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Title: The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland
ISBN: 0060559713
Author:
Jim Defede
Publicate Date: 2003-09-01
Publish: 2003-09-01
List Price: $14.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $6.24
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $4.00
Amazon Merchant Price: $10.17
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Fascinating, uplifting story, but poorly written
I read this book on the heels of Chris Rose's "1 Dead in Attic: After Katrina." Chris Rose mentions this book toward the end of his, and I thought reading a positive story would be a good balance after reading the details of post-Katrina New Orleans. The story of 9/11 and the people of Gander, Newfoundland is fascinating and uplifting, but the book itself is poorly written. Perhaps it is because the author is a reporter, but the emotional impact that should have been there just wasn't. The sentence structure and word choices made me think I was reading an elementary school student's report on what happened rather than a professional's rendition. Had the content of the tale not been so wonderful, I'd have given this book even a lower star rating. I rarely think a movie is better than a book, but in this case, I kept wishing for a movie version.
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2: Tales of the Newfies' unsurpassed hospitality after 9/11
Over 6,000 diverted passengers disembarked in Gander, Newfoundland on Sept. 11, 2001. Various newspaper accounts (most notably the Wall Street Journal) have told the tale of the Newfies' unsurpassed hospitality in the week that followed. Here, Jim DeFede does a nice job collecting the personal experiences of 180 individuals involved in events in Gander that week. We hear from passengers, pilots, Gander air traffic controllers, town mayors, school principals and the townsfolk who put their lives on hold to help out.
As a slice of life story, this is nice reading. As a historical accounting, this is not the place to come. This book cries out for a map. I just finished Peter Robb's A Death in Brazil: A Book of Omissions. A big part of what made that book work was a Alex Snellgrove's excellent hand-drawn maps in which all places mentioned in Robb's text are noted on the maps. See a place mentioned...flip to the map...flip back to the text. Works great. Would have worked here. Also, I'd have liked an appendix with some stats - a list of the flights by carrier, flight number, number of passengers, origination and intended destination. That would have been a very useful addition to the narrative.
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3: The Day he World Came to Town:9/11 in Gander, Newfoundlan
Most amazing book I've read. Most Americans were unaware that all of incomming flights at the time of the bombings were diverted to the nearest airports not within USA borders. This story is wonderful and shows how the human race really cares about one another. It was hard to put down.
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4: I'm joining the crowd - cheers to Gander!
So many reviews have been written about this book, I'm not sure I can add anything that hasn't already been said. But I'd like to try! This is a very heartwarming book, in the best (almost unbelieveable) way. People didn't just go out of their way to help stranded travellers on 9/11 and in the days following, they gave up their linens, their food, their homes...and this is in a depressed area with a 16% unemployment rate. Each and every resident jumped in to give their all, staying up all night to cook (and, in one case, just sitting up to watch over people while they slept, in case they felt insecure). Businesses gave up inventory. Drivers turned over their cars to complete strangers. School bus drivers, who were on strike, poured in to drive anyone and everyone. No effort was too large or too small for these generous people. When someone was disappointed that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police didn't actually wear the uniforms that are so well known, a local RCMP officer got permission from his superiors to don the duds and had his picture taken with thrilled travellers. Although written in a plain, straight-forward style, this book holds up well. I read it when it was first published, and just re-read it today. It feels just as good now as it did then! It's all about the people - they're simply the best!
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5: The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland
This book tells a memorable story of how people cope and reach out to others in a time of crisis. It also makes you want to discover Newfoundland for yourself. If you need a uplifting view of the world, this book is a must read.
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