The Only Plane in the Sky

An Oral History of September 11, 2001

De: Garrett M. Graff, Holter Graham

Narrado por: A Full 45-Person Cast

2020 AUDIOBOOK OF THE YEAR AUDIE AWARD WINNER!

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.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“This is history at its most immediate and moving…A marvelous and memorable book.” —Jon Meacham

​“Remarkable…A priceless civic gift…On page after page, a reader will encounter words that startle, or make him angry, or heartbroken.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Had me turning each page with my heart in my throat…There’s been a lot written about 9/11, but nothing like this. I urge you to read it.” —Katie Couric

The first comprehensive oral history of September 11, 2001—a panoramic narrative woven from voices on the front lines of an unprecedented national trauma.

Over the past eighteen years, monumental literature has been published about 9/11, from Lawrence Wright’s The Looming Tower to The 9/11 Commission Report. But one perspective has been missing up to this point—a 360-degree account of the day told through firsthand.

Now, in The Only Plane in the Sky, Garrett Graff tells the story of the day as it was lived—in the words of those who lived it. Drawing on never-before-published transcripts, declassified documents, original interviews, and oral histories from nearly five hundred government officials, first responders, witnesses, survivors, friends, and family members, he paints the most vivid and human portrait of the September 11 attacks yet.

Beginning in the predawn hours of airports in the Northeast, we meet the ticket agents who unknowingly usher terrorists onto their flights, and the flight attendants inside the hijacked planes. In New York, first responders confront a scene of unimaginable horror at the Twin Towers. From a secret bunker under the White House, officials watch for incoming planes on radar. Aboard unarmed fighter jets in the air, pilots make a pact to fly into a hijacked airliner if necessary to bring it down. In the skies above Pennsylvania, civilians aboard United 93 make the ultimate sacrifice in their place. Then, as the day moves forward and flights are grounded nationwide, Air Force One circles the country alone, its passengers isolated and afraid.

More than simply a collection of eyewitness testimonies, The Only Plane in the Sky is the historic narrative of how ordinary people grappled with extraordinary events in real time: the father and son caught on different ends of the impact zone; the firefighter searching for his wife who works at the World Trade Center; the operator of in-flight telephone calls who promises to share a passenger’s last words with his family; the beloved FDNY chaplain who bravely performs last rites for the dying, losing his own life when the Towers collapse; and the generals at the Pentagon who break down and weep when they are barred from trying to rescue their colleagues.

At once a powerful tribute to the courage of everyday Americans and an essential addition to the literature of 9/11, The Only Plane in the Sky weaves together the unforgettable personal experiences of the men and women who found themselves caught at the center of an unprecedented human drama. The result is a unique, profound, and searing exploration of humanity on a day that changed the course of history, and all of our lives.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"'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 (among those people: Rudy Giuliani). . . . Graff’s project beautifully achieves its chief goal—educating people too young or born too late to remember what the day of Sept. 11, 2001, felt like."

(Ginia Bellafante)

"This powerful audiobook is narrated by an appropriately understated but very talented cast. The author and narrators take us back to one of the most consequential days in recent history—September 11, 2001. The cast chosen for this oral history, led by Holter Graham, is exceptional. They set the right tone of reverence, respect, and awe. No voice is overstated, no emotion too raw. The stories tell themselves, and their power needs no embellishment. Voices, including one from the International Space Station, are familiar and unfamiliar, as are the views they express. The production will either remind listeners of that tragic day or make clear to those too young to recall it the reasons that 9/11 left such an imprint on the memories of those who lived through it."

"The Only Plane in the Sky is an audio and historical masterpiece. Journalist Garrett Graff draws on never-before-published transcripts, recently declassified documents, interviews and oral histories from nearly 500 people. The audio edition includes chilling archival audio from in-flight communications and air traffic control during the attack. If you remember exactly where you were on 9/11, listen to this book. If you’re too young to recall 9/11, listen to this book. . . . Its message is a timely reminder of how ordinary people, working together, can weather any crisis." (Suzanne Perez Tobias)

This is a must listen book

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.

EVERYONE needs to listen

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

simply amazing!

“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.

Very moving

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

one of the most poignant books about 9/11

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.

Best 9/11 Book

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!!!!!!!!!

Wow

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.

Outstanding

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.

Best Book!

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!

Brings bake memoirs

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.