The Only Plane in the Sky Audiobook By Garrett M. Graff cover art

The Only Plane in the Sky

An Oral History of September 11, 2001

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The Only Plane in the Sky

By: Garrett M. Graff
Narrated by: full cast
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A 2020 Audiobook of the Year Audie Award Winner!

A 2020 Multi-Voiced Performance Audie Award Winner!

Audio bonus! The audio edition includes an exclusive interview with Garrett Graff and Holter Graham as well as archival audio from United States presidential addresses, in-flight communications, and air traffic control.

Now with a new afterword, Garrett M. Graff’s instant New York Times best seller The Only Plane in the Sky, the comprehensive oral history of September 11, 2001 called “history as its most immediate and moving” (Jon Meacham) and “remarkable...a priceless civic gift” (The Wall Street Journal).

Hailed as “remarkable...incredibly evocative and compelling” (The Washington Post) and “oral history at its finest” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), Garrett M. Graff’s The Only Plane in the Sky is the most vivid and human portrait of the September 11 attacks yet, comprised of never-before-published transcripts, recently declassified documents, and original interviews and stories from nearly 500 government officials, first responders, witnesses, survivors, friends, and family members. Here is a vivid, profound, and searing portrait of humanity on a day that changed the course of history and all of our lives.

©2019 Garrett M. Graff (P)2019 Simon & Schuster Americas Freedom & Security Military Politics & Government State & Local Terrorism United States War & Crisis Aviation Heartfelt Thought-Provoking Inspiring Government Air Force

Critic reviews

"The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 is a book exquisitely suited to audio format, a detailed cataloging of hundreds of personal stories, read by actors and culled from 5,000 oral histories conducted and archived around the country.... We hear from first responders, office workers in the twin towers, people traumatized by witnessing falling bodies.... Unlike many works of history, The Only Plane in the Sky, a mountain of indelible anecdotes, does not feel like a novel. It feels, instead, like dozens that ought to be written." (The New York Times Book Review)

Featured Article: In the Oral Histories of 9/11, Grief, Hope, and Heroism Find a Voice


Memories passed down through storytelling have been a vital part of culture since the dawn of civilization, and we've all had moments of pained reminiscence: Where were you on that day? There are few accounts more powerful than audio recollections of the lived histories of 9/11—their words, their voices, their stories all ensure we will never forget, that the passage of time will never erode the memory of those loved, lost, and left behind.

Featured Article In the Oral Histories of 9/11 Grief Hope and Heroism Find a Voice
Comprehensive Oral History • Powerful Personal Stories • Full Cast Narration • Multiple Perspectives • Emotional Impact

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This is an awesome piece of work. To hear all the accounts put end to end is really amazing. I think this is perhaps the most moving literary work that I’ve heard on the topic of 9/11.

This is a must listen book

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This is amazing
Truly the stories of hundreds stitched together to create the mosaic of 9/11

EVERYONE needs to listen

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“What was it like on 9/11?”

Garrett Graff took on the ambitious and bold project of providing an oral history of the events on the tragic day of Sept 11, 2001. “The Only Plane in the Sky” began as a Politico magazine article about the experiences of those aboard Air Force One on 9/11. He teamed with Jenny Pachucki, an oral historian, to produce one of the most inclusive narratives of the chaos, panic, frustration, and horror of that very long day.

The novel is 512 pages, which is chock-full of details of that day. The audio, which is the format I chose, is almost 16 hours long. The audio bonus includes archival audio from the presidential addresses, in-flight communications, and air traffic control. It is an ethereal experience to relive that day. Everyone alive on that day recalls the overwhelming emotions of that day. This audio provides the moment-by-moment events of all the key players. We also learn of the changes made; improvements made after that horrific day. Over 5,000 oral histories were conducted, and the audio provides these histories to be read by actors.

Graff set out to provide a means to explain and to educate those too young to have remembered that day. It’s a pivotal day, one that should NOT be forgotten. This is an amazing audio, and I highly recommend it.

simply amazing!

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I was reliving my memories of the day- and cried many times . The worst was the memories of the people jumping off the buildings

Very moving

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listening to the firsthand accounts and the vignettes about people that were in the throws or in the peripheral of 9/11 was extraordinarily moving and unlike any book I've read on the subject . think I like it even better than the written version because of the human voices that tell the stories. highly recommended.

one of the most poignant books about 9/11

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This is one awesome book. I love how the stories are told by the people who survived! The author does a great job of giving you a VERY CLEAR picture of the events that happened on that day! I would highly, highly recommend this book to everyone!!!!!!!!!

Best 9/11 Book

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Such a gripping emotional book. I suppose that’s true for anybody that was alive during this time. While being required to work at home I saw this as a recommendation and wondered if it would be too emotional. I decided to read it anyway. It was very emotional but I’m glad I decided to read it. Everybody should.

Wow

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I think every generation has events that take place in the world that will stay with them forever. One of those events for my mom was the assassination of JFK. For me, it was the events that took place on 9/11. I thought I had read everything that had taken place that day but this book showed me that I hadn’t. This book was superbly narrated and I would highly recommend listening to the audio version. I enjoyed the narration so much that I bought the physical book as well.

Outstanding

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Fabulous book about all the details of 911 and so much history. Outstanding and very nice to listen to so many different voices and characters. Heart breaking but loved it!

Best Book!

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This, sometimes emotional , account of day terrorists attacked America on our own soul is forever etched in my mind.
You will enjoy this accounting of that awful day and it’ll bring back long forgotten memories.

Brings bake memoirs

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