A Diary Between Friends

On December 15, 2001 Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien presented to the United States ambassador a special presentation copy of a sumptuous book commemorating the outpouring of sympathy, support, and assistance offered by Canadians to their American friends in the immediate aftermath of the terrible events of September 11. On February 2, 2002 McClelland & Stewart Ltd., together with the Government of Canada and exclusive sponsor Alliance Atlantis, offers this book to people on both sides of the border. This is a superbly designed, full-colour coffee-table book containing brilliant photographs of the events immediately following the appalling terrorist strikes and a selection of emotion-laden letters, articles, and messages reflecting the heartfelt responses of Canadians from Vancouver to St. John s. The book is organized as a day-by-day chronicle. It shows in words and pictures what happened when hundreds of commercial airliners were unexpectedly grounded, stranding tens of thousands of people far from their homes. It shows the memorial services that were held everywhere, particularly on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, where 100,000 people gathered. It shows the steps that Canadians took, both as individuals (for example, by assisting in the work at Ground Zero), and as a nation (by mobilizing our armed forces). It has been remarked that the events of September 11 have had a positive effect by bringing out the best in people. Nowhere is this more evident than in the manifest demonstrations of friendship between Canadians and Americans since that consequential day. This superb volume is both a memorial to those lost and a celebration of the spirit shared by the survivors on both sides of the border."