Product Description
Profiles the childhood, education, interest in aviation, fame, tragedy, and controversy surrounding the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. ... Read more

Product Description
The lives and flying careers of Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart are briefly shown in cartoon format with text. ... Read more

Product Description
Presents a biography of Charles Lindbergh, from his early years as an aviator to his controversial later life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Economics 101
After reading this book, it occured to me that this book should be required reading in every high school and university economics class in this country. Published in 1923, this book is completely relevant to our present day. Why? How is that possible? The answer being, just as nature has laws you can not violate, so does economics have laws that you can not break. And those laws do not change over time. This book written by the father of the great aviator, describes his dismay at the passing of the Federal Reserve Act. He also describes a political system with politicians that serve a money power that works behind the scenes in this country. He predicts what will happen to this country if citizens do not become educated and fight this tyranny. His predictions describe the dismal situation we are now living in modern day America. Charles Lindbergh Sr. was "a voice crying in the wilderness", and no one cared to listen. There is so much wisdom and truth in this book! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping
This is a short, easy to read account of the facts of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping.There are plenty of pictures.If you want to read a "story", this is not it.It is what the title suggests, a primary source.I wanted it to provide a time line of the event and it did that very well. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review
"At a trial events are often seen in a distorted perspective.A violent event has taken place, and we work backwards from it,considering primarily the evidence bearing on that event. If we workforwards in a natural sequence, from a natural starting point, thisevidence may wear a very different appearance." These words frommystery writer Julian Symons are the inspiration for this evenhanded,chronological approach to the paired stories of Charles Lindbergh,whose child was kidnapped and murdered in 1932, and Bruno RichardHauptmann, who was tried, convicted, and executed for the crime. In aquietly affecting style, Ludovic Kennedy acquaints us with the characters of Lindbergh and Hauptmannin the years before their fates intertwined. Then he outlines thechain of events that led to this textbook case of how to frame aninnocent person for a crime. Kennedy wisely sidesteps the vexingquestion of who did kill the Lindbergh baby to focus on theunforgettable story of the kind and hardworking German carpenter whobecame a scapegoat for a country's guilt.

Note: this book wasfirst published in 1985 as The Airman and the Carpenter, andhas a new (1996) introduction by the author. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

This book is in the wrong catagory
This book is fiction, through and through.
Anyone who has studied this case will realize that the
mystery is not if Bruno H. was involved, but did he work
alone?Did his wife help him?

Unconvincing but moving
I enjoyed this book very much, but Kennedy's absolute conviction of Hauptmann's innocence made me skeptical of his presentation of the evidence. He does manage to successfully humanize the defendant...so much so that you grieve along with his widow when he is executed. I hate to nitpick, but I wish the American publishers had substituted 'learned' for the archaic and very British 'learnt.' The author uses it so often it's like fingernails on a blackboard. As to Hauptmann's guilt, you need only ask, "How many coincidences can you believe?" He just happened to have some of the ransom money, he just happened to be of German descent, just happened to match Dr. Condon's description of "Cemetery John," just happened to have handwriting similar to the ransom notes, (though this is disputed by Kennedy) and just happened to have a floor plank in his attic that seemed to be the source of one of the kidnap ladder's rails. (a photo of the two boards shown end-to-end in Jim Fisher's excellent book "The Lindbergh Case" is completely convincing) For further clarification, try to catch Court TV's "Forensic Files" re-examination of The Lindbergh evidence which was so fascinating I purchased from Amazon this book along with Fisher's.

Fantasy
Those who have read this book and felt terribly sorry for Hauptmann should now read Jim Fisher's The Lindbergh Trial to see what really happened. There was no miscarriage of justice and Hauptmann deserved his fate. Kennedy's book is a mishmash of sentimental reasoning and special pleading. Just one example: he pretends that there was extreme prejudice against Hauptmann because he was German. The fault with this theory is that in 1933 there was no widespread hostility to Germany and Mrs Hauptmann herself denied that she encountered any such problems. Fisher points out dozens of similar examples of faulty reasoning from Kennedy.

