Focuses on Lindbergh’s record-breaking flight across the Atlantic and the weird consequence that he was the first global celebrity, with people proposing marriage and following his every move for years. He used this celebrity initially to promote the cause of aviation, touring countries to build American goodwill and encourage the building of airports. Does not get into his later pro-Nazi activities; he seems not to have had much under the surface. ( )

In The Flight of the Century, Thomas Kessner takes a fresh look at one of America's greatest moments, explaining how what was essentially a publicity stunt became a turning point in history. He vividly recreates the flight itself and the euphoric reaction to it on both sides of the Atlantic, and argues that Lindbergh's amazing feat occurred just when the world—still struggling with the disillusionment of WWI—desperately needed a hero to restor...

The Flight of the Century: Charles Lindbergh and the Rise of the American Aviation by Thomas Kessner

★★★★

While I know of Lindbergh’s achievement (who doesn’t?), I knew nothing about the man or what it took to get him into the air. My knowledge of aviation is very limited. This book was a great book to start on! It had great information about Charles Lindbergh and plenty of history of flying through the ages. It kept my attention from beginning to end, something many of the history books I’ve read lately have been unable to do. This didn’t read like a textbook and I greatly appreciated that. This is definitely the story of an underdog and a challenge that made him famous.

He would become one of our first modern day celebrities. Long before the Beatles, people from all over the world literally swarmed (and sometimes destroyed his plane in the process) just to get a glimpse of the man that changed the view of aviation forever and it didn’t help that he was handsome and considered the boy next door. But he wouldn’t always be that boy. It was interesting to see a later view of Lindbergh. He dabbled in Nazism, had affairs, and joined large monopolies that would quickly tarnish him. This book did a good job of showing both sides of Charles. If one knows a lot about Lindbergh and aviation, I am sure there is nothing is this book that is jaw-dropping. But if you are new to the subject – this is a good overview of the history of Lindbergh and flying.

My only complaint was the end. With all the detail given to Lindbergh, it seems that the author could have dedicated a bit more to his death and his family. Until I researched, I wasn’t aware of how he died or whether he outlived his wife or anything like that. It talked about his accomplishments, his views towards the end of his life and boom – the book ends with the date he died, nothing more.
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