Reviews
"9/11 is one of the hinge events of American history and Garrett Graff adds considerably to our knowledge of the horrors and the heroism that characterized that terrible day. The Only Plane in the Sky is a deeply researched and authoritative account." --Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden, from 9/11 to Abbottabad, "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, "Compelling .... The voices in The Only Plane in the Sky are so vivid .... There are snippets in Graff''s oral history from those who perished--messages for loved ones left by office workers stranded on the upper floors of the towers; calls from flight attendants and passengers aboard United Flight 93 that were recorded or remembered. But most of the voices in the book belong to survivors. That may explain, at least in part, why The Only Plane in the Sky manages to feel hopeful. .... Eventually, of course, all of us who remember 9/11 will be gone, and some of our stories will be forgotten. But, thanks to Graff''s fine work, many will endure." --Jay Carney, Air Mail "Graff excels at re-creating the anxiety and terror of that day . . . Readers who emerge dry-eyed from the text should check their pulses: Something is wrong with their hearts." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Harrowing and powerful . . . This vivid, moving work is painful to read but honors both those who died and those who survived that awful day." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "This is history at its most immediate and moving. In The Only Plane in the Sky , Garrett Graff has crafted an enduring portrait of a deadly and consequential day, a day that has shaped all other subsequent days in America for nearly two decades. A marvelous and memorable book." --Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of America "As I read The Only Plane in the Sky , I was instantly transported back to the chaos, shock, and fear that we all felt on September 11. Reliving the day in real time, through the eyes of Americans on the ground and in the air, had me turning each page with my heart in my throat. I may have known how the story would end, but reading these intensely personal accounts reminded me why this tragic day would change us forever, while the stories of courage and resilience renewed my faith in humanity. There''s been a lot written about 9/11, but nothing like this. I urge you to read it." --Katie Couric, author of The Best Advice I Ever Got "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 " The Only Plane in the Sky is a stunning and important work--chilling, heartbreaking--and I cannot stop thinking about it. To hear the voices of those who survived, and those who did not, is so moving and powerful. I learned so much, and am so thankful for this book." --Anderson Cooper, author of Dispatches from the Edge "Raw, emotional, and intense, this jaw-dropping narrative, composed entirely of firsthand accounts, strips away the politics that have grown up around 9/11 and have clouded its brutal impact on the American psyche. Rarely is history delivered with such vivid sensory detail. Garrett Graff''s meticulous reporting transported us, with visceral clarity, back to those horrifying hours that changed us all forever." --Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic, authors of Indianapolis "Garrett Graff has deftly used oral history to take us into the one of the most horrific and consequential moments in American history, in a book that will be particularly important for those readers too young to remember September 11, 2001." --Michael Beschloss, author of Presidents of War "9/11 is one of the hinge events of American history and Garrett Graff adds considerably to our knowledge of the horrors and the heroism that characterized that terrible day. The Only Plane in the Sky is a deeply researched and authoritative account." --Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt "A truly riveting book, at once tragic and thrilling, and a testament to the power of memory." --Tim Weiner, author of Legacy of Ashes, "Garrett Graff has deftly used oral history to take us into the one of the most horrific and consequential moments in American history, in a book that will be particularly important for those readers too young to remember September 11, 2001." --Michael Beschloss, author of Presidents of War, "This is history at its most immediate and moving. In The Only Plane in the Sky , Garrett Graff has crafted an enduring portrait of a deadly and consequential day, a day that has shaped all other subsequent days in America for nearly two decades. A marvelous and memorable book." --Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of America, " The Only Plane in the Sky is a stunning and important work--chilling, heartbreaking--and I cannot stop thinking about it. To hear the voices of those who survived, and those who did not, is so moving and powerful. I learned so much, and am so thankful for this book." --Anderson Cooper, author of Dispatches from the Edge, "Graff excels at re-creating the anxiety and terror of that day . . . Readers who emerge dry-eyed from the text should check their pulses: Something is wrong with their hearts." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Harrowing and powerful . . . This vivid, moving work is painful to read but honors both those who died and those who survived that awful day." