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The Only Plane in the Sky
- The Oral History of 9/11
- Narrated by: Garrett M. Graff, Holter Graham, full cast
- Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins
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The Only Plane in the Sky
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Summary
The New York Times best seller.
Winner of Audiobook of the year at 2020 Audie Awards.
Of all the books about 9/11 one has been missing until now - a panoramic narrative from the men and women caught up in the unprecedented human drama of that terrible day.
The Only Plane in the Sky is nothing less than the first comprehensive oral history of 9/11, deftly woven and told in the voices of ordinary people grappling with extraordinary events. Drawing on never-before-published transcripts, recently declassified documents, new and archived interviews from nearly five hundred people, historian Garrett Graff skilfully tells the story of the day as it was lived.
It begins in the predawn hours of airports in the Northeast, where we meet the ticket agents who unknowingly usher terrorists onto their flights. In New York, first responders confront a scene of unimaginable chaos at the Twin Towers. From a secret bunker beneath the White House, Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice watch for incoming planes on radar. In the offices of the Pentagon, top officials feel the violent tremor as their headquarters come under attack.
We hear the stories of the father and son working on separate floors in the North Tower, the firefighter who rushes to the scene to search for his wife, the telephone operator who keeps her promise to share a passenger's last words with his family, the chaplain who stays on the scene to perform last rites, losing his own life when the Towers collapse, the teachers evacuating terrified children from schools mere blocks from the World Trade Center; the generals at the Pentagon who break down and weep when they are barred from rushing into the burning building to try and rescue their colleagues.
The Only Plane in the Sky 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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Critic reviews
"A hugely powerful new book." (Dan Snow)
"The most moving and chilling oral history you will read." (The Times)
"Although many years have passed since 9/11, this book, told with such immediacy, brings so vividly back to mind the shock of that day, and why it continues to shape the tragic history that has followed." (Lawrence Wright, author of The Looming Tower)
What listeners say about The Only Plane in the Sky
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Rob Sedgwick
- 01-10-22
Excellent
9/11 is completely unique, there is nothing like it, and there are so many stories and perspectives. I have read quite a few books on the subject, but it never loses its power to shock.
This audiobook is quite disjointed, so much happens so quickly, I had to stop it a few times just to give myself to think about what I was hearing. Nobody ever speaks in one clip for more than 1 minute, and quite a lot less.
Everything is in their own words though, and nearly all from people who lived through it.
The audiobook covers mainly the day itself, and a bit about its aftermath.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- SJ TREVELYAN-WHITE
- 18-09-21
Absolutely Harrowing
Very well put together. listening to their personal accounts is heart breaking a powerful book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 12-05-23
Absolutely amazing
A absolutely fascinating collection of recollections from all sorts of people of a day none of us will ever forget. A must listen, it’s amazing.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Lee
- 15-09-23
Wonderful, sad and reflective.
This is a wonderful book in the sense that the voices of those most affected by 9/11/01 are heard… it’s their stories. It’s sad because there’s so much heartbreak contained within the pages. And it’s reflective as the horrific event changed the world forever. I can’t imagine the terror and panic people went through….of course the Falling Man will forever be an image I can’t unsee. This book should be a mandatory read within schools and given to those who are brainwashed. It’s so well narrated…
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- Steven O'Brien
- 10-02-20
Gripping
Not even halfway through yet and I can’t stop listening to this book. So sad. Excellent use of of an audio book
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 26-05-22
Every emotion
This is the longest audiobook I’ve had so far, but the one I’ve completed the fastest.
It is a book that put me through every single emotion I think I can feel.
Given the subject matter and the stories involved, it seems cold to say that the book was riveting, but it is exactly that. I could not stop listening.
The cast are incredible, the stories handled in a perfectly respectful manner and it’s a book that anybody with an interest in the human side of 9/11, conspiracy theories aside, must listen to.
Incredible.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- A Massive Fan
- 11-08-20
Wow best thing I’ve listened to
Amazing book well worth listening to this, so
Well put together xx xx xx xx
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- SimonTilton
- 17-09-20
A day I’ll never forget
Although I had no connection to anyone involved it’s a day like many I remember like it was yesterday. This is easily the best Audible book i have listened too and probably the best record of the day I’ve ever heard or watched. Future generations you must learn about this & never forget it. 🇬🇧🇺🇸
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Sonya
- 21-09-21
Epic.
This book is an amazing testament of one of the bleakest days in American history. It made me review my NYC 9/11 experience over and over again. 5 stars.
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- KN
- 06-05-24
The most gripping account of 9/11
Each story paints a picture of one of the most harrowing events in recent history. Gripping from start to finish.
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