Don't Miss This One!
This is one of the best books of its kind in the world. The author does a wonderful job of stitching it together. This goes beyond a page-turner: this book will take over your life. If you are at all interested in the tradition of mock trials fronting mock justice, this is one of the most ridiculous examples to ever hit the American big top.

Amazing . . . disturbing . . . innocent until proven guilty?
As an avid fan of true crime, this book was recommended to me by my mother who told me to read "the original true crime book" (originally published as "The Airman and the Carpenter").She was right! This book was terribly disturbing and really rocked my faith in theAmerican legal system.I had heard stories about the Lindbergh kidnappingand how Hauptmann was NOT the kidnapper, but hearing those tales andreading the book and seeing everything in black and white are two verydifferent things.The facts are astounding . . . people (including the"heroic" Charles Lindbergh) told outright lies and railroadedHauptmann.His own lawyer basically said Haputmann was guilty and deservedthe electric chair . . . NJ Chief of Police Schwarzkopf admitted that hewould "do anything" for Lindbergh, including lie!It is aterrible shame how the media and the public crucified this man; he neverhad a chance.Everyone assumed his guilt from the beginning, and afteractually reading fact after fact after fact that was blatantly ignoredduring the trial . . . it is disturbing and shocking.So much for"innocent until proven guilty" . . . in Hauptmann's case,everyone around him searched for clues that would make him look guilty, andif that meant fabricating evidence against him, then so be it.This bookshows the justice system, the media, and the American public in general atits worst.I found myself becoming more and more angry and incensed as Iturned each page, as people lied under oath, fabricated evidence, made upstories, and ignored evidence that would have cleared Hauptmann.I feltterrible for him, his wife, and child.I think people inherently believethat if they are innocent, everything will work out for the best and ajudge and jury could not possibly believe lies and invented half-truths. An innocent man was put to death for something he obviously did not do.Inthis day and age, when a jury can find O.J. Simpson "not guilty,"I think Bruno Richard Hauptmann should finally be exonerated and have hisname cleared. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Uplifting
"This is a book that takes us back to the planning stage of commercial aviation in the 1930s. Anne Morrow Lindbergh writes with such heart and humanity that you feel a part of each moment she describes. She and her husband exhibited exceptional daring, heroism, intelligence and discipline as they stoically endured hardships and discomforts. It is good to be reminded of human capacity left to experience and instinct minus electronic equipment. It is uplifting* reading about these two people flying in a small seaplane for thousands of miles across land and ocean to stake out routes for future passenger travel.

*No pun intended."

Delightful
This book is enjoyable both for its beautiful descriptions of flight and an evocative account of the Lindberghs' experience in a small British colony in Africa in the 1930s. ... Read more

Product Description
A biographical profile of Charles Lindbergh, the American Lone Eagle. Lindbergh was not ready for stardom, and therein lies the story, like a quintessential Greek tragedy where the hero suffers a serious misfortune which is connected to his actions, demonstrating humankind’s vulnerability to suffering brought about by human and divine intervention.
Lindbergh became interested in flight when airplanes were mystical; few people had seen one and even fewer had ever been on one. Although 81 pilots had crossed the Atlantic by the time Lindbergh strapped himself into the Spirit of St. Louis on May 20, 1927, none had qualified for the $25,000 grand prize for a nonstop flight across the ocean. Edging out Admiral Byrd, whose Fokker trimotor was being repaired, Lindbergh arrived in France and became an instant international hero. Fame was closely followed by misfortune and his story is one of the more exciting annals of exploration and inspiration in the classic American sense. Award-winning author and syndicated columnist Daniel Alef, who has written more than 300 biographical profiles of America’s greatest tycoons, brings out the story of Lindbergh and his remarkable life of ups, downs and achievements.
[2,646-word Titans of Fortune article] ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Really glosses over his life
I've read a lot of books about Charles Lindbergh in the past 45 years.This really is like a cliff note look at his life and misses much of his life.
Maybe for a short primer it would be ok. ... Read more

