The Price of Terror

by Jerry Adler and Allan Gerson

Book Overview

President Bill Clinton called it "an attack against America," but after Libyan agents planted a bomb aboard Pan Am Flight 103, killing 259 people in the air and 11 on the ground, America did not... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060197617
• ISBN13: 9780060197612
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Account of the Families Fight!

When you go to the airport, if a piece of baggage is not matched with a boarding passenger then it is removed from the cargo hold. If the passenger fails to board the plane, the luggage is supposed to removed from the plane. Unfortunately, Pan Am 103 was a symbol of security failures by a struggling airline that was trying to stay afloat. Pan Am was the star of the airline industry. Service was first rate and travel was a luxury that few were lucky to ride in style. I never flown Pan Am before it's end in 1991 after failed mismanagement and the Pan Am 103 disaster over Lockerbie, Scotland. People probably thought that once Pan Am was out of the airline industry, it would solve the problems. They couldn't be further from truth. Going to an airport is a harrowing ordeal even on just a domestic flight. The Price of Terror is a book about the price that the Families of Pan Am 103 wanted justice. Sadly, they never got the justice nor they ever will of what they deserved. This year, the only convicted one was released on compassionate appeal because he has prostate cancer. The Scottish government sent him home. Unfortunately, his release brought about outrage but not enough. The families have been hurting for 21 years. Last year was the 20th anniversary of the disaster, they were 259 people including crew and passengers aboard the Pan Am 747 Clipper Maid of the Seas. Sadly, none of the press was there to pay attention. The families of Pan Am 103 fought entirely to never let this happen again. Sadly, it happened on September 11, 2001. According the 9-11 documents, if they had followed the Pan Am 103 recommendations for security then a catastrophe could have been avoided on September 11, 2001. Maybe it was complacency or a false sense of security. The Families have never stopped fighting for justice and they should keep fighting. Aboard that flight was 35 college students from Syracuse University, there were families and couples going to New York City for Christmas and many going home for the holidays to be with their families, friends, and relatives. It was a trip that they would never make. They were robbed of going home and 11 people perished in Lockerbie, Scotland in their own homes. Life would never be the same for them or for us. Terrorism came to America and if we only paid attention sooner and listened earlier.

everyone needs to read this

This is an amazing book! The authors tell the story of the Pan Am 103 tragedy with sensitivity and intelligence, detailing the unfolding events in a particular time-sequenced pace that is as riveting and vivid as any film or painting. The families' expression of grief through art and self-sacrifice, and the authors' untiring search for justice over 12 years are the human elements that make this story immensely fascinating. "The Price of Terror" chronicles modern terorism and puts it into historical perspective, and the courage and spirit of these people make this a book not to be missed. Everyone needs to read this!!!

The Price of Terror: A valuable lesson

Adler and Gerson have crafted a compelling tale that investigates the wake of horrors left by the crash of Pan Am 103. It is never less than riveting in its fluid writing style and compassionate exploration of the travails of the victims' families. Gerson is obviously a committed and passionate advocate for the rights of victims of terrorism, and Adler, a well-known figure at Newsweek, has written with his usual flair for interweaving the telling personal details that make the story come vibrantly to life. The writing is vivid and the story gripping. This book stands out in a crowd of recent works about terrorism that have been rushed to market after September 11.

Wisdom in a Time of Chaos

Gerson and Adler combine forces to create a truly informative and compelling book. In this time of confusion, the wisdom provided by the events covered in "The Price of Terror" lends answers to seemingly unanswerable questions. This book shows that there are lessons to be learned from what happened with Pan Am flight 103 and the Oklahoma City bombings. In lieu of September 11th this is a must-read for families and communities wondering how to cope with the recent tragedies.

an apt book for today's crumbling world

While one might think that this book is simply about the Pan Am 103 families' quest for justice, it is about much much more. It is about the human spirit in times of sorrow, a theme which is especially important after September 11. While some parts are solemn, the book ends on a hopeful note with lessons for us all. It teaches us what was done in the past, and teaches us that we can fight terror individualy. It is truly an amazing book and is also quite simply a fascinating story. I recomend this book to every single American citizen, and any other, because if we all read this book, we would be at a different level of peace and understanding, motivation and hope. I not only recomend reading this book, I beg you to read this book and to give it your children, and their children to read and learn.