photos, founded in 1947 by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, George Rodger and David "Chim" Seymour, is a cooperative of nearly sixty photographers. For the past half-century, Magnum photographers have worked for nearly every major publication in the world. This book continues that tradition.

The book is a suitable supplement to one's books on September 11.It contains few of the newspaper and magazine photographs that became the official historial record of the catastrophe. Instead, it features the work of free-lancers who had to work without the benefit of helicopters, film crews, and satellite imaging. The result is a startling portrait of the disaster's impact on spectators and the neighborhoods around New York.Magnum has captured the best photographs available anywhere of the actual ruins -- twisted steel and concrete, towering piles of rubble, nearby buildings shattered and on fire, streets buried in ash and singed paper. This advantage over other books came, perhaps, at an ethical cost: Photographers snuck past cordons and disobeyed police orders in order to capture the aftermath on film. The book doesn't say it, but some photographers (not necessarily those in the book) were arrested.This book doesn't contain the key photographs that came to define the event, but it's a more-than-worthy supplement to such a book. And it's a vivid reflection of the obstacles and opportunities that photojournalists encounter in covering breaking news.

I think that this book has all the potential in the world to be a very nice keepsake book, however, the publishers of these type works are usually too selective when putting out books like this. The pictures are great, but they leave out other key images of Sep. 11 that make the entire story work. There are also way too many words and not enough facts about that tragic day to really pull it al together. By the time I had finished the book, I didn't feel any different than when I picked it up. There was no conclusion and the images just didn't make the mood. I'd buy this book, but they certainly could have done better.

Awesome addition to my collection for retired Firefighter

I bought this book for my brother for Christmas and he was speechless as he looked through the incredible photos. The book was passed around during our Christmas eve family celebration and everyone was moved by the pictures. My sister kept remarking she should have known about this book because she would have given it for gifts, also. I particularly like the end of the book which shows photos of the Trade Center in its glory days and the true way we should remember it. I highly recommend this book. It is a keepsake, not just a coffee table piece.