The Flight of the Century: Charles Lindbergh and the Rise of American Aviation (Pivotal Moments in American History) - Hardcover

Kessner, Thomas

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195320190 ISBN 13: 9780195320190

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2010

Synopsis

In late May 1927 an inexperienced and unassuming 25-year-old Air Mail pilot from rural Minnesota stunned the world by making the first non-stop transatlantic flight. A spectacular feat of individual daring and collective technological accomplishment, Charles Lindbergh's flight from New York to Paris ushered in the modern age of commercial aviation.

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. Kessner 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 restore a sense of optimism and innocence. Kessner also shows how new forms of mass media made Lindbergh into the most famous international celebrity of his time, casting him in the role of a humble yet dashing American hero of rural origins and traditional values. Much has been made of Lindbergh's personal integrity and his refusal to cash in on his fame, but Kessner reveals that Lindbergh was closely allied with, and managed by, a group of powerful businessmen--Harry Guggenheim, Dwight Morrow, and Henry Breckenridge chief among them--who sought to exploit aviation for mass transport and massive profits. Their efforts paid off as commercial air traffic soared from 6,000 passengers in 1926 to 173,000 passengers in 1929. Kessner's book is the first to fully explore Lindbergh's central role in promoting the airline industry--the rise of which has influenced everything from where we live to how we wage war and do business.

About this title

About the Author

Thomas Kessner is Distinguished Professor of History at the City University of New York Graduate Center. He is the author of many books, including Capital City: New York City and the Men Behind America's Rise to Dominance, 1860-1900 and Fiorello H. LaGuardia and the Making of Modern New York, which was a New York Times Notable Book.

Reviews

Kessner approaches the much-analyzed Charles Lindbergh by asking why “other fliers made records but he made history.” Readily detailing the pertinent moments in the aviator’s history, from his childhood to Atlantic flight to the devastating loss of his oldest child, Kessner also writes about media coverage of Lindbergh’s exploits and the intense focus of the press long after he flew from New York to Paris. He concludes that Lindbergh’s fame was based not only on his achievement but also on the fact that he flew alone (his competitors all flew in teams) and that he refuted the trappings of fame, turning down movie deals, sponsorships, endorsements, and outright attempts at monetary gifts. Young and self-deprecating, Lindbergh paid public fealty to the World War I aviators who came before him. Kessner shows how the man converged perfectly with his times. In a field of conventional biographies, Kessner’s (including copious end notes) stands out as he asks what made this man famous and reveals that Lindbergh’s story tells as much about us as it does about him. --Colleen Mondor

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0195320190
• ISBN 13: 9780195320190
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336