The Only Plane in the Sky

A panoramic history of 9/11 capturing voices from the front lines: “This is history at its most immediate and moving . . . A marvelous and memorable book.” —Jon Meacham

The terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, were a traumatic turning point in American history. In The Only Plane in the Sky, Garrett Graff tells the story of that terrible day through 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, Graff paints a comprehensive yet strikingly human portrait of the events as they unfolded.

Beginning in the predawn hours, 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 unimaginable horrors at the Twin Towers. From a secret bunker under the White House, officials watch for incoming planes on radar. Aboard unarmed fighter jets, pilots make a pact to fly into a hijacked airliner if necessary. In the skies above Pennsylvania, civilians aboard United 93 make the ultimate sacrifice. Then, as flights are grounded nationwide, Air Force One circles the country alone, its passengers isolated and afraid.

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 men and women who found themselves caught at the center of an unprecedented human drama.