An Intimate Portrait, But No Real Answers
Operating on the assumption that the 9/11 attacks were perpetrated solely by foreign terrorists, with US intelligence officials being either negligent or incompetent in preventing the attacks, Breitweiser's "Wake Up Call" chronicles her efforts to bring about government accountability for the events of that day. Breitweiser's account of her courage in standing up to high powered Washington officials and media pundits was the best part of the book. However, she writes from the viewpoint of someone who has led a fairly sheltered existence; even after years of lobbying and campaigning, she still seems to possess a naivete regarding the inner workings of government operations and their control over the media. While she is clearly not a masterful or even capable author, most of her writing is easily accessible for the average reader. The main contention I have with her book is her tendency to repeat the same basic point many times within the space of a few pages; also, she appears to possess a sense of privelege and entitlement that becomes quite staggering at times. "Wake Up Call" provides an intimate portrait of a woman who lost her husband on 9/11; however, anyone wishing to seek some answers regarding the events which precipitated and followed 9/11 should look elsewhere.
