The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11

50 Books for 50 years

Powell's anniversary list: 1971-2021

While reading The Only Plane in the Sky, my heart broke a thousand times. It is one thing to have witnessed (from the west coast on TV) the 9/11 attacks, yet quite another to see, smell, and hear the events as told by the survivors. My biggest takeaways are how much compassion was expressed for total strangers and how bravely many victims stepped forward into their deaths. Those brave people showed courage that pushed them past their fear to save others. The Only Plane in the Sky is an important book and I recommend it to everybody who cares about humanity. Recommended By Tracey T., Powells.com

A 2019 Goodreads Readers' Choice Finalist for Best History
A Washington Post Notable Nonfiction Book of 2019
A New York Post Best Book of 2019

Now with a new afterword, Garrett M. Graff's instant New York Times bestseller The Only Plane in the Sky, is the comprehensive oral history of September 11, 2001 that has been called "history as its most immediate and moving" (Jon Meacham) and "remarkable. . . . a priceless civic gift" (The Wall Street Journal).

Hailed as "remarkable. . . . incredibly evocative and compelling" (The Washington Post) and "oral history at its finest" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), Garrett M. Graff's The Only Plane in the Sky is the most vivid and human portrait of the September 11 attacks yet, comprised of never-before-published transcripts, recently declassified documents, and original interviews and stories from nearly five hundred government officials, first responders, witnesses, survivors, friends, and family members. Here is a vivid, profound, and searing portrait of humanity on a day that changed the course of history, and all of our lives.

"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)

"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

"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 M. Graff, a distinguished journalist and bestselling historian, has spent more than a dozen years covering politics, technology, and national security — helping to explain where we've been and where we're headed. 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: Inside Robert Mueller's FBI, the national bestseller Raven Rock: The Story of the US Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself — While the Rest of Us Die, and the New York Times bestseller The Only Plane in the Sky.