by Steven Brill
First published 2003
Steven Brill examines how the United States responded during the twelve months following the September 11 attacks. He documents the nation's efforts to process collective trauma while building new defenses against terrorism. Brill moves between the White House situation room and Capitol Hill meeting rooms, showing how political leaders shaped policy in crisis mode. He enters Red Cross headquarters as officials coordinate relief efforts and visits military facilities where soldiers prepare for new kinds of warfare. The book also follows ordinary Americans in their homes as they navigate daily life under changed circumstances. Brill reveals a country caught between mourning its losses and mobilizing for an uncertain future, showing how institutions and individuals alike struggled to balance security concerns with preserving democratic values.
Genres: history, politics, non-fiction, 21st-century, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: crisis-mode, institutional-struggle
Setting: White House, Capitol Hill, Red Cross, United States
Period: September 11, 12 Months After
736 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster