Who isn't aware of the September 11th attack? Or the profound effect it had on the peoples of the world. Especially the people of New York City.

They're the ones who not only had to watch it happening live, but they had to suffer loses, live through the depressing aftermath and pull themselves back from the brink of disaster as well.

The one man who has been credited with rescuing the city and resurrecting it was Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani. The man never did hide away in this office while he gave the orders to the rescue team. He was right there on ground zero, in and around the city, doing all that he could to salvage New York. And make it the pride of the country once more.

Giuliani had been commissioned to write a book or two about the part he played during testing times. His first book is called Leadership.

In this book he doesn't quite stress on the divine intervention that he spoke about in his various media interviews. Earlier he felt he had been prepared for a catastrophe of this magnitude by the guiding hand of God.

But he doesn't say so quite so explicitly in his book. Though he hints at it indirectly. The main theme in this book is obviously the attack and its aftermath. The most traumatic event New York City has ever lived through.

In Leadership, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani tells a gripping story. He comes across as a much gentler person than the New Yorkers have known for years. There is no information in the book that the media hasn't already given us. But the Mayor's perspective comes across poignantly. This was the man the whole city turned to in their hour of grief.

The story is well told and interesting right till the end. It not only tells us how to cope with trauma, but is also interspersed with dry humour all through.

Well worth a read.

Alamelu Gopalswamy

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