The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh

You probably know Charles Lindbergh as an aviator, the first to cross the Atlantic. You might know about the media sensation surrounding the kidnapping and death of his infant son. But I bet you didn't know about his support of eugenics and early Nazi sympathies. Lindbergh's life story is fascinating starting with his grandfather, who fled felony charges in Sweden and abandoned his family to move to America with his mistress. He would later lose his arm and a part of his back in a sawmill accident and despite the fact that the medical care he got at the time consisted of wrapping him in a blanket and leaving him to die in bed, he survived. Charles would take this a sign of the importance of gumption and stoicism and a sign that he came from "good stock". Charles Lindbergh was far more complicated than most people realize and his foray into politics and the "America First" movement has eerie relevance today.

Viewing American history through the lens of Charles Lindbergh offers a compelling and insightful, if often horrifying, narrative into many aspects of American society. From celebrity culture to science to the legal system to isolationism. This is nonfiction at its best. I could not put it down, except for the times when I read something so outrageous I had to find someone else to share it with before resuming the narrative. A complex and compelling read.

The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh by Candace Fleming

Erica's Picks
7th +
tags: biography, history, nonfiction

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