Names of the Dead - A Book Review

October 25, 2010

While browsing some of our books, I happened across one called Names of the Dead. The title alone intrigued me, so I picked it up to see what it was about. As the title implies, the book lists the names of the dead from the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. But it is more than just a list, Names of the Dead tells stories — the stories of the people who died that day. Next to many of the names are short descriptions of who they were, or what was going on in their lives. Interspersed throughout the names in the book, the author tells the stories of why certain people boarded the ill-fated flights, and what distinguishing features they had, among many other things. It is a touching memorial to who those people were.

 Excerpts from the book:

"Daniel Thomas Afflitto Jr. Expectant father. On September 11, his first child, a boy, was six months old. On September 12, his wife found out she was pregnant with their second child. The baby, a boy, was born on May 20, 2002."

"Joseph J. Angelini Sr., firefighter, Rescue Company 1. Joseph J. Angelini Jr., firefighter, Ladder 4. Father and son. Joseph Sr. was the most veteran firefighter in New York City, with forty years on the job."

"September 11 was his last day of work before his wedding on the weekend; his fiancee worked for the same company but she stayed home on Tuesday to complete the wedding preparations."

Andrew M.
Midwest Genealogy Center