"ATTA" By Jarett Kobek

Semiotext(e) 978-1-58435-106-1

In the end I think Jarett Kobek's "Atta" is the only book one really needs to read regarding September 11.  It's a tragic and sad tale.   Atta was one of the key figures who was the "soldier" or "Terrorist" who flew the plane into one of the towers on that clear September day.  Which I hope by the way, over time, that date becomes just a date and not a memory of the incident, that opened up Pandora's Box of 21st Century tragedies - Iraq War, etc and etc.

Atta, by all means a close-minded fellow, is repulsed and fascinated by American culture.  For me, the most interesting part of this narrative is his thoughts on Walt Disney and one of his films.  He saw it with his fellow thugs, and was totally repulsed by what he saw on the screen.  When they started to have articles in the media about Atta, I remember the Disney fixation and how that sort of became a focus of sorts.  Kobek did an excellent job in getting into Atta's head, especially his thoughts on architecture as well as popular media and the Urban Landscape, both his home in Egypt as well as in the U.S./Europe.     It's amazing how suspenseful the book is, especially we know the narrative already.  This handsomely designed little book is an important work, yet depressing.  But one has to go through the pain (at times) to get to a truth of some sort.   Essential book!