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Everything we know about America changed on 9/11.
Much has been said about 9/11, yet we don’t often explore the story of the day as it was truly lived. One of America’s most distinguished journalists and historians, GARRETT M. GRAFF draws on never-before-published transcripts, recently declassified documents, original interviews, and oral histories from nearly five hundred government officials, first responders, witnesses, survivors, friends, and family members in his New York Times bestselling book The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11. Providing an in-depth narrative woven from the voices of Americans on the front lines of an unprecedented national trauma, Graff helps us to understand the America we live in today by showing us a vivid exploration of humanity and extraordinary resilience on a day that changed the course of history, and all of our lives.
From the author of numerous critically acclaimed books, Garrett M. Graff’s The Only Plane in the Sky is the definitive oral history of the worst terrorist attack to happen on U.S. soil. Detailing the horrifying events that led to the largest loss of life since the Battle of Antietam during the civil war, the book pulls together 500 first-hand accounts from Americans across the country as the attacks unfolded. CNN’s Anderson Cooper says, “The Only Plane in the Sky is a stunning and important work—chilling, heartbreaking—and I cannot stop thinking about it.” Graff is also the author of The Threat Matrix: Inside Robert Mueller’s FBI, known as the definitive account of Robert Mueller’s career in the FBI, as well as Dawn of the Code War: America’s Battles Against Russia, China, and the Rising Global Cyber Threat.
As an award-winning journalist, Graff is a frequent contributor to Wired, Longreads, and CNN. He’s also written for publications from Esquire to Rolling Stone to the New York Times, edited two of Washington’s most prestigious magazines, Washingtonian and POLITICO Magazine, and has had his reporting featured on shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. As in his writing, Graff’s talks leverage his instinct for hard facts with his imaginative consideration of the history that underpins our present—and future.
Over the past twenty years, much has been discussed about the horrific events that occurred on 9/11, but a major perspective has been missing—a 360-degree account of the day told through the voices of the people who experienced it.
In a talk based on his New York Times bestselling book The Only Plane in the Sky, award-winning journalist Garrett Graff tells the untold story of how the day really unfolded. Graff provides the historic narrative of how ordinary people grappled with the extraordinary events in real time: the father and son working in the North Tower, caught on different ends of the impact zone; the firefighter searching for his wife who works at the World Trade Center; and the operator of in-flight telephone calls who promises to share a passenger’s last words with his family.
In this essential talk and powerful tribute to the courage of everyday Americans, Graff shows us the unforgettable personal experiences of the men and women who found themselves caught at the center of an unparalleled human drama—giving you a panoramic view of where America has been, and how it shaped who we are today.
