Customer Reviews

Autobiography of Values

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Charles A. Lindbergh, first person to fly the Atlantic alone, is a fascinating character. This book, written at the end of his life, is a glimpse in the fertile mind of a great man. He tells the story of being one of the first modern media celebrities, an unsought burden. We also follow him through his careers as a pilot in World War II and as a medical researcher.

The real appeal of this book is not the facts of Lindbergh's life, amazing and interesting as they are. The true privilege for the reader is to hear Lindbergh ruminate on the nature of life and spirituality, the ways to remain sane and centered in modern society, and what it means to be an individual while part of a team.

Lindbergh emerges from this memoir as a deep and warm human, one whose passage through this plane touched so many in a positive way.

This is an extraordinary and unusual book, and certainly not what one would expect from the first man to fly the Atlantic alone.

Lindbergh (ever the trailblazer) sets the tone for the future otherworldly musings of astronauts. There must be something about the experience of flight-or of pioneering flight in particular-that sets fire to the spirit and imagination of man.

In Autobiography of Values, Lindbergh freely blends history, memoir, and metaphysical musings. Here we see what was hinted at in Of Flight & Life and parts of The Spirit of St. Louis, given free rein. Reading his mind-expanding phrases, and the extraordinary spiritual experiences during his famous Paris flight (mentioned three times), one sees how a yoga master (Yogananda) could have said that Lindbergh had been a Himalayan yogi in a past life (although this book was written decades after that statement).

Lindbergh was a private person; yet it seems to me that in this book he let the veil slip a little. Perhaps it was because his death was approaching that the flyer felt free to share some of his deepest thoughts.

I recommend this book to spiritual wayfarers and aviation buffs, and to those who fall somewhere between.

Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]

I doubt that Lindbergh realized how odd and self-absorbed he would come across in this autobiography. He was cleared a gifted and brilliant man, but one who failed to realize that self-canonization is not an acceptable act for most mortals. His less than disguised bigotry and his last minute attempts to hide his serial adultery and illegitimate children further tarnish him as a man. He lived life large, in reality and more so in his own mind. That is my judgment, harsh though it may be.

I found the book both interesting and incredibly self-patronizing. Lindberg was an amazing individual to be certain but I felt, at times, that no human could be that interesting or intelligent, gifted or have that many opportunities to take whatever interest they may have and turn it into a National spectacle. I was reminded of the tales told in The Bible where men sat near the doorway of towns and talked with the King or other nobles as if they had unlimited access to them. Although Lindberg's fame granted him a certain level of notoriety and access to a higher level of citizenry, I still had a hard time with all of the muckety-mucks he rubbed elbows with in every endeavor he attempted and, as chronicled, succeeded at.

If you are looking to be entertained by an account of a man's values, as the title suggests, you may want to look elsewhere. If you are looking to find out more about a man who's arm may get tired of patting himself on the back, this is your book.

This is a great biographie on one of the greatest people ever! THIS IS A MUST READ

30 years after his death we find out that he had three mistresses in Europe and fathered 7 illegitimate children with them. Some values. This book is extremely hard to read after finding that out about the man.

This book was noted as being in Good Condition, well it wasn't. Some pages were stained and many pages had been written on and sections underlined. If I had known I would not have ordered this book. Will try to sell it on at a car boot sale! Disappointed and Amazon should inform the suppliers of this.