Following the lives of heroes, victims, and terrorists, "New York Times" journalist Bernstein weaves a complex tale of a multitude of lives colliding in conflagration on the fateful morning of September 11, 2001.

We saw people jumping -- Peshawar, the office of services -- We're due for something -- Young man from Saudi Arabia -- Glick and Jarrah, an open life and a closed one -- Terrorism arrives in America -- Harry Ramos and Victor Wald, the courage of strangers -- In time of war there is no death -- Yeneneh Betru, medicine for the neediest -- Cell in Hamburg -- John Ogonowski, salt of the earth -- While America slept -- Richard A. Penney, project renewal -- Commandos in America -- Peter J. Ganci, born to fight fires -- Terrorists stay one step ahead -- Like a knife into a gift-wrapped box -- Protect the White House at all costs -- We had a lot of dying and fire up there -- Towers come down -- Nation suspended -- Aftermath -- Afterword -- Notes -- Acklowledgements -- Index.