Heroes of 9/11 is a short book written by Allan Zullo that summarizes, mainly through interviews with survivors, the events of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. It was first published in 2010 under a slightly different title. This edition was updated in 2026 to mark the 25th Anniversary of the attacks. In it, Zullo lays out the events of the day with a short introduction that summarizes what occurred, then goes on to tell the story of various people (who were mostly involved in the NY portion of the events), such as NYFD Captain Jay Jonas, Port Authority Police Officer David Lim, and paramedic Chuck Sereika. The portion of the book devoted to the attack at the Pentagon is much shorter, but details events from the perspective of Colonel Phillip McNair, Captain David Thomas, and Lieutenant Commander David Tarantino. The final chapter details, as much as possible, what occurred on Flight 93. In the 2026 version, Zullo updates readers on the people he originally interviewed, letting them know where they are now and how their lives have changed over the last 25 years.
The book is available only in paperback and is very short, at just over 180 pages. If you read quickly, you can finish it in a day or two. If you've watched most credible documentaries about 9/11 or read many credible books, you will know some of the information in the book; however, it includes details I (as someone who falls into both categories) haven't heard of or read before. It provides a very detailed perspective on some of the chaos people in the middle of the events experienced that day, and it can be harrowing in parts. About 70% of the book focuses on the NY portion of the attacks, and the chapter on Flight 93 covers the last 15 pages. Overall, the book is very good and can be emotionally heavy at times. It does not provide an exhaustive account of the day's events, but it offers a strong summary and gives readers a sense of what people caught up in the chaos experienced. Ultimately, it is absolutely worth reading.
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