Product Description
With his historic 1927 flight across the Atlantic in The Spirit of St. Louis, Charles Lindbergh overnight became one of America’s most celebrated heroes. In this highly readable biography, best-selling author Leonard Mosley offers an fascinating account of Lindbergh’s childhood, days as a barnstormer and mail pilot, the flight to Paris and its aftermath, the Hauptmann trial, his later life, and much more. Source Notes. Index. 40 halftone illus.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Indeed,God is my Co-Pilot....
This bio has merit,to be supplemented by many of their auto-biographical writings. Anne was painfully shy--flew across USA promoting safe Air Travel..she gained lst woman's glider pilot license,(1930) Died in Vt, at 94, Feb 7,2001. Just 1 week before valentines Day. Love,Peace..of aviation history...to big sky country,gone. ... Read more

Product Description
General Books publication date: 2009Original publication date: 1913Original Publisher: National capital press, inc.Subjects: Currency questionBanks and bankingNotes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free.Excerpt: WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH US?Business is conducted on a plan that makes it difficult for the most of us to secure the time in which to increase our information and enjoy the appropriate recreations and pleasures that are necessary in order to properly develop our intelligence and give us a correct mental and physical balance. It is true, however, that most of us are, and all men should be, capable of filling better positions in life than most of them occupy, but we are still forced to remain in the same condition because we allow a false system to continue in practice rather than bestir ourselves and enforce the institution of a proper system which would enable us to follow a natural order of things and stop receiving under pay for working over time throughout the entire journey of life.One reads in newspapers, books, and other sources of information the various views and conclusions of persons very much like ourselves. Some of those who write prove to be capable judges, some poor. Some people judge honestly, some look through clouded glasses and come tostrange conclusions. Sometimes the writers are honestly mistaken in their conclusions, but many of them are actually dishonest in the views that they apparently would have other men embrace. One cannot adopt any one of these conclusions as his absolute guide; neither has one the time to read all of them before the necessity arises for him to come to some definite conclusions about present conditions. For that reason I am taking up these studies and inviting... ... Read more

Product Description
In 1926, on a beautiful moon-clear night, a young pilot of the airmail route between St. Louis and Chicago conceived the ambition to fly a plane nonstop from one hemisphere to another, bridging the waste of water that separates continent from continent. This dream, the tiny seed of incalculable things to come, would not be denied. But how to fulfill it? Could a plane capable of carrying sufficient fuel for such a flight be bought? Would it be possible to get the necessary financial backing? Would businessmen believe in so seemingly foolhardy a project?

The months that followed saw a very determined young man wrestling with these problems. On May 21, 1927, this same young man took off from New York and, after thirty-three hours alone in the cockpit of his single-motored plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, hurtling through canyons of cloud and storm over 3,600 miles of Atlantic, landed on Le Bourget Aerodrome, Paris, thereby completing the first nonstop flight between the continents of America and Europe. The dream conceived on that moon-clear night in 1926 had found fulfillment.

The young man who had so large a part in bringing all this about was Charles Lindbergh. This is his autobiographical narrative of the planning and execution of the first nonstop airplane passage between the continents of America and Europe, concluding with an hour-by-hour account of that momentous, desperate, triumphant first flight over trackless water.

The personality and insight of Colonel Lindbergh give a strange force and significance to this book. It is an attempt, by an airman who is also a student of science, to clarify the crisis in the struggle between scientific materialism and moral force which the world faces today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Lindbergh - The Spirit of St. Louis
A book I had read back in 1953, I wanted to re-read it today.I bought a used"almost new" book printed in 1953 and enjoyed re-reading it even more than my first reading.

