Ash and Honor by Jeffrey Robinson

ASH AND HONOR by Jeffrey Robinson details “The Untold 368 Minutes of 9/11.” Robinson, a prolific non-fiction writer, offers over sixty eyewitness accounts, all while describing the confusion and uncertainty of that eventful day. Because of all of the acronyms and bureaucracy involved this text is difficult to follow at times, but it is well-researched and brings up aspects of which few may be aware. The description of getting all of those planes out of the air and subsequently finding box cutters on some after they landed gave me goosebumps. Publishers Weekly calls ASH AND HONOR “a valuable record of bureaucracies and chains of command operating under extreme pressure” and that does seem to be Robinson’s main focus. Look also for other books related to 9/11 if your interests differ.

I am grateful that we collected so many contemporary works (such as Understanding September 11 by Mitch Frank and the Poynter Institute for Media Studies’ Collection of Front Pages) so that they could be available for future student research. We also have numerous works of young adult fiction related to 9/11. And the public library offers several relevant documentary videos through the Kanopy platform. Two items on my own to-be-read list are The Only Plane in the Sky by Graff and The Day the World Came to Town by Defede (also commemorated in the musical Come From Away currently playing in Austin). Despite the sad subject, the passing of twenty-five years deserves a respectful remembrance.