I've read parts of this book, and from what I can tell, it is similar to other biographies of deceased controversial figures in which the biographer works too closely with the family of the subject to be objective. In reality, there were three points to Lindbergh's life that everybody should know who wants to know about him. This book covers the first two points well and glosses over the third.

1) Aviation Pioneer: He did much more than become the first person to fly the Atlantic solo nonstop. He was a talented aeronautical engineer, a tireless advocate of air power in defense circles, and an explorer who risked his life again and again to chart new air routes for the world to follow.
2) Son Kidnapped and Murdered: However, Lindbergh's initial fame had a tragic downside. He was the most famous man in the world for a while, and Time Magazine created its "Man of the Year" award for him. But renown brought disaster on his family when his son was kidnapped - apparently for a ransom, which was paid - and then murdered. This was known as the "Crime of the Century" at the time, and was not eclipsed by any other crime until the JFK assassination in 1963.
3) Anti-WWII Activist: Lindbergh and his wife travelled to Nazi Germany in the thirties, ostensibly as tourists, but covertly to gather information on the Nazi air force, the Luftwaffe. Luftwaffe chief Hermann Goering tricked Lindbergh into reporting back that the Nazis had a tremendous advantage in air power by flying the same planes over his head and around in circles to make them appear more numerous. Also on the this trip, he accepted a medal from Hitler's government. Upon his return, Lindbergh became the most famous figure in the movement we now know as "isolationist," which was mottled with anti-Semitic and Anglophobic prejudices. He wrote a number of articles and gave speeches in which he criticized - fairly or unfairly - supporters of America entering the war, most specifically Jewish groups and FDR's government, as selfish and more concerned with the welfare of their demographic group than that of the U.S. This created a tremendous backlash against Lindbergh, who was widely pereived as "defeatist" and, for many, openly pro-Nazi. After this backlash, Lindberg's star fell and never rose again, and this was because of his own political naivete in perceiving the fascist movement as nothing more than a reaction and counterbalance to Soviet communist power.

Berg's book does not deal adequately with this third point, merely presenting basic facts without exploring deeper motives and intentions that, for someone like Lindbergh, were often readily apparent through his statements and actions. I do not mean to endorse the case that this book errs in not presenting Lindbergh as a potential fascist dictator, as Phillip Roth has recently done in novel form, but simply that Berg's book seems to ignore the reality that Lindbergh was an anti-Semite, that he openly espoused fascism as a suitable form of government for Germany, and that the amount of bad publicity his enemies and even neutral observers marshaled against him effectively ended his importance in American history during and after the war.

And if you want proof of how far his star fell, consider the facts I listed above about his pre-war fame, and then count the number of full-length Lindbergh biographies of any modest stature that have been produced. Aprroximately one, this one, and this one simply fails to acknowledge the reality of the magnitude of his fall from celebrity into obscurity over the WWII intervention issue.

Then do an Amazon search for "Howard Hughes," Lindbergh's only competition for aviation fame in his heyday, and see what you get. There are many, many biographies of Hughes, and almost all of them are openly muck-raking works, but still far superior in quality to Berg's book. The fact that this one got a Pulitzer is clearly indicative that that literary honor has become meaningless in the real world, almost as meaningless as Lindbergh became to history after he vacationed in Nazi Germany.

I've read parts of this book, and from what I can tell, it is similar to other biographies of deceased controversial figures in which the biographer works too closely with the family of the subject to be objective. In reality, there were three points to Lindbergh's life that everybody should know who wants to know about him. This book covers the first two points well and glosses over the third.

1) Aviation Pioneer: He did much more than become the first person to fly the Atlantic solo nonstop. He was a talented aeronautical engineer, a tireless advocate of air power in defense circles, and an explorer who risked his life again and again to chart new air routes for the world to follow.
2) Son Kidnapped and Murdered: However, Lindbergh's initial fame had a tragic downside. He was the most famous man in the world for a while, and Time Magazine created its "Man of the Year" award for him. But renown brought disaster on his family when his son was kidnapped - apparently for a ransom, which was paid - and then murdered. This was known as the "Crime of the Century" at the time, and was not eclipsed by any other crime until the JFK assassination in 1963.
3) Anti-WWII Activist: Lindbergh and his wife travelled to Nazi Germany in the thirties, ostensibly as tourists, but covertly to gather information on the Nazi air force, the Luftwaffe. Luftwaffe chief Hermann Goering tricked Lindbergh into reporting back that the Nazis had a tremendous advantage in air power by flying the same planes over his head and around in circles to make them appear more numerous. Also on the this trip, he accepted a medal from Hitler's government. Upon his return, Lindbergh became the most famous figure in the movement we now know as "isolationist," which was mottled with anti-Semitic and Anglophobic prejudices. He wrote a number of articles and gave speeches in which he criticized - fairly or unfairly - supporters of America entering the war, most specifically Jewish groups and FDR's government, as selfish and more concerned with the welfare of their demographic group than that of the U.S. This created a tremendous backlash against Lindbergh, who was widely pereived as "defeatist" and, for many, openly pro-Nazi. After this backlash, Lindberg's star fell and never rose again, and this was because of his own political naivete in perceiving the fascist movement as nothing more than a reaction and counterbalance to Soviet communist power.

