Report from Ground Zero

By: Dennis Smith

Narrated by: Eric Conger, Jeff David, Don Leslie

Immediately after two hijacked jets struck the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Dennis Smith volunteered in the rescue effort. Having spent his career as both a respected writer and a member of one of the city's busiest firehouses, Smith became determined to use his unique background to tell the story of the disaster and its aftermath with the empathy and understanding that only an insider could bring to it.

Smith has collected astonishing first-person testimony from rescuers who were present as the towers were attacked, evacuated, and then fell. He also recounts his own experiences at the devastation of Ground Zero over the next few weeks: attending to the physically and psychologically wounded, helping organize fund-raising, and attending some of the almost inconceivable number of funerals of firefighters, police officers, and emergency rescue workers.

Report from Ground Zero is the most detailed and immediate record of this unforgettable event, with the unique perspective of a writer who has been praised as "the poet laureate of firefighters".

©2002 Dennis Smith. Recorded by arrangement with Viking Penguin, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc. (P)2002 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"The narrators recreate these emotional interviews with accounts of the horror suffered by these survivors while simultaneously revealing their unselfish acts of heroism under the extreme conditions of war on our own soil. With dignity and respect, the narratives reveal heartbroken yet courageous individuals who instinctively manifested a fighting spirit of good vs. evil, as well as love for their fellow humans. This is a tragic yet inspirational testimony well performed in light of the still fresh memory." (AudioFile)

Excellent about it unspeakable terror

Fantastic telling of the World orld Trade Center 911 before during and after. The World changed counties went to war. All dead just for greed to continue at the top.

Gut wrenching

No words can really describe my impressions of this story. It took extra time because I’d have to stop to compose myself between chapters or sections. The author, a former firefighter and now a writer, did a magnificent job.

A Beautiful tribute

This book is wonderful - and puts you in the middle of the recovery effort.

Gut Wrenching Intensity Well written

A collection of first person accounts of the events after the WTC attack written by a member of the NYFD and previiously published author. Includes accounts of others.

All these years later this book rekindles the intensity of the tragedy of the attacks on the World Trade Center. Although most is the recollections of the author, it includes other first person accounts.

The book is not about who to blame, how it might have been prevented but rather focuses on what happened that day and the many days that followed as the NYFD dealt with both the destruction and fires and then the massive loss of life of their brother firefighters and police in the collapse of the twin towers and the following efforts to absorb the losses and sift through the rubble for their lost teammates.

The narration of the Audiobook version was excellent . HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Moving, contemporaneous account

written soon after the events of 9/11, this narrative includes small details that I, 20 years later, had forgotten. I think my biggest critique is that the narrator was a bit melodramatic in his reading. But, having never heard Dennis Smith speak (RIP) maybe that is how he would have delivered it if he had narrated his own work