Amelia Earhart: The Turbulent Life of an American Icon - Tapa dura

'Kathleen C. Winters promises to dig through the myths and heroic dross to look at Amelia Earhart from 'a pilot's perspective.' This she does with masterly story-telling precision, revealing the sad truth that the famous aviatrix was all too often (usually owing to conflicting demands) ill-prepared to undertake her many attempted record flights. The result is a sober and absorbing account of the world's most iconic, yet tragic female pilot.'—Larry E. Tise, author of Conquering the Sky and the Wilbur and Orville Wright Distinguished Professor of History, East Carolina University

'Kathleen Winters's book is full of details I had never known about Amelia Earhart, which put her achievements and ultimate tragedy in a surprising new perspective. The author's experience as a pilot herself comes through in every part of the book. Anyone interested in flying or women who defy stereotypes will enjoy this book; but it also is a study in the timeless American traditions of marketing and PR.'—James Fallows, Atlantic Monthly

'In Amelia Earhart: The Turbulent Life of an American Icon, pilot and biographer Kathleen C. Winters draws upon new sources to give us a welcome and long overdue account of Earhart's tumultuous career, as well as the careful fashioning of her public image. A book with no small share of surprises, and an important contribution to the history of women and aviation.'—David Toomey, Associate Professor of English, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, USA
 
'Unsparing as Winters is with her subject's many shortcomings, her admiration for her intrepid spirit comes shining through.' - The Scotsman

'If you're only going to read one Amelia biography, make it this one. It's fast moving, puts all the facts in the context of the times and doesn't try to prove a point. It's hard to put down.'—Budd Davisson, Editor-in-Chief, Flight Journal magazine

Praise for Anne Morrow Lindergh:

"A perfectly calibrated tribute to an early heroine of the air." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Both pointed and modest." - The New York Times Book Review

"Beautifully written." - Booklist

When Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific in 1937, she was at the height of her fame. Fascination with Earhart remains just as strong today, as her mysterious disappearance continues to inspire speculation. In this nuanced and often surprising biography, acclaimed aviation historian Kathleen C. Winters moves beyond the caricature of the spunky, precocious pilot to offer a more complex portrait. Drawing on a wealth of contemporary accounts, airline records, and other original research, this book reveals a flawed heroine who was frequently reckless and lacked basic navigation skills, but who was also a canny manipulator of mass media. Winters details how Earhart and her husband, publisher George Putnam, worked to establish her as an international icon, even as other spectacular pilots went unnoticed. Sympathetic yet unsentimental, this biography helps us to see Amelia Earhart with fresh eyes.