A new and definitive biography of the first lady of aviation.. The myths surrounding the life and legacy of Amelia Earhart run the gamut from the mundane to the ridiculous. Since her disappearance in 1937, people have questioned not only her actual death, but many aspects of her life, including the nature of the relationship with her husband, the flamboyant publishing magnate George Palmer Putnam, and even her very competency as a flier. Now, with East to the Dawn , Susan Butler offers the most comprehensive account to date ...
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A new and definitive biography of the first lady of aviation.. The myths surrounding the life and legacy of Amelia Earhart run the gamut from the mundane to the ridiculous. Since her disappearance in 1937, people have questioned not only her actual death, but many aspects of her life, including the nature of the relationship with her husband, the flamboyant publishing magnate George Palmer Putnam, and even her very competency as a flier. Now, with East to the Dawn , Susan Butler offers the most comprehensive account to date of Earharts extraordinary lifeand finally sets the record straight.The image we have of Amelia Earhart todaya tousle-haired, androgynous flier clad in shirt, silk scarf, leather jacket, and gogglesis only one of her many personas, most of which have been lost to us through the years. Many of her accomplishments have been obscured by a growing obsession with the mystery of her disappearance. As well, Earhart herself was a master of putting on faces: a woman constantly striving for success and personal freedom in the 1920s and 30s, she could scarcely afford to let on when something was troubling her. Through years of research, however, as well as interviews with many of the surviving people who knew Amelia, Susan Butler has recreated a remarkably vivid and multi-faceted portrait of this enigmatic figure. As a result, readers experience Amelia in all her permutations: not just as a pilot, but also as an educator, a social worker, a lecturer, a businesswoman, and a tireless promoter of womens rights; we experience a remarkably energetic and enterprising woman who succeeded in life beyond her wildest dreams, while never losing sight of her beginnings; and we experience a woman who battled incredible odds to achieve her fame, while ensuring that her success would secure a path for women after her. Some odds, are insurmountable, however, and this fact became painfully evident on the last leg of Earharts round-the-world- flight. In the chapters describing the last flight, Butler deals with and dispels some of the most pernicious myths about Ameliafor instance, that her disappearance was planned as part of an espionage mission against the Japanese. Instead, she offers a less romantic but ultimately tragic scenario: that the Electras limited navigational equipment was unable to find Howland Islanda piece of land the size of the Cleveland Airportin the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and a great flier died at sea.Butler masterfully renders this portrait of the first lady of aviation in a story filled with drama, pathos, and humor. East to the Dawn is a landmark biography, and will be the definitive life of Amelia Earhart for years to come.
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Seller's Description:
Good. The book may have minor cosmetic wear (i.e. creased spine/cover, scratches, curled corners, folded pages, minor sunburn, minor water damage, minor bent). The book may have some highlights/notes/underlined pages-Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included-Safe and Secure Mailer-No Hassle Return.
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Good. Minimal signs of wear. Corners and cover may show wear. May contain highlighting and or writing. May be missing dust jacket. May not include supplemental materials. May be a former library book.
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Good in good dust jacket. Stated first edition with full number line, binding tight, dust jacket has rubbing on edges and at corners, dust jacket has tears on lower spine from sticker removal, retainer mark on bottom page ends.
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Very Good. Size: 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall; Stated 1st print (full # line), looks unread, tight clean unmarked, NO age toning, ding on bottom edge of each board, no price on dust jacket so possibly a book club edition but no indicator, Very Good/Very Good.
This is by far the most detailed of the Earhart biographies; I even was able to find the street address of the house where she lived in St. Paul in 1913 (and drive by it on my recent trip). It isn't a hagiography--unlike so many other biographies of Earhart-- which makes it a more interesting read.
Best of all, Susan Butler is either a pilot herself or had a pilot proofread the manuscript for her; there are none of those "the engine stalled" kinds of factual errors that can make a book irritating for a pilot or aviation buff to read. If you read only one biography of Earhart, this is the one.
readinto
Jan 28, 2010
Thorough & Factual & Fun
The book arrived rapidlyy and in like-new condition.
Being a biography, it is, in my opinion, meant to be tasted in small portions, taking ones time to absorb and think.
The author lays down an informative and fascinating background of the history of Amelia's family, thus whetting the reader's appetite for the arrival of the heroine.
This book will lift your spirits above the clouds.
