The Spirit of St. Louis

Written by the pilot that made the flight. A real piece of history!

I'm literally shocked at how gripping, engaging and downright entertaining this book is.I love Charles Lindbergh, the human, but I was expecting this book to be a dry retelling of a fairly straightforward expedition.I couldn't have been more wrong. Besides all his other talents, Lindbergh was an incredibly gifted writer. Pieced together by memory, diary, and news clippings, this first hand account of not just the journey but the events leading to it's completion is a thorough and breathtaking account of a magnificent era in American endeavors.I'm not a strong reader, but I couldn't stop tearing through the pages. What a magnificent storyteller, relaying a Herculian undertaking with ease and elegance.I cannot recommend this adventure enough.God bless Charles Lindbergh. God bless his spirit.

I read this a a young man in the 1960’s and it’s still as engaging as it was then. As a former pilot, I really enjoy the details of Lindbergh’s career as a barnstormer, a military pilot and as an early mail pilot. While he details the transatlantic flight itself, he weaves in his past as well. This was a very dangerous flight, but his input on the design of the plane and his approach to the flight reduced the risk to an acceptable level. It’s a great read and brings the history forward to today.

I got this as a gift for my grandfather who I later found out that Charles Lindbergh was his hero growing up. He had so many questions that were unanswered over the years as he never got a chance to purchase a book. This book answered every single question my grandfather had about Charles Lindbergh's life and the extraordinary flight of the spirit of St Louis. My grandfather loves this book and I couldn't have been happier.

I enjoyed the description of Charles formative years as an aviator. Charles tells us about his barnstorming, the early airmail flying, very risky scud running and the challenges the pilots faced just to keep their airplanes usuable. Much of the book is naturally devoted to the Atlantic crossing. It is amazing to read how quickly Charles went from the unknown underdog to having the finest engine and most capable design in such a short period. This crossing was truly a great feat for all kinds of reasons, but one that really stands out is his persistence and drive. Charles had incrediable focus and endurance. He was onsite for the design and construction of the Spirit, did the test flying, and in very short order was headed to NYC for the attempt. He hardly slept the night before leaving NY and then was required to stay awake until landing in Paris. Most of the New York to Paris narrative is very readable, though I found it a bit tough to hang in there during some of his more sleep deprived/delusional ramblings. I have seen the Spirt of St. Louis at the Smithsonian and reading the book makes me want to go back and enjoy it again.

this book is very precise in revealing Lindberg's thoughts prior to his actual transatlantic flight. He gained a huge amount of aviation experience flying mail planes at night and that is revealed in detail and then his effort to plan financial backing for the trip and how he negotiated with airplane manufactures for engine and fuselage. I have not finished the book yet but i can already see why it was a Pulitzer Prize winner.

My husband enjoyed reading this book. It flashes back and forth from his childhood to the actual flight. He also read "Anne Morrow Lindbergh" Her Life by Susan Hertog to give a more complete picture of the Lindberghs in the years after his famous flight.

This book is a great read which explains the initial idea to the actual first flight from New York to Paris. You will learn a little more about the legendary Charles Lindbergh's life as well. What I loved the most was the accounts give to what a pilot expects to encounter during flight, especially with weather and navigation. Quite a long book to say the least, you will be immersed in how he really achieve this feat in aviation. I really felt as though I was in the cockpit with him whilst reading this book.

Très bon livre.

合理的な行動が結果を出した。経済的にも科学的にも合理的なふるまい。それこそ世界中が注目した中での結果。フロンティアで奮い立つ勇気とそれを達成する計算。現代、社会的に広く知られている、個人の努力で達成できそうなフロンティアは見つかりにくい。昔は良かった？

My husband absolutely loved this book. Previously seen in the Smithsonian in Washington DC. He regretted not buying it but luckily I was able to find it for him.

My husband could not put this book down, he found it very interesting and was amazed at how young Lindbergh was to have achieved what he did.

Great Book, it would be nice if it was in kindle format but its an old story so best read on paper.