American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center

Mr. Langewiesche talked about his book American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center, published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux. The book is his account of the manpower that went into removing the remains of the collapsed buildings at “Ground Zero.” The author gives a detailed account of precisely how the two towers collapsed, the erecting of barriers around the rubble, and the excavation in the days and months after September 11, 2001. Mr. Langewiesche also talked about the people involved in the cleanup effort, such as David Griffin. A demolition expert, Mr. Griffin drove from North Carolina and bluffed his way into Ground Zero and quickly became an authority at the site. During the presentation, a group of more than 150 New York City firefighters protested outside. According to news reports, the group was protesting the author’s claims of looting at Ground Zero. After the presentation the author answered questions from members of the audience. close