Customer Reviews

Katherine Stinson: The Flying Schoolgirl

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"Katherine Stinson: The Flying Schoolgirl" by Debra L. Winegarten is a refreshing, swift-moving biography of Katherine Stinson who, as a high-spirited young girl, was determined to fly. She was licensed as a pilot before World War I when aviation was in its infancy, planes were quite primitive and women generally were grounded as homemakers.

The daring, pioneering efforts and feats that brought Katherine Stinson success and international fame are wonderfully related by Debra Winegarten who entwines this life story with the early history of aviation and highlights it with excellent vintage photographs.

This is an inspiring, compelling, easy read for young people and adults, as well. To those who were unaware of her before, this book introduces Katherine Stinson and her close supportive family who eventually work together to establish an airfield and flight school, aircraft business in San Antonio. And perhaps most important is the message implicit in the courageous way Stinson meets each challenge in her career and aims for more: with earnest desire, dedication and education, ambitions - even some that seem far out now -- can be fully realized.

What a wonderful book!!! Debra Winegarten weaves this beautiful story of courage and originality with engaging simplicity. With the dearth of female heroes portrayed in the current literature accessible to adolescents, this book is both timely and necessary. The book will be inspiring to adults and young people alike as they are transported through this tale of bravery and boundary breaking depicting the story of a woman who dared to challenge convention in order to follow her dreams. You won't be able to put this book down as you are captured by this fascinating true story told in a readable, enjoyable, moving style. Read this book! Give it as gifts! Buy it for your daughters and sons! You will be very glad you did. I HIGHLY RECCOMEND THIS BOOK!!!

Debra L. Winegarten's "Katherine Stinson: The Flying Schoolgirl," with its 33 full-page illustrations, is a monumental contribution to the literature of early American aviation.

It is the fascinating factual story of Katherine Stinson and her seven years of extensive record-setting flying history. This tiny woman of 100 pounds, born in Alabama, raised in Texas, and in later life nourished in New Mexico where she became an architect, barnstormed county and state fairs, but more importantly, barnstormed around the world, becoming a great heroine when flying exhibitions in China and Japan where she was received and highly decorated by Japan's Emperor.

She and her sister Marjorie even trained many American and Canadian airmen to go overseas and fly against the Germans in World War I, even though the U.S. Army refused to give her a commission to fly. Disgusted at being "put down" for being a woman, she went to France anyway and drove an ambulance.

Here is a book, beautifully written and factually filled, that will thrill the hearts of all women when they read and come to know the many successes of "Flying Katie" as she was called, in spite of the fact that she was a woman. And it will make men cringe to see that "Katie" outflew them all.

Ralph Hammond, D.Litt. Poet Laureate Emeritus State of Alabama

As an adult reader and aviation historian I am pleased to add my compliments to the reviews of Debra Winegarten's biography of Katherine Stinson. Already mentioned by others are the perfectly charming photographs and organized format. One woman's story at a time, through books like this, we are finally breaking down the notion that women of the early 1900s were without careers. That these first lady fliers may inspire a future "99" (International Organization of Womens Pilots) is an added bonus.

Katherine Stinson's career was brief, but incredible. A tiny young woman from Mississippi turned the flying world on its ear, setting records, supporting her government, performing acrobatics in an open air cockpit, and showing an airplane-mad society that a woman could fly quite well. Debra L. Winegarten has done a terrific job pulling together photographs and stories about Katherine Stinson's flying career. Long before Amelia Earhart, Katherine Stinson overcame incredible odds and flew birdlike into history. Definitely an inspiring book!

Ms. Winegarten has given us a swell book, one which benefits from uncommon photographs of an uncommon person. To her credit, Ms. Winegarten alerts the reader of her use of a non-existent "friend" of Ms. Stinson's and invented dialogue as literary devices. While some, including this reviewer, might have hoped that Ms. Winegarten would not have resorted to the use of such fictional material, she at least points it out, clearly and above-board. The authors of a number of recent aviation biographies, especially it seems about pioneer aviators, are not so honest. Proper dates for events seem to elude many authors of such works, and Ms. Winegarten has her share of such trouble. Also, her list of "firsts" for Ms. Stinson, while impressive, is nonetheless wrong on a number of counts. Ms. Stinson did not invent sky-writing and she was not the first to fly at night with flares, or without flares for that matter. Her flying was impressive, of that there is no doubt, but perhaps it would serve us all well, authors and readers alike, to restrain our desire for a list of "firsts." Still, I'm pleased to have this book and, with the cautions cited, add my compliments to Ms. Winegarten and recommend this book, especially to younger readers, for whom it would make a fine gift.

Ms. Winegarten has given us a swell book, one which benefits from uncommon photographs of an uncommon person. To her credit, Ms. Winegarten alerts the reader of her use of a non-existent "friend" of Ms. Stinson's and invented dialogue as literary devices. While some, including this reviewer, might have hoped that Ms. Winegarten would not have resorted to the use of such fictional material, she at least points it out, clearly and above-board. The authors of a number of recent aviation biographies, especially it seems about pioneer aviators, are not so honest. Proper dates for events seem to elude many authors of such works, and Ms. Winegarten has her share of such trouble. Also, her list of "firsts" for Ms. Stinson, while impressive, is nonetheless wrong on a number of counts. Ms. Stinson did not invent sky-writing and she was not the first to fly at night with flares, or without flares for that matter. Her flying was impressive, of that there is no doubt, but perhaps it would serve us all well, authors and readers alike, to restrain our desire for a list of "firsts." Still, I'm pleased to have this book and, with the cautions cited, add my compliments to Ms. Winegarten and recommend this book, especially to younger readers, for whom it would make a fine gift.