Customer Reviews

Amelia Earhart Survived

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The author draws on many eyewitness sources, and has expertly delved into primary source files, including those connected to Henry Morgenthau, FDR, et.al., to present the most compelling case that Amelia Earhart did survive and did return to the U.S. and took an assumed name. There is too much here to discount as hot-air; and especially if you get to see the addendum recently done, titled, "Final Chapter," you will become convinced that this is the truth. As one who early on discovered the secret FDR White House tapes, before the American Heritage article by another historian, the Dictaphone tape of Morgenthau cannot be discounted. Folks who are still looking for the missing plane off Howland Island, will never find it there! It landed where the eyewitnesses said it did. Isn't it significant that Amelia never wanted to be fingerprinted, even after death! I believe that the "AE" so-called experts who condemn this book and others like it, are connected somehow, to either a foundation receiving money trying to locate the missing plane off Howland, or with the government and took an oath of secrecy, and have to state the contrary. I couldn't put this down. All the facts are laid out in meticulous order, with photo forensic evidence that proves that Earhart came back to the U.S. and assumed a new identity with the help of a Catholic priest, who told the truth, before he died. The book also includes radio equipment evidence that supports other evidence that Earhart did not land at Howland Island, but turned North. Also included is the evidence given by now deceased Admiral Chester Nimitz and by a Earhart family member who confided that Earhart was not just going to fly around the world, but included a secret military mission as well. I especially like how the author lays out the evidence, and then summarizes it after each chapter. The story is also substantiated by further research by writer/US Major Air Force, retired, Joe Gervais and Joe Klass Amelia Earhart Lives A great read for anyone wanting to know the TRUTH about the survival of Amelia Earhart. My highest recommendation.

The concept of the survival of Amelia Earhart (AE) and her secret repatriation as Irene Bolam (IB) is intriguing... However, whether the proposed material can be considered as firmly proven and overwhelmingly convincing by any objective
researcher?

I am afraid, alas, the answer is NOT... and it is known the serious AE researchers tends to share this position.

The author of the "forensic research" (that is one of key points of the book), Mr. Tod Swindell, made a great work presenting his arguments, but the counter-arguments that support conclusion that AE and IB were different persons are numerous and seem as significantly more compelling.

Obviously AE and IB had many differences, both in body structure and facial characteristics. Many people who knew both women personally were vehement in their statements attesting to their personal convictions that AE and IB were different persons.

...Whether any official verdict of professional forensic experts was presented, published in scientific journal and reviewed by peers?
The answer is yes... it is known that the material was closely examned by two professionally certified Ph.Ds specializing in Forensic research, and they refused to support the idea about "same identity" for AE and IB .

In many aspects, the theory contradicts both well established and documented facts, and just the logic.

Why AE would want to engage in the extremely difficult and radical undertaking of abandoning her identity to become a New Jersey housewife? No fact or even believable theoretical reasons have ever been presented, only speculative guesses in complete
contradiction with many credible historical sources about AE's character and personality have been offered.

How it was possible for AE to abandon her family, especialy her mother and sister, to whom she was extremely close? How it was possible for her to abandon and never contact her husband George Putnam, as well as her numerous friends? AE's loyalty to
family and friends was legendary and was among her most firmly proven, publicly known and deservely celebrated qualities.

Where was AE between 1937 and 1945? An impressive body
of evidence has been amassed that indicates her presence on Saipan as a prisoner of Japanese, but no evidence has ever been found to indicate her "evacuation" from Saipan - whether documental or anecdotal.
Neither has any evidence been produced from Japan to indicate AE's presence there that appears minimally credible in any way.

The alleged evidence that Monsignor James F. Kelley allegedly assisted AE in her repatriation is disputable and probably can't be accepted without most serious scepticism.
Analysis of Kelley's other, similar outlandish claims has prove them to be factually incorrect, and some serious researchers have concluded that he probably began developing some kind of dementia and mental frailty while in his 80s.
Some of his claims appear just highly bizarre, such as his recollection of personally shaving AE's head in search of some "secret Japanese implants" (?..).

What happened to the real, original IB? It was conclusively proven that she existed between 1934 and 1945, and was working in the banking business in New York City.

Why would the US Government use the name and identity of a real person, known by many people and living an active, normal life, in a plot to transform this individual into another, discrete individual (AE) without these people becoming aware of it?

How and why could such an immense and long-lived conspiracy, with hundreds or even thousands of people necessarily involved, be organized and kept secret for decades?

The theory claims that as if AE's family and friends could be aware of the conspiracy, but were all somehow persuaded to remain silent about it. But nothing of substance has ever been offered to support this idea, and it's virtually impossible to assume that so many people, by some "secret agreement", successfully concealed this plot from entire world for many
decades. It is extremely hard to keep such a stuff in
secrecy - for both "technical" and emotional reasons.

If even to guess that the "price of secrecy" that AE was compelled to pay included abandoning her family and friends, why then would AE, as IB, go on to live such a documented, semi-public lifestyle, attending aviation-related public events, joining organizations like Zontas and 99s (where AE was a former member) and meeting numerous people who personaly knew AE?

Finally, why would the U.S.Government allow the personal meeting of IB and Mr. Joe Gervais, who was already well known as a dedicated and persistent AE researcher?

Considering all he above, it seems very difficult to accept the concept of Amelia Earhart's secret repatriation as Irene Bolam as a serious historic version. It is just a theory, and enough far-fethced, bizarre and radical one, at that.
The hard work and sincere enthusiasm of this theory's proponents can be commended, but it seems to me that unless and until some supporting hard facts and authentic documentation
can be presented, any claims to its legitimacy are
more a reflection of some people's natural avidness for
a solution to AE mystery than anything else.

Respectfully submitted - Alex V. Mandel, Ph.D.

(Naval and aviation historian, author; AE historian
and enthusiast since 1982)

Both Joe Gervais and Rollin Reineck, WWII veterans who experienced life in the Pacific while in the military, advocated the private Earhart survival story since the 1970s. Indeed it was Gervais who started the ball rolling in 1960, and he was well on his way to proving out Earhart's true controversy in a public sense until the military stepped in, confiscated his material, and then asked him to retire from active duty in 1963. It is no secret among many anymore, Amelia survived to change her name to one of three different people who shared the same identity of Irene Craigmile. To this day the very notion of this remains automatically shunned by the likes of those adhering to convention (such as Alex Mandel of the Ukraine, who falsely claims to be some kind of Earhart knowledge god) and are part of the ongoing obfuscation of the true Earhart survival story. It's as simple as this: According to official history Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan "likely died" after disappearing in 1937. The truth is they quietly ended up existing under Japan's auspice, and although Noonan's trail was colder, there remains no doubt to the learned Amelia survived to change her name, and she privately lived in basic anonymity until 1982, after finishing out her life extensively traveling the world. See the Irene-Amelia website for more information. Reineck's book 'Amelia Earhart Survived' was the first to expound on the plurality of the existence of Irene Craigmile, with one of the Irenes having been the former Amelia Earhart. Anyone who claims otherwise has not studied the story closely enough, to include the hapless stalwart Mr. Mandel.