Charles A. Lindbergh: A Human Hero (Hardcover)

by James Cross Giblin (Author) "One afternoon in 1913 Charles Lindbergh was playing upstairs in his family's summer home in Little Falls, Minnesota, when he heard the sound of an..." (more)
Key Phrases: birds than airplanes, airmail route, airmail pilot, New York, United States, Charles Lindbergh (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 4 Up. A biography of the controversial aviator that also examines the phenomenon of our need to create heroes. Handsomely illustrated and well-documented, the text provides period commentary as well as retrospective analyses of events.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Adventurer, family man, environmentalist, Nazi apologist, Giblin gives us a sense of the complete man in this balanced portrait -- a man he calls 'an all-too-human hero.' " -- Review

This sympathetic and informed account (beautifully illustrated with contemporary photographs) is an excellent introduction to Lindbergh and also to the early years of the celebrity society in which we live now.(Ages 10 and older) -- The New York Times Book Review, Tom Ferrell

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (October 20, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395633893
• ISBN-13: 978-0395633892
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #865,589 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lindbergh in all his glorious complexity, January 5, 2004

By	E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

The general idea behind Giblin's book is that Charles Lindbergh was a hero despite his faults and flaws. Cleverly, he has chosen to present Charles's life in full, making him a understandable character, before later revealing his Nazi sympathies. Giblin is no stranger to the controversial biography. His adept children's book, "The Life and Death of Adolph Hitler", follows much the same path as this earlier creation. Lindbergh's life was nothing if not exciting. He became the first man to cross the Atlantic from New York to Paris. Then his baby was kidnapped and killed. Then he started spouting racist and anti-semitic speeches in an effort to keep America out of World War Two. Finally, he worked tirelessly to conserve the environment and protect endangered species for the rest of his life. If you examine these facts as a whole, you find it difficult to pigeonhole this fascinating human being. Giblin has presented his subject honestly. People who see Lindbergh as a hero and people who see him as a racist traitor will both enjoy this riveting biography. To his credit, Giblin never shies away from the negative aspects of his otherwise beloved subject. Though he offers several possible explanations for Lindbergh's relentless isolationism, he lets the viewers come to their own conclusions about this tarnished man.

Giblin is to be commended for his research as well. There is no fact presented in this book that is not backed up by rigorous sourcenotes. An adept timeline, index, and bibliography appear in the back of the text. Personally, I find it difficult to forgive Lindbergh his crimes. Just the same, I cannot help but find things to admire about him, all thanks to Giblin's amazing skills as a children's biographer. This book is a full-scale biography that every student of history should read.

2 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charles Lindberg, May 30, 2002

By A Customer

This book is about Charles Lindbergh, the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean with his Spirit of St. Louis. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about Charles Lindbergh.