[.ca] The World Trade Center: A Tribute (ISBN 0762413158)

The Best Tribute So Far:
This is easily the best of the WTC tributes out so far since it covers (in words and pictures) not just recent events but the whole history of the WTC (and the adjacent plaza and buildings) from its planning before the 1964 World's Fair through its 7-year construction to the tragedy of 9/11. The pictures don't just capture the obvious Hudson River-view of the Twin Towers but the courtyards, the corridors, the shops, and the observation deck and visitor's center. There is coverage of the 1993 bombing, the 1974 "Human Fly" episode, the late-'70's tightrope walk between the Towers, and, of course, 1976's "King Kong" filming -- everything that made the WTC an essential part of the Big Apple. A nice tribute to a never-to-be-forgotten landmark.

Excellent history and illustrations in a concise volume!:
I've surveyed or browsed or reviewed about 20 items relating to the World Trade Center attacks and this is among the top three that I can recommend. It's a "slim volume," to borrow a cliche that book collectors use, but what's inside is an excellent illustrated history of the Twin Towers, supplemented by wonderfully chosen photographs, all laid out in sequential order, leading up to that fateful day in September. Most of the other books in this "category" are truly "tributes," filled with emotionally-laden text and images designed to pull the heart strings. This one, despite being called a "tribute," is in fact, a handy summation of history and pictures that places the Towers in their proper context. You're moved, but you're also getting terrific information about an "icon" that we didn't know was an "icon" until it was destroyed. It's the story about two buildings we took for granted -- criticizing and disliking them -- until they were taken from America forever. Now the ground beneath it is sacred. I'm not knocking the other "tributes," but it seems that a lot of them contain too much or too little -- some have almost zero text, and those with pictures -- are just different views of the same thing. There is a "straight-ahead" style to this book that betrays its title -- yes, it's a "tribute," but it doesn't feel like a "rush to market" item like the others that have been offered in the last month -- just in time, in kind of a dark way, for Hanukkah or Christmas. The other books I can now recommend are: "One Nation," by the editors of Life Magazine -- and "September 11, 2001: A Record of Tragedy, Heroism and Hope," by the editors of New York Magazine. Buy these three books for your PERMANENT library and simply browse through the others at your local bookstore before you buy.

Exactly What I Was Looking For:
This book is exactly what I was looking for. Before September 11th, I couldn't have told you which buildings made up the World Trade Center. "A Tribute" gives the reader a history of the World Trade Center and the surrounding area, with rich photographs and maps. It's filled with interesting information about what went in to the planning and building of the WTC. The focus is not on 9/11. I recommend this book.

A tribute to the World Trade Center, Beyond the Tragedy:
It's been over seven months now since we all witnessed the senseless tragedy of the attack on the WTC. For the longest time, I have been able to look at photographs of ground zero. It just makes my stomach turn. I have never been to New York City and my knowledge about the Twin Towers was limited to what was reported on during the 9/11 event. This book is excellent for those who wish to understand the full history behind the towers - beginning in the 1800's with the settling of the area of Manhattan all the way through the end - when the towers were attacked. I felt like giving some history to the buildings and the area where it was located added something that I was missing during the entire media coverage. The photographs are beautiful and tasteful. I would highly recommend that you add this book to your collection. It's something that you can look through many years from now and be transported back to significant piece of our American history.

A good history of the towers and New York:
I haven't finished it yet, but it basically gives the history of how skyscrapers came to be in New York, and eventually evolved into the World Trade Center. Only the last part of the book deals with 9/11, and it's clear that this book was put together pretty soon after the tragedy. I think it came out within a couple of months of 9/11. But nonetheless, it's an interesting, easy read for anyone who wants to learn about the towers and their evolution and meaning to the city.