The Day the World Came to Town belongs to a nonfiction genre that explores the impact of September 11 from various viewpoints, both within and beyond the sites of the tragedy. The purpose of these books is to explore how individuals and communities experienced and responded to events rather than how governments and militaries did. In doing so, these books focus attention on the intimate and personal, highlighting human rather than political perspectives.

Other notable books in this genre include The Red Bandana: A Life, a Choice, a Legacy by Tom Rinaldi, 102 Minutes by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn, and Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog & the Triumph of Trust by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory. The Red Bandana tells the story of Welles Crowther, a volunteer firefighter who worked in finance on the 104th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center (WTC). Crowther is believed to have died in the tower’s collapse after rescuing many people who identified him as “the man in the red bandana” (3). As a child, Crowther received a red bandana from his father that he kept with him ever since.