The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh

The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh
Candace Fleming
Schwartz & Wade/Random House, 2020
372 pages
Grades 9-Up
Biography

Experienced biographer, Fleming, pens a thoroughly researched account of the famous pilot, Lindbergh. She traces his childhood, into an ill-fated stab at college, to falling into the world of aeronautics. Lindbergh becomes the first person to cross the Atlantic. which launched him into superstardom. Then we travel along with him and his wife as their baby is kidnapped, resulting in the biggest news story of the 1920's. Lindbergh's fame was such that he had to move his family overseas to escape the constant barrage of photographers. Fleming points out that although Lindbergh is considered a great American hero, his star is a bit tarnished. He was, in all actuality, a white supremest and Nazi sympathizer. Lindbergh also harbored other personal secrets. Readers will get to know the man behind the legend in this compelling account of one of our best known American heroes.

I have read other biographies of Fleming and she never ceases to impress me. Carefully researched with noted sources, Fleming manages to offer accurate information, all while writing a compelling story. She can pull out the most interesting bits of a person that will keep readers turning pages. I knew Lindbergh as a great flier and hero and, of course, from the famous kidnapping. To me he was always a sympathetic figure after losing his son. This book made me see him in quite a different light, reconfirming my belief that no one is perfect. In fact, Lindbergh was far from it. He was a racist, demanding and not a particularly respectful husband. It almost gave me hope for the world in that the troubles we are currently facing in our country are not new, yet we keep moving forward. Lindbergh never achieved his racist dreams for America and hopefully the current angry voices won't either. Fleming offers a very comprehensive amount of source notes, a bibliography and an index to aid researchers, as well as a glossy photo section in the middle of the volume. The book is interesting, but dense, and it took me quite a bit of time to get through it, yet proved to be well worth the effort. A stunning endeavor!