The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were a symbol of New York City - of its dynamic energy and vital importance in international commerce. Thousands of lives were lost when the towers were destroyed on September 11th, 2001. This book pays homage to the creative talent that made possible this extraordinary structure by showing a huge selection of photographs of the Twin Towers from their building to their tragic destruction, and looks to the future in a hopeful way by going beyond the catastrophe to show the future prospects for Ground Zero and the architectural projects that will bring new life to the entire area. AUTHOR: Peter Skinner has a degree in modern history from Oxford University. A long-time resident of Greenwich Village, he witnessed both the building and destruction of the World Trade Center. Skinner specializes in New York City affairs, writing and editing material for federal, state and city agencies and for many universities in the New York region. He is the author of a prize-winning guidebook focuses on the interests and needs of business executives relocating to the city. Mike Wallace, co-author of the Pulitzer-Prize winning Gotham: A History of New York City to1898, is Distinguished Professor of History at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (City University of New York). He is also Director of the Gotham Center for New York City History at the CUNY Graduate School. Giorgio Tartaro works with the Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Treccani in Rome, and writes for the architecture magazine, Domus. ILLUSTRATIONS: 175 colour photographs *