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

I usually listen to books on CD in the car commuting to work or traveling, but for this one it was too raw, I just could not drive, too emotional and riveting. I actually turned up the CD player to very loud and the paced back and forth for the entire book, more often than not with moist eyes, remembering that historic day. I was far away from NYC, in Kansas teaching classes at a major 4 year university, totally stunned on 9/11 and this amazing historical narrative style just brought it all back. Not one line or story in there was boring on 13 discs. It was just recorded usually 1-3 sentence statements from mostly survivors, relatives survivors, those who lost friends and some others on what they experienced on that day. Thanks to the author!!

The story of 9/11 is told through interviews with famous and unknown people. While many of us think we know the story of 9/11, this book proves that much hasn't seeped into popular culture. The amazing heroism of regular people who were faced with extraordinary events.This book was amazing. Painful at times, amazing stories of survival at other times. At times, I had trouble getting through sections as the interview sections chosen often are completely drenched in the pain of the interviewee. The book, however, jumps from one perspective to another, which builds tension in the story. Everything is immediate. One person's story will be put in suspense until the end -- or next turn -- comes. In doing so, the focus stays on the moment rather than slipping into the narrative of the day. As such, there is horror and suspense in each significant moment in the day.We hold our breath at the danger facing one interviewee (even though we know that they must have survived to provide the story) and read about what was happening around that individual to others before finding out the outcome. Unfortunately and expectedly, most of the stories are unhappy. But the author focuses on the indomitable will of people and the chance that often led to life and death.In focusing on the individual stories, the book feels more immediate than a book trying to create a smooth narrative. The best book about 9/11 I've read.

This is the best informative book . Covers 9-11 as nothing else I've seen.

This is history, so the overall narrative was about the same. HOWEVER, there were more voices I hadn't heard before from the Pentagon and Air Force One. Also transcribed were stories and quotes from many government personalities, families and friends of survivors and those who were not so lucky, and ordinary people who were caught up in extraordinary events. I've read many books about 9/11 but this book taught me new things and offered new perspectives, especially insights pertaining to events and attitudes surrounding President Bush and his cabinet and security officers. So much for the good. Now for the bad. There was no real flow to the narrative due to the device of using direct quotes for every piece of the story. The quotes were also very broken up, more like hearing the story from a focus group than an individual. Sometimes this created a struggle to keep your head in the game. It was also a very long book complete with multiple after-features (notes, indices, book club guides and more).So those were the pros and cons of this book. Overall, I thought it was worth reading. Perhaps it would hold your attention more if you weren't already intimately familiar with most of the stories surrounding 9/11. On the other hand, it might be more confusing if you were not already aware of the names involved and the people likely to be quoted. Give it a try. Maybe try out a sample.

As so many others, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first heard of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center. I'm in New England and I remember the beautiful blue sky that September day that quickly turned so tragic. Over the years I have read and heard a lot about the terrorist attacks and thought I was quite well informed but this book was so very well researched, written and detailed that I learned previously unknown facts. The author also included photos that I had never seen before and wouldn't have known existed had I not read this book! I am not talking sensationalistic type photos because the horror of that day does not need any embellishment. It is stark and depraved enough! I am saying that the photos included add to one's understanding of the facts and give us a small sense of what it was like to live in the city and be involved in the unfolding horror. I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to know what that horrible day and the days that followed were like from the perspective of those involved.

This was informative, heart breaking, and truly captivating. For anyone who wants to know what it was like in NYC and around the country on September 11th 2001, this is the book to read.

excelente livro!

One of the best books I've ever read, a really heart wrenching story.....give u a clear picture of that fateful day of 11th September 2001 in America 🇺🇸🥺💐

Anyone old enough to remember 9/11 in 2001 and not directly involved in the events will remember where they were and how they watched in horror the attacks, the desperate people in the top floors, those who preferred to jump to their deaths rather than wait for it in the extreme heat and smoke and finally the unbelieveable collapsing of the Twin Towers. I remember being struck with horror, with great sadness and outrage. And I am not an American. But this had nothing to do with nationality and everything to do with human empathy. Other horrors have occurrd since. Here in France we had the Bataclan attacks, the Charlie Hebdo attack, the Jewish kindergarten atttack and so on and on. The terrible litany of religious fanatism.This book of oral history is almost a minute by minute account of the dreadful morning in New York which started out in sunshine and finished in hell. Throughout the book are accounts of great heroism, tragedy and courage.If you get the chance,visit the musuem in NYC.

This was a very, very harrowing and shocking read and so it should be, I guess. We shouldn't ever be less than appalled by this day's events. It was horrendous and remains so.....It told me a lot I hadn't already been aware of, either. I had no idea those flight numbers had been retired from service, that 2 key players (a police commissioner and Speaker of the House) would be later imprisoned for unrelated criminal activities, the images firefighters gave us of having to drive across body parts and all the women's shoes that were left behind; also the fact there was part of a federal armoury based in one of the towers so along with fire and building collapse to contend with, there were bullets flying, too !! The perspective from the International Space Station was highly fascinating to read about as well.Reading some of the passages by people as it happened actually made me sweaty as I read.....you KNOW what happens next but they had no idea at the time and you just can't imagine how appalling it had to be. Plus those in the thick of it, whether on Flight 93 or in the Twin Towers or the Pentagon knew less that we all did, even here in the UK, watching it occur on television. For much of the day I knew more about what was going on than Bush did !! And personnel in the Pentagon had no idea their building had been hit by an incoming jet; if they WERE aware at all, it was assumed it was a truck bomb that had driven into it !! I smiled to myself when a Secret Service guy phoned his wife and wouldn't tell her where he was heading with the President but she knew as she'd seen it on television !!Brian Sweeney's voicemail for his wife just broke my heart and had me sobbing, as did Mark Bingham phoning his mum and saying, "Mom, this is Mark Bingham"......Cathy Pavelec thanking every firefighter she encountered on her way to safety, Rick Rescorla's call to his wife, the dreadful first firefighter's death-Danny Suhr, Sean Rooney's words of comfort to his wife. She wrote about not wanting to go to bed and sleep that night because, until she did so, the day was still one she'd shared with him. Just so devastatingly sad. Also gutted to have googled them both only to learn she died in a plane crash in 2009 on her way to award a scholarship in Sean's name in their home town.....you have to wonder at the godawful things that happen to good people. I felt horrible for the poor ticket agent Vaughn Allex, too, who was basically sent to coventry by many coworkers once they realised he'd ushered 2 of the hijackers onto their flight, as they barely made it.....like the poor sod had a clue ? That was spiteful of them.A worker realised the ash all over them was basically part of a building along with human remains......at the time I knew a woman whose hubby worked for the NYPD. When he eventually returned home that night, I recall her telling us he wouldn't let his little dogs get too close cos' he was also covered in the same dreaded dust.I looked up the Pentagon Memorial and it's a lovely tribute and so is The Tower of Voices out in Pennsylvania. This is definitely a book to keep, a real piece of history.