'The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11' by author Garrett M. Graff is a captivating and emotional recounting of the events of September 11, 2001, through the firsthand accounts of those who experienced the tragic day. The book weaves together the voices of individuals from various backgrounds, including survivors, first responders, politicians, and ordinary citizens, to provide a detailed and harrowing narrative of the multi-layered terrorist attacks on the United States.
The book offers a unique perspective on the impact of 9/11, focusing on the human stories and emotions behind the tragedy rather than the political or tactical aspects. Through a chronological presentation of personal testimonies, 'The Only Plane in the Sky' immerses readers in the events leading up to the attacks, the moments of crisis on the hijacked planes, the responses of the government and rescue workers, and the aftermath of the day that forever changed the world.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include graphic descriptions of violence, death, and trauma associated with the events of 9/11; emotional distress might be triggered for some readers.
From The Publisher:
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.
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1 comment(s)
Been meaning to read it since it came out. Quite fitting to finish it the day it's 20 years since the tragic and terrible attack. I've not read such a tragic story for a long time and the way it was written was quite different but fit the content very well. It's hard to rate a book on such a subject. But the writing and research alone gets 5 stars.
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About the Author:
Garrett M. Graff, a distinguished journalist and bestselling historian, has spent more than a dozen years covering politics, technology, and national security. Today, he serves as the director of cyber initiatives for The Aspen Institute and is a contributor to WIRED, CNN, and POLITICO. He's written for publications from Esquire to Rolling Stone to The New York Times, and edited two of Washington's most prestigious magazines, Washingtonian and POLITICO Magazine. Graff is the author of multiple books, including The Threat Matrix, the national bestseller Raven Rock, and the New York Times bestseller The Only Plane in the Sky.
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