Spirit of St. Louis
This book was the second written by Lindbergh about the historic trans-Atlantic flight. "We," the first book, was a rewrite of Lindbergh's contract writing for a newspaper. "The Spirit of St. Louis," written later, in 1953, is more definitive, and delves in the backstories involved in pulling off this immense feat. It includes chicanery by competing NY entities, the struggle to get financing, getting a plane custom designed and built in record time by Ryan Aviation in San Diego, and the delusions and hallucinations suffered by the pilot flying with almost no sleep the night before he headed east. For those interested in planes -- and heroes -- this is a page-turner. One comes away with a deep appreciation for the fact the Lindbergh knew about all there was to know at the time about aviation, from designing and building a plane, to operating and maintaining it, to navigation, and yes, to the art of flying. It ends with the detailed plans for the Spirit of St. Louis, in enlarged fold out fashion, in the back of the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

At Least, Another Side of the Story
I grew up near Hopewell, NJ, the town where Charles Lindbergh lived, and where the kidnapping took place. As a result of this, and the fact that I am an inherently morbid person, I have read a great deal on the kidnapping of the baby. While I too question whether the right man was captured in the case, and while this book raises some interesting questions about the motivations behind some of the key players, this book is based on a number of assumptions that were later proven to be wrong out of hand (including an assertion that the corpse found was not the Lindbergh child, arising from a misprint in an early reward poster). The book is outdated, somewhat prone to be conspiratorial in a manner not favoring the airman, and really only suitable for persons deeply interested in the history of the case and trial, not those with a passing interest. However, if you really are interested in the kidnapping case, this is a good work to read, if nothing else for the balance it provides, and suggestion the popular answer isn't always the right one.

"Truth cannot be measured by majority opinion." Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI

A miscarriage of justice...
I have read several books about the Lindbergh kidnapping and the Trial of the Century.A friend recommended The Airman and The Carpenter: The Lindbergh Kidnapping and the Framing of Richard Hauptmann by Ludovic Kennedy.Whether or not you believe that Bruno Richard Hauptmann was guilty in the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby, you can't help but be outraged over this historic trial.

Kennedy starts by giving a brief look at the backgrounds of Charles Lindbergh and Richard Hauptmann, as well as the period of time leading up to the kidnapping.Months after the baby was kidnapped and the ransom paid, the baby's remains were discovered four miles from the Lindbergh home.Marked ransom bills trickled into circulation, but it wasn't until over two years later that an astute gas station attendant wrote the license plate number of a patron who paid for his gas in marked gold certificates.This led police to the illegal German immigrant, Bruno Richard Hauptmann.

From the time of the arrest, the New Jersey State Police, led by Norman Schwartzkopf, Sr. latched onto Hauptmann and refused to consider any other scenario or suspect.Schwartzkopf was ill-prepared to handle such an important and high-profile case, having "never patrolled a beat or arrested a criminal."In fact, his only experience was as a floor-walker for a department store.He also refused to bring in the FBI (kidnapping was not a federal crime until after the Lindbergh kidnapping).Believing that Hauptmann was guilty but having only circumstantial evidence, the state police went to extremes to see that Hauptmann was convicted.They doctored employment records and confiscated others.They took his two ¾" chisels out of his toolbox, and then presented the toolbox in court--claiming that the chisel found at the crime scene belonged to Hauptmann.They suppressed evidence that showed that more than one person was involved, and that someone in the Lindbergh household may have provided inside information.They got two Lindbergh neighbors to lie and say they saw Lindbergh near the crime scene.They refused to allow the defense team to see Hauptmann's house or garage.This list goes on and on.And if it wasn't bad enough that the prosecution cheated and lied at every turn, his own lawyer was a big Lindbergh fan (had a photo of the aviator on his desk) and never believed in his client's innocence.The incompetent Edward J. Reilly was paid for by the Hearst Press and suffered from alcoholism and the final stages of syphilis.In four months time, he spent only 38 minutes with his client.One of Hauptmann's secondary attorneys claimed that "This is the greatest tragedy in the history of New Jersey.Time will never wash it out."

The major complaint that I have with The Airman and The Carpenter is that Kennedy gives us only a very superficial examination of the aftermath of the trial.Written in 1985, he certainly could have looked much farther than he did.While I am still not convinced that Hauptmann was totally innocent, I do believe a gross miscarriage of justice was done in that Flemington, NJ courthouse.

