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)

Terrific Book...I couldn't put it down

Just finished The Only Plane in the Sky. Simply outstanding. From the structure to the voices, from the detail to the intricate stories and relationships I felt I was living the day over again, but with a clear understanding and personal context. Thank you!

I hung on every word

The audiobook version of this piece of history is, quite simply, a masterpiece. Hearing voices weave together the narrative of 9/11 from so many vantage points and heartbreaking personal experiences is difficult listening, to be sure—but necessary listening. That September day is already seared into my memory, but this audiobook burned it even deeper with heart wrenching intimacy. A must listen for all Americans.

Am Amazing Compilation of Individual Stories

The author has done an amazing job of piecing together individual memories of 9/11 in a very poignant way. For those of us who were alive that fateful day, this book digs deeper into the emotions and stories of those who were there. For those not yet born, this tells the story on 9/11 vividly.

One thing we might all ponder- what if 9/11 had happened this past September, with President Biden out of DC, and with VP Harris in charge in the nation's capitol? A frightening thought. You can love or hate Dick Cheney - but in an emergency I'd take him over Harris every day of the week.

Gives Incredible Perspective

This book taught me so many things about September 11th, 2001 that I did not know. There were so many amazing stories of courage and trauma and grief and joy and miracles. So grateful to everyone who worked on the original book, and the subsequent audio recording. It’s an amazing endeavor, done incredibly well.

Fantastic

What an amazing story. The power of hearing the first hand impact of 9-11 on the survivors cannot be understated. This is a “must listen” audio book for every American!

ABSOLUTE MUST READ

This feels like one of those books that every American should read in their life. It’s just simply that impactful and important.

A Must read!!!

The audio of this book was extraordinary! Very riveting. The book is well written, edited and choreographed. Was brought to tears many times throughout this book.

the ONLY book You need to hear

without a doubt, this is absolutely one of the most riveting books I have ever listened to. This audio documentary captivates a 360° view moment to moment, minute to minute, of what happened that horrifically tragic day. Garrett Graff has achieved the unfathomable. I cannot begin to imagine the thousands of documents he must have sifted through to bring us the frothiest and most meaningful moments of that time in our lives. The audio actors captivated and crushed my heart. I cannot recommend this book enough. an absolute must read.

Yeah Just Phenomenal

Every American should read this book. You will find out things you never knew, be astounded by the brilliance of ordinary folks, and invigorated to examine your own life. Some of the cast was difficult to listen to (just not my cup of tea narration), but since the snippets were short, it didn't become too obnoxious. I would only recommend buying a physical copy of this book in order to keep better apace an individual's story. In the beginning, many people were commenting similiarly, so I didn't "get to know them" until later on when their experiences diverged.

Never forget. Heartbreaking and incredible at the same time.

As someone who has their own 9/11 story, this was a difficult book to listen to. However, I’m so glad I did. It was an amazing look at how things unfolded that day - and the days after - from so many different perspectives. I rarely listen to the acknowledgements or credits but I listened to every single moment. Having said that, if you listen, be aware that it will bring up many different emotions and you may even weep as I did during a good chunk of this book.