Rating: 
Summary: Excellent human interest story
Review: As the author indicated in the beginning of the book, this was not meant to be a book about plane crashes per se, he was interested in exploring the human interest side of the story. He did a great job.NINE MINUTES, TWENTY SECONDS is a gripping, almost minute-by-minute account of the fateful flight of ASA 529 heading for Gulfport, MS from Atlanta, GA. Pomerantz brings you into the lives of the 29 (26 passengers and 3 crew members) on board that commuter plane. His background work into these individuals inject an important prelude towards the account of the actual crash, helping the reader feel for these people instead of treating them as statistics. Even the cause of the crash (a faulty propeller blade) is given a very personal touch, beginning with the technician at the factory who was responsible for inspecting the blade prior to its being put in use on the plane. The official NTSB investigation and final verdict are also included, just enough to satisfy the reader's curiousity without going too detailed as to lose sight of the actual focus of the narrative. Ultimately, Pomerantz succeeded in crafting a wonderfully touching work about the strength and nature (both good and bad) of humanity in times of crisis. Since this book was written years after the crash, Pomerantz was able to provide the reader with updates on the lives of the survivors and how the incident has changed their outlook in many aspects. This might not be the book to read if you're looking to read about plane crashes in general, or books that would provide a lot of technical details. It is almost entirely about the individual people that made up the passenger and crew list of flight ASA 529. If you're interested in reading something that would stay with you long after you're done, this is it. I started this book earlier during an afternoon, and finished it late at night. And after I did, I went to bed, and hugged the one I love.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderfull Telling of the Story
Review: Everything you ever wanted to know about a plane crash and more. This book takes you from the guy who performed the bit of work that went bad to the crew and then to the rescue personnel. Everybody chimes in on the book through the author, and he does a wonderful job of pulling all of the stories together into one account that could be one of the better ones of this type of book. The most gripping account for me was the period from the engine issue to the crash, and after the crash to getting out of the plane. The author does such a great job with the descriptive writing that you can see the people, the fire, the whole scene, you can feel the tension and you really experience the fear. The surprise for me that the book was for the most part a positive reading experience. We learn about the unfortunate people that do not survive, but there is so much more to the story. The author takes us through event after event of average people doing wonderful, heroic and kind things that put a smile on your face. There are just so many people in the story that are trying to help that you do not get hung up on the person that steps on and over someone to get out of the plane. This is a great book that goes by so fast you will be upset that there are not more pages.
Rating:
Summary: Read this book
Review: Gripping, touching, absorbing, Gary Pomerantz's story of ASA Flight 529 is not to be missed. You'll want to savor the meticulous reporting and poignant tales, but that's a tall order. It's just damn hard to put this finely written book down. The pages will just fly by. This should be a top priority for anyone looking for an exciting and, at times, emotional summer read.
Rating:
Summary: Perfectly written
Review: I am a Flight Attendant, so I read any book I can related to this subject matter. The events are usually written from a technical standpoint. However, I soon discovered that this book was very different. Mr. Pomerantz brought incredible humility and heroism to this story - he lent a voice that allowed us to understand that kind of toll that this took on all involved, rather than the toll it took on the airplane. I applaud the bravery of each and every person involved in this tragedy and am very happy that Mr. Pomerantz allowed these people to have their story told in such a dignified manner. Don't pass this up.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Story of Heroes!!
Review: I bought this book in early Sept. after "The Today Show" named it one of the fall's top books (with "Black House" by Stephen King & Peter Straub, Nancy Milford's biography of Edna St.Vincent Millay, etc.) After Sept. 11th, I waited several weeks to begin reading this: a plane crash story seemed too hard to take on. But I must say, this book made me feel better about life and old-fashioned goodness, and it made me understand Sept. 11th in a new way. The stories in this book about the two pilots, the flight attendant and a young passenger named Jennifer Grunbeck made me understand what real heroes are made of. Their courage reminded me of New York city's firefighters and the passengers on United Flight 93. This book is filled with courage, optimism and hope. It's even more important to read now after Sept. 11th. I loved it!!
