In August 1995, twenty-six passengers and a crew of three board a commuter plane in Atlanta headed for Gulfport, Mississippi. Shortly after takeoff they hear an explosion and some see a mangled engine lodged against the wing. From that moment, nine minutes and twenty seconds elapse until the crippled plane crashes in a west Georgia hayfield. Gary Pomerantz takes listeners deep into the hearts and minds of the people aboard, each of whom prepares in his or her own way for what may come. Ultimately, nineteen people survive both the crash and its devastating aftermath, all of them profoundly affected by what they have seen and more important, what they have done to help themselves and others. This psychologically illuminating real-life drama about ordinary people and how they behave in extraordinary circumstances is surprisingly optimistic. In telling the remarkable stories of these twenty-nine men and women, Gary Pomerantz has written one of the most compelling books in recent memory. Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds speaks as powerfully about our capacity to care for others as it does about the strength of our will to live. This rich and rewarding audiobook will linger in your mind long after you finish listening.
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"A seriously disturbing examination of a plane crash in progress. The title refers to the time it took for this aircraft to plunge to earth, killing almost everyone aboard in a fiery explosion. it's also an indictment of lax corporate oversight." — Patrick (4 out of 5 stars)
"A seriously disturbing examination of a plane crash in progress. The title refers to the time it took for this aircraft to plunge to earth, killing almost everyone aboard in a fiery explosion. it's also an indictment of lax corporate oversight."
“A deeply moving account of the extraordinary strengths that ordinary people can display when tragedy confronts them. As emotionally powerful a book as you are likely ever to read.”
Dominick Dunne An Ode to the Beauty and Dignity of the Human Spirit.
David J. Garrow Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Bearing the Cross A deeply moving account of the extraordinary strengths that ordinary people can display when tragedy confronts them.
“I loved Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds. While reading it, there were times I became so fraught I thought I couldn’t go on, but I simply couldn’t tear myself away. Ultimately, this book is an ode to the beauty and dignity of the human spirit.”
“Words like shattering and riveting don’t come close to capturing the impact of this fine book, the most powerful I’ve read in a very long time. The experiences of its heroes–and there is no better way to describe the men and women who populate its pages–will move and haunt for a good long while.”
“A story that is likely to become a classic of its kind.”
“Riveting...[A] very fine work of nonfiction.”
“Breathtaking.”
“[Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds] is by turns interesting, poignant, and harrowing. Readers drawn to stories of adversity will find it riveting.”
“Nine Minutes, Twenty Seconds has the power of myth and the immediacy of a next-door neighbor. Gary Pomerantz has performed a breathtaking feat: he has written a modern-day fable that’s somehow about each of us, our desire to fly, and our willingness to soar again. Nine Minutes, Twenty Secondswill tap into your deepest dreams—and ultimately inspire you to make sure they come true.”
“Journalist Pomerantz reports the facts of the accident, sometimes in gruesome detail, but he also brings these people and their families to life on the page. The crash merely sets the stage for a much larger story of courage and serenity in a time of crisis, determination against overwhelming odds, and recovery after unbelievable horrors.”
" Read this book a couple of times...rare! Don't read it on a flight! Fantastic examples of the human spirit and the will to survive. "
Gary M. Pomerantz is an author, journalist, and visiting lecturer in the Department of Communication at Stanford. A 1982 graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, he worked for nearly two decades as a daily journalist, on staff at the Washington Post and Atlanta Journal-Constitution, initially as a sportswriter and then writing columns, editorials, and special projects. He later served as a distinguished visiting professor of journalism at Emory University in Atlanta. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and their three children.
Boyd Gaines is an Earphones Award–winning narrator and an actor whose many film credits include Second Best, I’m Not Rappaport, Heartbreak Ridge, Fame, and Porky’s. He’s won two Tony Awards for performances in the The Heidi Chronicles and the musical She Loves Me. On television he has appeared in A Woman Called Jackie, A Son’s Promise, and in the popular series One Day at a Time.
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