LIBRARY JOURNAL

THE GROUND TRUTH:
The Untold Story of America Under Attack on 9/11
By John Farmer

What we think we know about 9/11 and what really happened are two different things, according to this new book by the former senior counsel to the 9/11 Commission. As someone who helped write the best-selling 9/11 Commission Report , Farmer now asserts that not only was the official version put forth by the government inaccurate but also that it conveyed a false sense of security. Using recently declassified and released sources, Farmer blends legal and political expertise to paint a startling revised picture of 9/11. Telling the story in successively decreasing units of time, he builds suspense and creates a compelling albeit disturbing narrative. The "ground truth" about what really happened should help us realize a second, more far-reaching truth: unless we correct serious systemic failures in our governmental organizations and operations, we will be doomed to repeat errors in future human-made (or natural) disasters.

VERDICT: This book sheds new light on the events surrounding 9/11 and the role of government in handling crises and also serves as a rallying cry for change. Essential. [See Prepub Alert, LJ  5/1/09.]-Leslie Lewis, Duquesne Univ. Lib., Pittsburgh

Farmer, John. The Ground Truth: The Untold Story of America Under Attack on 9/11. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA) . Sept. 2009. c.320p. index. ISBN 978-1-59448-894-8 . $26.95. POL SCI

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