The Flight: Charles Lindbergh's Daring and Immortal 1927 Transatlantic Crossing

by Dan Hampton Narrated by John Pruden

Overview

A gripping and unique ""in-the-cockpit"" account of Charles Lindbergh's extraordinary first transatlantic flight from New York to Paris, by acclaimed aviation historian (Viper Pilot, Lords of the Sky) and former fighter pilot Dan Hampton-""one of the most decorated pilots in Air Force history"" (New York Post).

America's finest aviation story in the hands of our finest aviation historian, The Flight is Dan Hampton's biggest, most dramatic book yet.

On the morning of May 20, 1927, a little known pilot named Charles Lindbergh waited to take off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island. He was determined to claim the $25,000 Orteig Prize promised to the first pilot to fly nonstop from New York to Paris-a contest that had already claimed six men's lives. Just twenty-five years old, Lindbergh had never before flown over water. Yet thirty-three hours later, his single-engine monoplane, The Spirit of St. Louis, touched down in Paris. Overnight, Charles Lindbergh became the most famous aviator of all time.

The Flight is a long overdue, flyer's-eye-view look at Lindbergh's legendary journey. Decorated fighter pilot and bestselling author Dan Hampton offers a unique appreciation for Lindbergh's accomplishment: Hampton has flown the exact same route many times, knowledge that informs and shapes The Flight. Relying upon a trove of primary sources, including Lindbergh's own personal diary and writings, Hampton crafts a dramatic narrative of a challenging, death-defying feat that many had believed was impossible.

Moving hour by hour, Hampton recounts Lindbergh's uncertainty over his equipment and his courage as he traverses the vast darkness of the Atlantic with no radar. Moving between the sky and ground, Hampton intersperses the tale of the flight with Lindbergh's personal history as well as some of the stories of those waiting for him on the ground, praying he would make it safely across.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Hampton’s soaring Flight goes in the cockpit with Lindbergh. ... An engrossing account. ... Hampton is a voice of expertise in the air. ... [A] well-crafted tale of adventure.” — USA Today

“Outstanding. ... Riveting. ... Recommended. ... A painstaking account [that] succeeds in placing readers in the cockpit of the Spirit of St. Louis. .” — Library Journal (starred review)

“Often referred to as the deadliest F-16 pilot, outspoken bestselling author Dan Hampton is back ... with his upcoming book about Charles Lindbergh’s historic voyage—aptly titled The Flight. ... Hampton wrote one of the best air-combat memoirs of all time, Viper Pilot.” — Tyler Rogoway, TheDrive.com

“Gripping. ... An hour-by-hour account of the Lone Eagle’s grueling passage through the thunderstorms and ice clouds of the North Atlantic. ... Hampton is just the talent to rescue Lindbergh from neglect.” — Rinker Buck, Wall Street Journal

“Vivid. … Offer[s] a cockpit’s-eye view of the flight. This you-are-there perspective effectively evokes the tension, risk, and skill involved, from the moment Lindbergh takes off from Roosevelt Field, crosses the coast of Newfoundland, and soars alone into the night above the roiling sea.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Delivers an ‘in-the-cockpit’ account of Charles Lindbergh’s first transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.” — Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“For those wanting to read about the legendary journey in the style of an expertly crafted modern suspense thriller, Hampton’s book delivers.” — Aviation History

Tyler Rogoway

Often referred to as the deadliest F-16 pilot, outspoken bestselling author Dan Hampton is back ... with his upcoming book about Charles Lindbergh’s historic voyage—aptly titled The Flight. ... Hampton wrote one of the best air-combat memoirs of all time, Viper Pilot.

Aviation History

For those wanting to read about the legendary journey in the style of an expertly crafted modern suspense thriller, Hampton’s book delivers.

Rinker Buck

Gripping. ... An hour-by-hour account of the Lone Eagle’s grueling passage through the thunderstorms and ice clouds of the North Atlantic. ... Hampton is just the talent to rescue Lindbergh from neglect.

USA Today

Hampton’s soaring Flight goes in the cockpit with Lindbergh. ... An engrossing account. ... Hampton is a voice of expertise in the air. ... [A] well-crafted tale of adventure.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Delivers an ‘in-the-cockpit’ account of Charles Lindbergh’s first transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.

USA Today

Hampton’s soaring Flight goes in the cockpit with Lindbergh. ... An engrossing account. ... Hampton is a voice of expertise in the air. ... [A] well-crafted tale of adventure.

Library Journal

★ 05/01/2017
Hampton (The Hunter Killers) writes a painstaking account of Charles Lindbergh's remarkable 1927 flight from Long Island, NY, to Paris. Significant aspects of the aviator's early years, character, and adulthood are defined, but Hampton does not intend to provide a detailed assessment of Lindbergh's life. Instead, he succeeds in placing readers in the cockpit of the Spirit of St. Louis during Lindbergh's more than 33-hour aerial sojourn on May 20–21, 1927. This notable voyage ended with victory celebrations in Paris, Brussels, London, and the United States. Also addressed is Lindbergh's prewar isolationist involvement in the America First Committee, voluntary exile in Europe, later feud with Franklin D. Roosevelt, and World War II years as a technical advisor and combat pilot. The aviator's main contribution to history came in the late 1920s, insists Hampton, when "America realized that innocence was not totally lost nor honor dead, and through Charles Lindbergh they [its citizens] finally had something, and someone, to believe in again." VERDICT An outstanding treatment of some of the most riveting hours of Lindbergh's life. Recommended for aviation historians and enthusiasts, social and intellectual academics, devotees of the 1920s, and all readers.—John Carver Edwards, formerly with Univ. of Georgia Libs.

Kirkus Reviews

2017-03-28
A historic flight recounted in vivid detail.Fighter pilot and aviation historian Hampton (The Hunter Killers: The Extraordinary Story of the First Wild Weasels, the Band of Maverick Aviators Who Flew the Most Dangerous Missions of the Vietnam War, 2015, etc.) follows Charles Lindbergh's (1902-1974) thrilling 33-hour flight from New York to Paris, the first solo trip across the Atlantic. When he took off on May 20, 1927, he knew that past efforts had failed, but the young man, who had been a mail delivery pilot, was undaunted. Lindbergh had aspired to become a pilot since childhood: in 1912, accompanying his parents to the Army Aeronautical Trials, he felt "electrified" by flight displays. "I used to imagine myself with wings," he said, "on which I could swoop down off our roof into the valley, soaring through the air from one river bank to the other." Hampton portrays Lindbergh as a mediocre student with little interest in world, or even family, affairs: he ignored his father's career failings, his parents' estrangement, and political turmoil in the U.S. and abroad. He focused instead on flying, which is the author's focus, as well. Although he sets the trans-Atlantic feat in the context of post-World War I America, the strongest parts of the book offer a cockpit's-eye view of the flight. This you-are-there perspective effectively evokes the tension, risk, and skill involved, from the moment Lindbergh settles into his wicker seat, takes off from Roosevelt Field, crosses the coast of Newfoundland, and soars alone into the night above the roiling sea. Storms, fog, wind, clouds, and ice threaten him; he is beset by fatigue and roused by extreme cold and fear. Hampton's use of technical terms, explained in a glossary, does not detract from his brisk narrative. Overwhelmed by cheering crowds in Paris and the U.S., the shy Lindbergh was disconcerted to find that he had become a hero. Hampton only briefly summarizes his later career and controversial political views, including some accusations of anti-Semitism. A celebration of a heroic feat sure to interest fans of aviation history.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173776204
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/16/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged

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