Books like In the Shadow of No Towers by Art Spiegelman

In *In the Shadow of No Towers*, Pulitzer‑winning comics artist Art Spiegelman reflects on the September 11, 2001 attacks from his New York City home, where his family lived in the lower Manhattan area. The book recounts the immediate horrors witnessed by Spiegelman’s family—most notably his teenage daughter, who began school just below the towers days earlier—and then shifts to a broader critique of how the U.S. government leveraged the tragedy for political ends. Employing an oversized, two‑page‑spread layout reminiscent of early newspaper comics, Spiegelman uses stark drawings and concise text to convey the enormity of the event, the personal loss he endured, and the subtle, often hidden changes to American national security and democratic foundations that followed. His work blends personal anguish with outrage, provocation, and wit, offering a powerful visual essay on the lasting impact of 9/11.

First publish date: January 25, 2005