This is an amazing book, especially if you have interest in aviation (are a pilot) or are just curious about remarkable people and how their brain works and the process of putting together a remarkable project like being the first person to fly across the world! It's exhilarating to read about his journey across the Atlantic Ocean and being the first person to fly nonstop from New York to Paris and the book was surprisingly well written. Nonpilots may find some of the technical jargon a bit boring, but there's still plenty in there.Lessons I learned from Charles Lindbergh (may contain spoilers):1) Money doesn't matter. Ideas, confidence and the desire to change the world do. He had no money for his crazy desire to achieve the first transcontinental flight, but persevered to find people who would finance his operation. He didn't ask for a blind investment either, but had a very specific and easy plan to get his investors their money back through the prize offered for the first transatlantic flight.2) Going against the grain and common knowledge can work for you. He was adamant about doing his flight in a single engine airplane while pretty much all of the other aviators wanted to use machines with multiple engines. Many thought it was foolish to attempt such a flight on an airplane with one engine, but he was the only one succeeded while others failed.3) Humans can stay awake for 40 hours while navigating by stars and doing mental arithmetic! He did this in the days without GPS, VORs by plain old dead reckoning! He didn't sleep the night before! He slapped himself multiple times to keep himself awake. The main "conflict" in this book is his damn fatigue and it's fascinating! Next time I complain about how tired I am, I'm going to try to think of this book.4) Vigilance and safety mind seemed to prevail. Despite this glorious undertaking, he still thought about what he would in case of forced landings and had very specific plans. (i.e. if he reached a certain point, he would continue toward Europe, if he experienced engine probs before a certain point, he would turn back).5) Lindbergh was a badass committed to the US mail. Jumping out of a parachute, having his plane crash and then going back to pick up the f***ing mail?! Damn man. One day, I will be as cool as you.6) The French welcome and reception may kill you. Maybe they were jealous that it was an American who achieved the flight? (Okay, only a little bit -- who wouldn't be?). Seriously though, it was pretty awesome what a reception he got when he arrived; despite the souvenir hunters messing his airplane up a bit.7) If you're changing history, you don't need a visa to go to France.8) Don't wait for bureaucracy to take its sweet time if you're going to make history. Just do it. Yeah, so maybe he didn't quality for the cash prize because of some technicality, but he didn't delay his departure. He took his window of chance, even though he didn't sleep the night before, because he had to.9) Every ounce counts when flying across the globe in a single engine airplane. He refused to take most souvenirs and only brought the essentials. Rather than be bogged down with sentiment and material packages, he knew his mission in hand and only brought what was necessary (with one exception or so).10) You can accomplish a lot when you're only 25 or 26. Hey, I'm 26 now. Damn, Lindbergh. You set the bar too high....the biggest mystery though: did he ever use the bathroom?!
This is the autobiographical story of a man, a machine, and a dream. It is also virtually the aviator's "bible" for flying enthusiasts.The Man: Charles A. Lindbergh, who had a passion for flying and a dream to complete a long-distance flight to win fame and fortune and to prove to the world that aviation had finally come of age. The Machine: the Ryan NYP, christened the Spirit of St. Louis, in tribute to the group of like-minded visionaries from the city of St. Louis, Missouri, who backed Lindbergh’s plan to the hilt.And the Dream: to fly non-stop from New York to Paris, despite the danger amply demonstrated by the numerous crashes among Lindbergh’s competitors for the prestigious Orteig prize, which resulted in the deaths of a half-dozen internationally-renowned fellow aviators; as well as the additional danger imposed by flying solo through the unpredictable weather over the North Atlantic.In later years Lindbergh never said, “I flew from New York to Paris.” He was always heard to say, “We flew…,” because over the course of that 33½–hour flight during which he achieved success beyond his wildest dreams, he and his machine underwent a transformation from being an unknown airmail pilot flying a new and (relatively) untested aircraft, into becoming the most famous person on earth, flying the greatest airplane ever built, aptly named the “Spirit of St. Louis.”This was made into a superb movie starring Jimmie Stewart, which avoided the usual Hollywood excess by confining itself pretty much to the book.I am currently recording this for my local radio station for blind & reading-impaired listeners as part of what amounts to a series of true-life aviation adventures, including: "God is My Co-pilot" & "The Day I Owned the Sky" [Combat with the Flying Tigers in China:] by Brig. Gen. Robert Lee Scott, Jr., "Wings of Madness" [Aviation Pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont:] by Paul Hoffman, "Stranger to the Ground" [Flying Early Jet Fighters with the National Guard:] by Richard Bach, and "Dr. Eckener's Dream Machine" [The Graf Zeppelin's 'round-the-world flight in 1929:] by Douglas Bottinger.
Do You like book The Spirit Of St. Louis (2003)?
Amazing I made it to 49 and never read this book. Also amazing that Lindbergh was such a good writer. Such a unique perspective on the earliest days of aviation, from barnstorming a living, to the early days of the Air Force, to one of the most historic flights in history. He strives to be complete and accurate in the books, just as he did in preparation and execution of his solo flight to Paris. Even the appendix is complete and detailed. (Be sure to browse through the complete log of the plane- from the first test flights, to the trip to Paris, to the subsequent flights around the US, central America, and West Indies. As Lindbergh admits, he was glad he waited 25 years to write the book as he would not have been as forthcoming on his mistakes or as transparent about the dangers of early aviation had he written it in his youth. And we can be glad he apparently honed his writing chops in those 25 years as well. His style in The Spirit of St. Louis is that of a very accomplished writer. Great read.
—Tim Lightfoot
For a man who describes himself as uninterested in spelling and grammar, Charles Lindbergh has written a wonderful book, completely worthy of a Pulitzer Prize. Lindbergh's book "The Spirit of St. Louis" follows his successful effort to become the first person to make a trans-Atlantic flight. Most regarded him initially as a crank -- too inexperienced and relying only on one-engine... but in the end his guts and courage carry him across the ocean to France. The story is told in great detail from the birth and of an idea to the construction of his airplane to an hour by hour account of his flight. Some of the tale gets bogged down a bit as he reminisces during the huge amount of downtown in the flight but overall this is a great account.
—Amerynth
A book like no other. But a large section of it was almost unreadable for me.Yes, I've never encountered a book like this. It is gripping and revealing and phenomenal (five stars) until about halfway through (as I remember). It was so good that I got my father and father-in-law to read along with me (and they NEVER read), but then we hit the place where the book focuses so heavily on hour-by-hour instrument readings--altitude, wind speed, etc--and the story stalled (sorry for the pun). I never do this, but it got so slow that I jumped ahead to the ending.Having said all of the above, THE BOOK IS STILL COMPLETELY WORTH THE TIME AND MONEY, BELIEVE ME!! But be prepared for the slow section (and consider giving yourself permission to jump ahead). Seriously, the first half (or so) is outstanding and remarkable, all the more so because it's all true.I'm not sure where I read it, but I believe Lindbergh was encouraged to edit down the second half, but to him it was all very critical information (and I respect that--the guy accomplished something that frankly shouldn't have been possible, not the way he did it). Perhaps aviation enthusiasts would appreciate that section more than I could.
—John Lee