Berg's book does not deal adequately with this third point, merely presenting basic facts without exploring deeper motives and intentions that, for someone like Lindbergh, were often readily apparent through his statements and actions. I do not mean to endorse the case that this book errs in not presenting Lindbergh as a potential fascist dictator, as Phillip Roth has recently done in novel form, but simply that Berg's book seems to ignore the reality that Lindbergh was an anti-Semite, that he openly espoused fascism as a suitable form of government for Germany, and that the amount of bad publicity his enemies and even neutral observers marshaled against him effectively ended his importance in American history during and after the war.

And if you want proof of how far his star fell, consider the facts I listed above about his pre-war fame, and then count the number of full-length Lindbergh biographies of any modest stature that have been produced. Aprroximately one, this one, and this one simply fails to acknowledge the reality of the magnitude of his fall from celebrity into obscurity over the WWII intervention issue.

Then do an Amazon search for "Howard Hughes," Lindbergh's only competition for aviation fame in his heyday, and see what you get. There are many, many biographies of Hughes, and almost all of them are openly muck-raking works, but still far superior in quality to Berg's book. The fact that this one got a Pulitzer is clearly indicative that that literary honor has become meaningless in the real world, almost as meaningless as Lindbergh became to history after he vacationed in Nazi Germany.

~Lindbergh~ is an astute an well-written biography by acclaimed writer A. Scott Berg. Berg captures the life of this most fascinating character. What unfolds is an amazing tale of the aviator turned adventurer turned statesmen turned war hero.

Aviator Charles Lindbergh, gained acclaim for the first solo, non-stop transatlantic flight across Long Island, New York to Paris, France in 1927 in the famed "Spirit of St. Louis." Not long after, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. At the time, Lindbergh was seen as a man of seemingly impeccable character. He became an American hero overnight.

A. Scott Berg casts light on Charles' complex marriage to Anne Morrow Lindbergh, the daughter of the famed J.P. Morgan investment banker. His marriage had its ups and downs due to his indiscretions, and it was not a fairy-tale marriage by any stretch of the imagination. Though, public perception certainly believed the marriage as a storybook romance in 1927. Berg also illustrates how tragedy hit the Lindbergh family and the whole nation in 1932 with sensitivity.

Lindbergh, being an acclaimed aviator, was invited to Germany in the 1930s, where he subsequently received a medal. It was an opportunity that intrigued him, for the Germans were renowned for their innovation in aeronautics. With the approval of Nazi chieftains Hermann Goering and Ernst Udet, Lindbergh was permitted to inspect and tour German Luftwaffe facilities, and view some of their latest innovations such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Junkers Ju 88. He became enamored of German aviation technology not coincidentally thereafter. He believed that German aviation was superior to that of the Americans and British. Why? Probably, because it was. His trip to Germany, however, soon soiled his reputation, particularly after 1939, despite the fact that Lindbergh returned the commendation awarded by the German government. When misguided historians like Max Wallace present Lindbergh as a Nazi sycophant, he conveniently forgets, either out of ignorance or obfuscation, that Lindbergh came to Germany at the urgent request of the U.S. military attaché at the American embassy in Berlin. The military attaché was charged with learning everything possible about Germany's new warplanes. In other words, Lindbergh was covertly providing U.S. intelligence, and playing off of his reputation as an aviator of international fame to gain a warm reception by the Germans. He might not have brought back stolen 1:6 scale airplane models from the hangar offices and secret James Bond snapshot pictures, but he was doing his country a service nonetheless.

His political odyssey took some strange turns, and it put him at the helm of the American First Committee which pressed the case for keeping the United States neutral and out of World War II with Germany. While his patriotism and motives have been brought into question, Berg gives us a few reasons not to question Lindbergh's sincerity. When the war began, Lindbergh was quick to uphold his honor, and be a part of the Army Air Corps unofficially. Unfortunately, being the bitter partisan, President FDR, stripped him of his opportunity to fly in dress ranks, and he flew unofficially as a contractor. But Lindbergh earned much success dogfighting against Japanese over the Pacific. He was denied his deserved commendations because of politics.

This book is a marvelous journey into the life of aviator Charles Lindbergh. Berg sculptures a sensitive and astutely written account of the life of this acclaimed American. If read, in tandem with Lindbergh's on autobiographical journal "The Spirit of St. Louis," one can certainly get a fascinating picture of his life. The superb prose is matched by the fascinating insights of the author who had direct access to the Lindbergh family's personal archives.

This book is extremely readable, which is why everyone gives it 5 stars. But it fails to mention the fact that Lindbergh fathered at least 3 illegitimate children in Germany in the late 50's-60's. In 2003, 3 German siblings took a DNA test vs. one of Lindbergh's legitimate grandchildren and paternity was proved. Lindbergh kept their mother as a '2d family,' and he possibly fathered others. This book was extremely well-researched, so I can't see how Scott Berg can continue to sell this book without an update that talks about this.