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Story of Heroes!!
Review: I bought this book in early Sept. after "The Today Show" named it one of the fall's top books (with "Black House" by Stephen King & Peter Straub, Nancy Milford's biography of Edna St.Vincent Millay, etc.) After Sept. 11th, I waited several weeks to begin reading this: a plane crash story seemed too hard to take on. But I must say, this book made me feel better about life and old-fashioned goodness, and it made me understand Sept. 11th in a new way. The stories in this book about the two pilots, the flight attendant and a young passenger named Jennifer Grunbeck made me understand what real heroes are made of. Their courage reminded me of New York city's firefighters and the passengers on United Flight 93. This book is filled with courage, optimism and hope. It's even more important to read now after Sept. 11th. I loved it!!
Rating:
Summary: An Uplifting Story of True Heroism
Review: I have lived in Carroll County all of my life, so I was familiar with the tragic incident that happened so close to my home. I had no idea, though, of the heroism and bravery that took place minutes before the plane hit the ground. Mr. Pomerantz tells a wonderfully uplifting story of how a tragedy can bring the best out of people. While the story is told from many of the passengers and rescuers perspectives, the theme is the same - the overwhelming desire to help others. During this traumatic time in our country, it enriches the soul to hear the stories of these survivors.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Nearly As Good As "Crash"
Review: I must admit that I was more than a little disappointed in this book. It is very similar in structure and plot as the 1978 book, Crash, by Rob Elder. That book covered the story behind the 1972 crash of an Eastern Airlines L-1011. If you are interested in this subject matter, I recommend trying to dig up a copy of Crash from a used book store.
Rating: 
Summary: A very fast read with a lot of tension
Review: I'll admit it. I have a thing about airplane crashes. Whenever I hear about one, I try to find out whatever I can about it. I have flown many miles over the years and have never encoutered anything worse than strong turbulence. But I've often wondered how I would react if I were ever a passenger on an airliner that was in trouble. "Nine Minutes and Twenty Seconds" gives a chilling account of what people experience when a plane has a severe malfunction and they have time to think about what could happen to them. The title of this book reflects the amount of time ASA Flight 529 experienced a broken propeller blade causing severe structural damage to one wing until the plane's impact in a field in Georgia. You get the points of view of several survivors, what they felt, what they saw and what they had to go through after the impact, including long hospitalization and rehabilitation. You see the courage of people to help others when their own lives are at stake. You see the courage of a flight attendant who doesn't melt down at the moment of truth. You see the anger of people who don't think that flight attendant did enough. You see pilots trying desparately to control a dying aircraft and get it to an airport, any airport, to no avail. It is absolutely chilling to read. I give the book four stars instead of five because, selfishly, I wanted more. Throughout the book, the author does mention all of the passengers who were on the plane, but it would have been nice to learn more about these people. I'm sure that families of those who did not survive the crash may have declined to talk about it because it was too painful and those who survived may have felt the same way, so that may have been asking a lot of the author. I will say that I am a plodding reader and I read this in about six hours in one day. It goes by quickly. A must read for frequent fliers.
Rating:
Summary: The most powerful book I've read in years.
Review: I've just finished reading this book--I read the entire book in one sitting, pausing only to breathe deeply, to shovel food into my mouth, and to wipe the tears from eyes. The first half of the book--in which the reader is right there in the plane during the nine-plus minutes when these 29 people know their plane is going down and each reacts differently--is among the most gripping and compelling prose I've ever read, akin to the best sections of Into Thin Air. But ultimately this book is about so much more than simply a plane crash--it's a psychologically illuminating, real-life drama about ordinary people and how they behave in extraordinary circumstances. Most of us have wondered what we would do to survive a life-threatening situation: How would I conduct myself--would I try to save others in need or only myself? Would others try to save me? How would I be affected by what I experience? Judging by what is revealed in this book, the answers are astonishingly, even upliftingly, optimistic. This book speaks as powerfully about our capacity to care for others as it does about the strength of our will to live, and I found it to be among the richest and most rewarding books I've ever read.
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