The Second Plane by Martin Amis

 In this work, Amis presents a collection of essays on 9/11- arguably one of the most momentous events of our time.

Perhaps it is unfair of me to be so harsh on Amis as I spent a great deal of my university career peering at terrorism through various lenses and courses.  I also lived 9/11 from a different perspective- that of an 8 year old and I was desperate to understand the event.  I have consumed a vast array of material on the subject of 9/11- everything from mass media, to firsthand accounts, to academic articles.

In this work, Amis attempts to provide answers and meaning to the events surrounding 9/11, but he appears to have no more than the most basic understanding of al-Qaeda (or other terrorist groups) ideology, little understanding of the history leading up to the events and even comes across as an Islamophobe.  He is clear to state that in fact he is not and that he is an Islamistmophobe, that is he is afraid of radical Islam.  The more I read, the more unsure of this I became.  I also read a couple of articles about the author after completion of the book and was unsurprised to see similar accusations cropping up again and again. 

Amis clearly has a gift for dramatic flair and a love of language as he proves over and over again with bizarre word choices not particularly suited to a work of non-fiction.  There are some speculative fiction pieces and passages interspersed within this work, which only serve to confuse the message Amis is trying to  present.  

Some of the pieces are reactionary, in particular The Second Plane written one week after the events of 9/11.  This was perhaps my favourite piece because it didn't try to insert an opinion.  It was a man, who like the rest of the world, was reeling with shock and trying to make sense of the new world he lived in.  

It is my opinion that this author should stick to what he knows- that is fiction, or ensure that he has a fuller grasp on a topic before asserting opinions.