Touching History: The Untold Story of the Drama That Unfolded in the Skies Over America on 9/11
by: Lynn Spencer
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On the azure blue morning of 9/11 the skies were pronounced "severe clear," in the parlance of airline pilots; a gorgeous day for flying. Nearly 5,000 flights were cruising the skies over America when FAA Operations Manager Ben Sliney arrived at the Command Center for his first day on that job. He could never have anticipated the historic drama that was about to unfold as Americans who found themselves on the front lines of a totally unprecedented attack on our homeland sprang into action to defend our country and save lives.
In this gripping moment-to-moment narrative, based on groundbreaking reporting, Lynn Spencer brings the inspiring true drama of their unflinching and heroic response vividly to life for the first time, taking us right inside the airliner cockpits and control towers, the fighter jets and the military battle cabs. She makes vital corrections to the findings of the 9/11 Commission Report, and reveals many startling, utterly unknown elements of the story.
As a commercial pilot herself, for whom the attacks hit terribly close to home, she knew that the true scope and nature of the response so brilliantly improvised that morning by those in the thick of the action -- with so little guidance from those at the highest levels -- had not at all been captured by the news coverage or the 9/11 Commission. To get to the truth, she went on a three-year quest, interviewing hundreds of key players, listening to untold hours of tapes and pouring through voluminous transcripts to re-create each heart-stopping moment as it happened through their eyes and in their words as the drama unfolded.
From the shocking moment at 7:59 a.m. that American 11 fails to respond to a controller's call, until the last commercial flight has safely landed and military jets rule the skies, all Americans will find themselves deeply moved and amazed by the grace and fierce determination of these steely men and women as they draw on all of their exquisite training to grasp, through the fog of war, what is happening, put their lives on the line, and mount an astonishing response.
This beautifully crafted and deeply affecting account of the full story of their courageous actions is a vital addition to the country's understanding of a day that has forever changed our nation.
On the azure blue morning of 9/11 the skies were pronounced "severe clear," in the parlance of airline pilots; a gorgeous day for flying. Nearly 5,000 flights were cruising the skies over America when FAA Operations Manager Ben Sliney arrived at the Command Center for his first day on that job. He could never have anticipated the historic drama that was about to unfold as Americans who found themselves on the front lines of a totally unprecedented attack on our homeland sprang into action to defend our country and save lives.
In this gripping moment-to-moment narrative, based on groundbreaking reporting, Lynn Spencer brings the inspiring true drama of their unflinching and heroic response vividly to life for the first time, taking us right inside the airliner cockpits and control towers, the fighter jets and the military battle cabs. She makes vital corrections to the findings of the 9/11 Commission Report, and reveals many startling, utterly unknown elements of the story.
As a commercial pilot herself, for whom the attacks hit terribly close to home, she knew that the true scope and nature of the response so brilliantly improvised that morning by those in the thick of the action -- with so little guidance from those at the highest levels -- had not at all been captured by the news coverage or the 9/11 Commission. To get to the truth, she went on a three-year quest, interviewing hundreds of key players, listening to untold hours of tapes and pouring through voluminous transcripts to re-create each heart-stopping moment as it happened through their eyes and in their words as the drama unfolded.
From the shocking moment at 7:59 a.m. that American 11 fails to respond to a controller's call, until the last commercial flight has safely landed and military jets rule the skies, all Americans will find themselves deeply moved and amazed by the grace and fierce determination of these steely men and women as they draw on all of their exquisite training to grasp, through the fog of war, what is happening, put their lives on the line, and mount an astonishing response.
This beautifully crafted and deeply affecting account of the full story of their courageous actions is a vital addition to the country's understanding of a day that has forever changed our nation.
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- An incredible read from another perspective of that fatefull day
This book was a fascinating look into what transpired in the air during the 9-11 nightmare.The authors access to the facts and the real participants made this book one I could not put down.Being a pilot myself it amazed me to read about what it was like to be in the air on that day, sitting in the cockpit not knowing if your plane was the next one to become part of history, and from the military who was tasked to protect us from a unknown enemy.The authors writing flows from the first page ... Read More
Rating: - Toucing History
With her extensive research, Lynn Spencer has opened the doors to the numerous events that occurred behind the scenes during the Sept 11 attacks on the United States.Ms. Spencer's investigation of the inner workings of the the U.S. air traffic control system, as well as the military's, takes us inside the intricate network of people who control the skies over the United States; the controllers, pilots, and the support staff that all work in tandem to keep our skies safe when we board a plane.
Read More
Rating: - Solves a lot of mysteries from 9/11
This book for me started out a bit slow but I ended up unable to put it down. For me several mysteries were solved - such as the mysterious plane some eyewitness claimed to see by the Flight 93 wreckage - the rumors that there was a 5th airliner that was close to being hijacked (there was - and learn how a quick decision by the pilot probably saved the White House or Congress) -
Learn how the fighter pilots of Otis in MA and Langley in DC had to make some quick decisions and bypass the ... Read More
Rating: - Read this book!
I couldn't put this book down.I read it in 24 hours and promptly gave it to friends, who also loved it.It's not as though we don't know what happened here, but it's interesting to see what was going on behind the scenes.
Rating: - touching history
I found this book to be extremely interesting, fascinating.Fills us in on unpublished information that I did not know.It is a must read for people who study 9/11.It gives one hope that there are actually perople who operate outside of the box in an emergency situation.
- An incredible read from another perspective of that fatefull dayThis book was a fascinating look into what transpired in the air during the 9-11 nightmare.The authors access to the facts and the real participants made this book one I could not put down.Being a pilot myself it amazed me to read about what it was like to be in the air on that day, sitting in the cockpit not knowing if your plane was the next one to become part of history, and from the military who was tasked to protect us from a unknown enemy.The authors writing flows from the first page ... Read More
- Toucing HistoryWith her extensive research, Lynn Spencer has opened the doors to the numerous events that occurred behind the scenes during the Sept 11 attacks on the United States.Ms. Spencer's investigation of the inner workings of the the U.S. air traffic control system, as well as the military's, takes us inside the intricate network of people who control the skies over the United States; the controllers, pilots, and the support staff that all work in tandem to keep our skies safe when we board a plane.
Read More
- Solves a lot of mysteries from 9/11This book for me started out a bit slow but I ended up unable to put it down. For me several mysteries were solved - such as the mysterious plane some eyewitness claimed to see by the Flight 93 wreckage - the rumors that there was a 5th airliner that was close to being hijacked (there was - and learn how a quick decision by the pilot probably saved the White House or Congress) -
Learn how the fighter pilots of Otis in MA and Langley in DC had to make some quick decisions and bypass the ... Read More
- Read this book!I couldn't put this book down.I read it in 24 hours and promptly gave it to friends, who also loved it.It's not as though we don't know what happened here, but it's interesting to see what was going on behind the scenes.
- touching historyI found this book to be extremely interesting, fascinating.Fills us in on unpublished information that I did not know.It is a must read for people who study 9/11.It gives one hope that there are actually perople who operate outside of the box in an emergency situation.