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "This is history at its most immediate and moving. In The Only Plane in the Sky , Garrett Graff has crafted an enduring portrait of a deadly and consequential day, a day that has shaped all other subsequent days in America for nearly two decades. A marvelous and memorable book." --Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of America "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 " The Only Plane in the Sky is a stunning and important work--chilling, heartbreaking--and I cannot stop thinking about it. To hear the voices of those who survived, and those who did not, is so moving and powerful. I learned so much, and am so thankful for this book." --Anderson Cooper, author of Dispatches from the Edge "Raw, emotional, and intense, this jaw-dropping narrative, composed entirely of firsthand accounts, strips away the politics that have grown up around 9/11 and have clouded its brutal impact on the American psyche. Rarely is history delivered with such vivid sensory detail. Garrett Graff's meticulous reporting transported us, with visceral clarity, back to those horrifying hours that changed us all forever." --Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic, authors of Indianapolis "Garrett Graff has deftly used oral history to take us into the one of the most horrific and consequential moments in American history, in a book that will be particularly important for those readers too young to remember September 11, 2001." --Michael Beschloss, author of Presidents of War "9/11 is one of the hinge events of American history and Garrett Graff adds considerably to our knowledge of the horrors and the heroism that characterized that terrible day. The Only Plane in the Sky is a deeply researched and authoritative account." --Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt "A truly riveting book, at once tragic and thrilling, and a testament to the power of memory." --Tim Weiner, author of Legacy of Ashes, "Graff excels at re-creating the anxiety and terror of that day . . . Readers who emerge dry-eyed from the text should check their pulses: Something is wrong with their hearts." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Harrowing and powerful . . . This vivid, moving work is painful to read but honors both those who died and those who survived that awful day." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "This is history at its most immediate and moving. In The Only Plane in the Sky , Garrett Graff has crafted an enduring portrait of a deadly and consequential day, a day that has shaped all other subsequent days in America for nearly two decades. A marvelous and memorable book." --Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of America "As I read The Only Plane in the Sky , I was instantly transported back to the chaos, shock, and fear that we all felt on September 11. Reliving the day in real time, through the eyes of Americans on the ground and in the air, had me turning each page with my heart in my throat. I may have known how the story would end, but reading these intensely personal accounts reminded me why this tragic day would change us forever, while the stories of courage and resilience renewed my faith in humanity. There's been a lot written about 9/11, but nothing like this. I urge you to read it." --Katie Couric, author of The Best Advice I Ever Got "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 " The Only Plane in the Sky is a stunning and important work--chilling, heartbreaking--and I cannot stop thinking about it. To hear the voices of those who survived, and those who did not, is so moving and powerful. I learned so much, and am so thankful for this book." --Anderson Cooper, author of Dispatches from the Edge "Raw, emotional, and intense, this jaw-dropping narrative, composed entirely of firsthand accounts, strips away the politics that have grown up around 9/11 and have clouded its brutal impact on the American psyche. Rarely is history delivered with such vivid sensory detail. Garrett Graff's meticulous reporting transported us, with visceral clarity, back to those horrifying hours that changed us all forever." --Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic, authors of Indianapolis "Garrett Graff has deftly used oral history to take us into the one of the most horrific and consequential moments in American history, in a book that will be particularly important for those readers too young to remember September 11, 2001." --Michael Beschloss, author of Presidents of War "9/11 is one of the hinge events of American history and Garrett Graff adds considerably to our knowledge of the horrors and the heroism that characterized that terrible day. The Only Plane in the Sky is a deeply researched and authoritative account." --Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt "A truly riveting book, at once tragic and thrilling, and a testament to the power of memory." --Tim Weiner, author of Legacy of Ashes, "Powerful . . . Graff excels at re-creating the anxiety and terror of that day . . . Readers who emerge dry-eyed from the text should check their pulses: Something is wrong with their hearts." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "This is history at its most immediate and moving. In The Only Plane in the Sky , Garrett Graff has crafted an enduring portrait of a deadly and consequential day, a day that has shaped all other subsequent days in America for nearly two decades. A marvelous and memorable book." --Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of America "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 " The Only Plane in the Sky is a stunning and important work--chilling, heartbreaking--and I cannot stop thinking about it. To hear the voices of those who survived, and those who did not, is so moving and powerful. I learned so much, and am so thankful for this book." --Anderson Cooper, author of Dispatches from the Edge "Raw, emotional, and intense, this jaw-dropping narrative, composed entirely of firsthand accounts, strips away the politics that have grown up around 9/11 and have clouded its brutal impact on the American psyche. Rarely is history delivered with such vivid sensory detail. Garrett Graff's meticulous reporting transported us, with visceral clarity, back to those horrifying hours that changed us all forever." --Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic, authors of Indianapolis "Garrett Graff has deftly used oral history to take us into the one of the most horrific and consequential moments in American history, in a book that will be particularly important for those readers too young to remember September 11, 2001." --Michael Beschloss, author of Presidents of War "9/11 is one of the hinge events of American history and Garrett Graff adds considerably to our knowledge of the horrors and the heroism that characterized that terrible day. The Only Plane in the Sky is a deeply researched and authoritative account." --Peter Bergen, author of Manhunt "A truly riveting book, at once tragic and thrilling, and a testament to the power of memory." --Tim Weiner, author of Legacy of Ashes
