20 Hours, 40 Min: Our Flight in the Friendship

Commemorating the 75th anniversary of her first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, 20 Hrs., 40 Min. reintroduces Amelia Earhart—one of the most fascinating figures of the 20th century—to a new generation of readers.

Through her candid voice and fresh prose, Earhart recalls the events that led to her passion for flight. Moved by the tragedy of World War I, Earhart left high school to work in an army hospital in Canada. It was the golden age of aviation—a time when people still stopped on the street at the sight of an airplane gliding overhead, and Earhart was captivated by the goings-on at a local airfield. Her fascination quickly escalated; she took her first flying lesson in 1920 and by 1928, just one year after Charles Lindbergh made his famous transatlantic flight, Earhart boarded the Friendship with Will Stultz to become the first woman to accomplish the feat. Their achievement catapulted Earhart to international celebrity.

Using expanded entries from her flight book—written in pencil in the dark—Earhart relates the story of how she became connected with the Friendship flight and what she wanted to accomplish, which included earning recognition for women aviators. With a new National Geographic flight map, historic photos from the crossing, and Earhart’s irrepressible voice, 20 Hrs., 40 Min. is a refreshing glimpse into this icon’s remarkable spirit of adventure.

"From beginning to end [20 Hrs., 40 Min.] twinkles...with a quiet sense of humor that is forever flashing out, even in moments of the greatest seriousness, danger, and desperate outlook."