The 9/11 Commission Report
This formal report is the output of the official commission investigating the events of September 11. It was established in November 2002 and this report has been two years in the making. Unlike most official reports, it is well written and clear. It focuses on facts and manages to avoid prejudicial findings.
The report starts with how events transpired on that day and a blow by blow account of how different parties responded. It provides a timeline and lays out an orderly account of the details. After reading this, the images of exploding airplanes and collapsing buildings start to make sense.
The most interesting part of this report is the complete background leading up to the attacks. It gave a detailed investigation of the decade before the attacks and how events occuring in the Middle East led to the rise of Al Qaida and terrorism. Based on accounts by thousands, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the attack now in US custody, the report describes how the attacks were planned and executed.
This report ends with recommendations, some of which are being implemented today. Biometric identification being introduced in airports, extended tracking of terrorist financing, and the reorganisation of intelligence agencies - these are some of the few recommendations that the report makes. This report will clearly affect the shape of the world we live in tomorrow.