An Argument Against Guilt
The author was in New York in September 1981 and saw a TV show with Anna Hauptmann; after half a century she passionately declared her husband Richard was innocent of the crime. This impressed him enough to pick this subject for his next book. Other books were on miscarriages of justice. Kennedy is against the death penalty (but for euthanasia!?). He used the recently opened case archives in Trenton for this book. The 'Introduction' tells the reader what to expect from this very readable book.

Part One is a short biography of Charles Lindbergh. [It does not tell you that his Congressman father opposed the private banking cartel known as the Federal Reserve System.] Lindbergh's love of practical jokes suggests a flawed personality. Part Two tells of Richard Hauptmann. In the war he learned to do whatever it took to survive. Lawlessness increased after the war. Hauptmann burgled and robbed and was caught and sentenced. His adventures showed quick-witted daring. Hauptmann reported for work at 8 am, March 1, 1932. After work 5 pm he went home, then picked up his wife around 8 pm (p.80). Part Three explains what happened after the baby was kidnapped. Two sets of footprints were found leading from the ladder. The Lindberghs decided to stay over on Tuesday morning, so the kidnappers were either very lucky or had inside knowledge. After a ransom note arrived, $50,000 was given to a man in a Bronx cemetery. Then the body was found near the home. Part Four tells of the continuing investigation, and Hauptmann's life and friends. The Lindberghs lived as happily as possible. One of the ransom money bills led to the capture of Hauptmann.

Part Five notes the methods of the investigation of Hauptmann. Kennedy explains how a witness is prepared to identify a suspect (p.176), and criticizes their methods (p.177). But Hauptmann often lied (p.178). Pages 179-182 explain how the ransom note was forged: Hauptmann was forced to copy the note with its mistakes! There is implausibility in removing a plank from the attic (p.212). The fingerprints on the ransom note and ladder did not match Hauptmann; his shoe size did not match the footprints (pp.213-4). Page 216 tells how they found an eyewitness. Rail 16 was 1/16" thicker than the attic flooring (p.220)! Page 226 explains how evidence disappears when it challenges the prosecution's case. Part Six explains the actions of the Prosecution. Evidence was fabricated (p.242, 244). Defense lawyer Reilly was crooked or crazy (p.242). The trick with the ransom note is on page 276. The study of handwriting is an art, not a science (p.277). A chisel was removed to incriminate Hauptmann (p.295)! The "expert" witnesses impressed the jury. Part Seven tells of the efforts by the Defense lawyers. How could a professional carpenter make such a ramshackle ladder (p.309)? Page 314 tells how Wilentz threatened a defense witness. Rail 16 had "only one nail hole" after the kidnapping (p.317)! The other facts to prove it didn't come from the attic are on page 319. The jury found Hauptmann guilty in the first degree (p.344). Part Eight lists the efforts to overturn the sentence. Hauptmann's lawyers argued against the unreliable testimony of witnesses. The Court of Errors and Appeals affirmed the verdict. Given the evidence, the verdict was correct. Hauptmann "collected the ransom money and was therefore the kidnapper" (p.363). Governor Hoffman was advised that the trial was flawed, and Hauptmann was not guilty (p.366). Hauptmann pointed out the flaws in the case (p.367). The Court of Pardons would not commute his sentence (p.377). The evidence against guilt is on pages 383-384. There was a problem with Rail 16; it didn't fit (p.389)! The 'Epilogue' has the aftermath of the case. Page 409 tells of Lindbergh's gullibility on the German air force; or was it his fascist sympathy?

Kennedy says Hoffman "failed to win re-election as Governor in 1938" (p.408). Governors then were limited to one term of three years (as in most other states). The neighboring county is Warren, not "Warner" (p.241). One important clue in this case was the baby's pajamas; whoever had them took the baby. Where is this mentioned?

An Argument Against Guilt
The author was in New York in September 1981 and saw a TV show with Anna Hauptmann; after half a century she passionately declared her husband Richard was innocent of the crime. This impressed him enough to pick this subject for his next book. Other books were on miscarriages of justice. Kennedy is against the death penalty (but for euthanasia!?). He used the recently opened case archives in Trenton for this book. The 'Introduction' tells the reader what to expect from this very readable book.

