In my 2004 book, Turbulent Skies, I wrote, "Maybe someday someone will write about the incredible actions of the flight crews on the morning of September 11, 2001." This wish began to manifest in the 10th year after 9/11 when I had an overwhelming sensation that I should undertake this quest myself. In my first year of writing, as I researched and wrote, my body would chill, and I would cry. Once an article was finished, I could hardly get up out of my chair. I truly felt like I was on the planes with the crews. I knew if I ...
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In my 2004 book, Turbulent Skies, I wrote, "Maybe someday someone will write about the incredible actions of the flight crews on the morning of September 11, 2001." This wish began to manifest in the 10th year after 9/11 when I had an overwhelming sensation that I should undertake this quest myself. In my first year of writing, as I researched and wrote, my body would chill, and I would cry. Once an article was finished, I could hardly get up out of my chair. I truly felt like I was on the planes with the crews. I knew if I was to continue, I had to control all that emotion. The book's focus initially was on the flight crews. But as I wrote, it became so much more. The reader will learn how the air traffic controllers cleared the skies, how Canada responded by handling all the incoming international flights, and how the failures of the FAA, the FBI, the CIA, and the airlines allowed this attack to take place. I realized that September 11th could have been even more disastrous had it not been for the actions of those brave crew members and little miracles that occurred that day. I also realized how it might have been prevented if the crews had been properly trained and informed about the threat they were facing. The book further examines how political forces changed the priorities for counter terrorism, and also impeded the examination of how the attacks could happen. These political forces were challenged by four New Jersey widows who got the 9/11 hearings approved. Finally, this book examines the aftermath of the attack, and how it forever changed the airline profession and added significant restrictions on traveling public.
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The Forgotten by Barbara Dorger is a deep dive into one of the most tragic events of modern American History- 9/11. Countless volumes have been written about this awful day, but Dorger has taken a different approach than any other book.
Dorger approaches 9/11 with an often overlooked perspective, that of the aircrews who were serving that fateful day. Dorger was a flight attendant on the day of the attack, and in her book, she gives us a fascinating insight into how it would have been for the crews of the planes that went down that day.
For most of the book, Dorger focuses on the perspective of flight crews and other aviation workers before, during, and after 9/11. However, Dorger isn't just focused on the attack itself but on the failures within her industry that let it happen. She then highlights the plight of the aviation workers who, through layoffs and downsizing post-9/11, were left out in the cold as their industry struggled to recover.
Later on, in the book Dorger widens her scope. She gives brief but detailed histories of the major intelligence agencies involved in investigating 9/11 and airline security procedures and regulation/ deregulation. In addition, she interviews flight attendants who had served on the flights leading up to 9/11 that had had the future bombers onboard. In these chapters, Dorger paints a troubling picture where their airlines and government counterintelligence ignored front-line flight workers' concerns.
This is not to say that Dorger's work is all finger-pointing. She also highlights the heroism and good that came from the day. In addition, she spends time praising other countries' responses to the tragedy, and the solidarity America received from its allies.
But at its heart, this book is a tribute to the flight crews who lost their lives that day. She highlights how her colleagues, even when they knew they were going to die, kept their cool and stayed professional. Their cool heads helped prevent other hijackings that day. The Forgotten isn't for everyone. But for anyone wanting to learn more about what happened during 9/11, The Forgotten is worth a read. Dorger's years of experience in the industry and thorough research shine through.
