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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
I think she did as good of a job telling this story as was possible. Amelia Earhart's disappearance is one of the great mysteries of the 20th century, and yet, for a little while, you got to know what it would have been like to be alive during her time.
Best Earhart biography out there. Well written, well researched and balanced. She paints such an accurate picture that as the end neared, I kept thinking it would end differently - she has to make it! Those were the same thoughts the world had when she disappeared forever and part of the reason we keep going back to her story. An amazing woman who, even without her tragic end would have fascinated future generations, Earhart accomplished so much in her short life that she helped change the course of history. What I admire most was her internal drive and high principles that kept her pushing forward to break barriers, set records and - her ultimate goal - help women to set higher goals and achieve them. Her lack of competitiveness, sense of community and helpful outlook endeared her to her peers and accomplished more than any other female aviator. She wasn't just a publicity stunt, a Lady Lindy. She made sure that she earned the accolades that were always coming her way. And she made sure to bring all her friends along for the ride because she didn't want the world to see one woman could do amazing things - she wanted the world to know all women could be amazing if they would only try.
(2.2 of 5)
I did enjoy the immense amount of information (some of it new) about Earhart’s life and the intricate detail applied to Earhart’s childhood and her later achievements. But the book contained far too many mistakes for me, including factual errors, internal inconsistencies, and needless repetitions. I can only recommend it with the caveat that the reader must be willing to overlook these issues.
(I published a longer review on my website when I read this book in 2010.)
As biographies go, I really enjoyed this one. I suppose that is a credit to both Amelia Earhart and Susan Butler. The former for having lived such an interesting life and the latter for presenting a comprehensive and, for the most part, highly readable account of that life. I guess I'm really just a sucker for travelers and adventurers when it comes down to it.
Having said that I do have a few minor complaints. The first one being the family history and lineage in the beginning. To be perfectly honest I ended up skimming over most of this chapter because it was a nightmare trying to keep it all straight. Another reviewer mentioned that a family tree could have been included to help and I agree. Maybe pull one up online, if you can find it, before you start reading this book.
Another complaint I have, or maybe just observation, concerns the author's tendency to repeat things. In one case it was an entire paragraph rewritten in the exact same wording from earlier on in the book. It might be easy to miss for some but I found it a little, I don't know, tedious.
My last complaint, and maybe the least substantial, is the author's extremely thorough description of every little thing Amelia wore. Maybe it's a guy thing but when you go into describing someone's attire with so much detail I tend to zone out. It also doesn't help that this is the 20s and 30s we are talking about here and frankly I can't identify most of these items by name anyway. All I really got from the book in this regard is that Amelia liked to wear pants.
So anyway, like I said, my complaints are minor. It's a good read. Went rather quickly after I got through the chronologically muddled family background. I can't image there is a better bio on Amelia than this one.
Having said that I do have a few minor complaints. The first one being the family history and lineage in the beginning. To be perfectly honest I ended up skimming over most of this chapter because it was a nightmare trying to keep it all straight. Another reviewer mentioned that a family tree could have been included to help and I agree. Maybe pull one up online, if you can find it, before you start reading this book.
Another complaint I have, or maybe just observation, concerns the author's tendency to repeat things. In one case it was an entire paragraph rewritten in the exact same wording from earlier on in the book. It might be easy to miss for some but I found it a little, I don't know, tedious.
My last complaint, and maybe the least substantial, is the author's extremely thorough description of every little thing Amelia wore. Maybe it's a guy thing but when you go into describing someone's attire with so much detail I tend to zone out. It also doesn't help that this is the 20s and 30s we are talking about here and frankly I can't identify most of these items by name anyway. All I really got from the book in this regard is that Amelia liked to wear pants.
So anyway, like I said, my complaints are minor. It's a good read. Went rather quickly after I got through the chronologically muddled family background. I can't image there is a better bio on Amelia than this one.
Excellent and extremely interesting. I knew very little about Earhart, and this book did a great job filling me in. I especially appreciated the attention to Earhart's feminism and her attempts to build up careers and open opportunities for women. That more than any other reason is why I wish she hadn't vanished.
As to the last flight, I appreciated that the author laid out the available information on all topics, but didn't speculate very much. It's a topic that's gotten so sensationalised over the years that I appreciated the clear headedness here.
The book was, as other reviewers noted, perhaps slightly overly detailed in regards to her family background (though a lot of it went to explain her peculiar childhood and youth), and could have stood another sweep through by an editor to take out duplicated phrasing, but neither especially distracted me.
As to the last flight, I appreciated that the author laid out the available information on all topics, but didn't speculate very much. It's a topic that's gotten so sensationalised over the years that I appreciated the clear headedness here.
The book was, as other reviewers noted, perhaps slightly overly detailed in regards to her family background (though a lot of it went to explain her peculiar childhood and youth), and could have stood another sweep through by an editor to take out duplicated phrasing, but neither especially distracted me.