Part One is a short biography of Charles Lindbergh. [It does not tell you that his Congressman father opposed the private banking cartel known as the Federal Reserve System.] Lindbergh's love of practical jokes suggests a flawed personality. Part Two tells of Richard Hauptmann. In the war he learned to do whatever it took to survive. Lawlessness increased after the war. Hauptmann burgled and robbed and was caught and sentenced. His adventures showed quick-witted daring. Hauptmann reported for work at 8 am, March 1, 1932. After work 5 pm he went home, then picked up his wife around 8 pm (p.80). Part Three explains what happened after the baby was kidnapped. Two sets of footprints were found leading from the ladder. The Lindberghs decided to stay over on Tuesday morning, so the kidnappers were either very lucky or had inside knowledge. After a ransom note arrived, $50,000 was given to a man in a Bronx cemetery. Then the body was found near the home. Part Four tells of the continuing investigation, and Hauptmann's life and friends. The Lindberghs lived as happily as possible. One of the ransom money bills led to the capture of Hauptmann.

Part Five notes the methods of the investigation of Hauptmann. Kennedy explains how a witness is prepared to identify a suspect (p.176), and criticizes their methods (p.177). But Hauptmann often lied (p.178). Pages 179-182 explain how the ransom note was forged: Hauptmann was forced to copy the note with its mistakes! There is implausibility in removing a plank from the attic (p.212). The fingerprints on the ransom note and ladder did not match Hauptmann; his shoe size did not match the footprints (pp.213-4). Page 216 tells how they found an eyewitness. Rail 16 was 1/16" thicker than the attic flooring (p.220)! Page 226 explains how evidence disappears when it challenges the prosecution's case. Part Six explains the actions of the Prosecution. Evidence was fabricated (p.242, 244). Defense lawyer Reilly was crooked or crazy (p.242). The trick with the ransom note is on page 276. The study of handwriting is an art, not a science (p.277). A chisel was removed to incriminate Hauptmann (p.295)! The "expert" witnesses impressed the jury. Part Seven tells of the efforts by the Defense lawyers. How could a professional carpenter make such a ramshackle ladder (p.309)? Page 314 tells how Wilentz threatened a defense witness. Rail 16 had "only one nail hole" after the kidnapping (p.317)! The other facts to prove it didn't come from the attic are on page 319. The jury found Hauptmann guilty in the first degree (p.344). Part Eight lists the efforts to overturn the sentence. Hauptmann's lawyers argued against the unreliable testimony of witnesses. The Court of Errors and Appeals affirmed the verdict. Given the evidence, the verdict was correct.Hauptmann "collected the ransom money and was therefore the kidnapper" (p.363). Governor Hoffman was advised that the trial was flawed, and Hauptmann was not guilty (p.366). Hauptmann pointed out the flaws in the case (p.367). The Court of Pardons would not commute his sentence (p.377). The evidence against guilt is on pages 383-384. There was a problem with Rail 16; it didn't fit (p.389)! The 'Epilogue' has the aftermath of the case. Page 409 tells of Lindbergh's gullibility on the German air force; or was it his fascist sympathy?

Kennedy says Hoffman "failed to win re-election as Governor in 1938" (p.408). Governors then were limited to one term of three years (as in most other states). The neighboring county is Warren, not "Warner" (p.241).

Grammatically wonderful, historically poor
Ludovic Kennedy demonstrates that he posseses significant writing skills.He keeps the reader interested throughout.Of all the books putting forth a theory of Hauptmann's innocence, his is the best written.

However, from a historical perspective, it is actually quite disappointing.For example, Kennedy insists that Hauptmann was working on 3/1/32, the day of the crime.However, Hauptmann testified at trial that he was not working that day.There are also several bold statements offered without any source or footnote which are contradicted by original source materials from the New Jersey State Police Museum and Archives.

In summary, Sir Ludovic is an excellent writer with great literary skills, but his conclusions and research leave much to be desired. ... Read more