If you want the most complete look at the life of Charles Lindbergh,then read this book.There are many glowing reviews on [...],about this book.Yet,the section about the famous kidnapping is NOT the full story.You are just getting a good historical account of Colonel Lindbergh,however,from an outsider looking in.I have yet to read a Lindbergh biography that comes as close as to the truth as this book does.Scott Berg did not research enough about the kidnapping,and as well as millions of other biographical book-readers.They just accepted the Bruno Hauptmann guilty verdict. World War Two is long over.And the Anti-German hysteria is mostly forgotten,by modern Americans. Lindbergh accepted Hauptmann's guilt because Bruno was a former Berlin communist,who helped kidnapp the Berlin burgermeister's infant son.And for ransom.When Hauptmann jumped off the 'Friedrich der Grosse',he swam to shore.He married Anna Schuffeler,who worked at Frederiksen's Bakery.Hauptmann invested heavily in the stock market,during the 1920s.And reaped the benefits,of the easy profits.Then Wall Street laid on egg,and Hauptmann's goose was cooked.Hauptmann's business partner ,Isidore Fish,also lost everything.These former left-wing radikals turned American capitalists may have discussed Lindbergh's fortune. Fish may have hatched the plan to kidnapp America's number one eaglet,the Lindbergh Baby. Fish died of TB ,a short time after the March 1st,1932 kidnapping.Hauptmann alone faced the electric chair.His only guilt was that of association with Isidore Fish.Updated-12.Jan.2007.=If the decomposed child's remains had a DNA link to Charles Lindbergh,there may be some truth, to the corpse being an illegitimate child of his.Elizabeth Morrow was believed to be a jealous sister-in-law of his.Did they have an unwanted child that Colonel Lindbergh sadly refused to accept?Lindbergh did have three German children from a secret affair.The mistress was a Bavarian milliner. If Dr.Bill Bass of the Knoxville 'Body Farm', does not have any DNA proof,then he is a "Quack".The story thickens.+Updated=June/10/2007 There is another guy that has been claiming he is the real Charles Jr.His website is 'Charleslindberghjr.com' and he was on the coasttocoastam.com show.He may be the real deal and Harold Olson may be the real son of Charles Sr. and Elizabeth Morrow.The direct Lindbergh children,Jon and Reeve, have refused to do DNA testing for him.The story continues.

Excellent. I enjoyed this book because of the ease of reading it. It was very informative and interesting.

Found this today at the annual library sale for $1 and now that I have read the reviews on Amazon I am anxious to read it.

A. Scott Berg's biography of Charles Lindbergh is jam-packed with curious and interesting details, many reported for the first time. Although this is not a short book, there are no wasted pages. Berg dove headfirst into the sea of Lindbergh's life and came up with pearls in his fists. Berg has an eye for the dramatic, but he is also a top-drawer researcher. I had the impression of a historical scholar hard at work as I read his book.

Berg's Lindbergh is a must-read for all those interested in the aviator's life, but I give him four stars because I thought other biograpers (Brendan Gill, et al.) did a better job of capturing Lindbergh's spirit.

Charles Linbergh was much maligned his last thirty years because of his isolationist viewpoint he vociferous defended during the prodromal period leading to World War 2. He had a significant amount of hate mail and death threats that resulted from his national compaign for isolationism. Although, he was indifferent to his father and had a poor relationship with him, its perhaps the only enduring aspect of his fathers views that he devoutly maintained throughout his life. He could be his way of justifying his fathers existance in his life. Bergs works captures with constant clarity America's enigmatic aviator. We see his moments of America's first and foremost in his mind and those of his deep absyss following his son's nationalized death. He swept from being our hero to being in our nightly prayers, then to many a scoundrel. I remember the TV news announcing his death from Melanoma and feeling that his soul must finally be at rest. An excellent and enjoyable read.

Scott Berg did a great job of telling about Charles Lindbergh, from the rather inauspicious origins of his family (still fun to read) to the golden years.

Lindbergh would have stayed in the public eye even without being at the center of the crime of the Century, because his was the flight of the Century. Even so, I would guess that Mr. Berg is kicking himself that he did not know the more recent revelations about the shadow family in Europe... Or the fellow in Central Florida who has claimed to be Junior. Well, maybe there will be a sequel to this someday. If so, we hope Berg writes it.

Scott Berg has put together a magnificent piece of literature worthy of its many accolades. I am now a compulsive reader of biographies, and I must say that Berg has managed to capture even the most subtle nuances in the life of Charles Lindbergh while keeping the reader captivated through symbolic expression. I liken it to Carl Sandburg's Abraham Lincoln in regard to their impressive style of writing. Rather than providing a simple list of common knowledge, both authors concentrate on showing the inner workings of their respective subjects. The point is an accurate yet entertaining chronicle of the celebrated characters in our world's history, or so I believe. Scott Berg has a strong grasp on this concept, one which some people seem to not quite comprehend. It evokes incredible moral thought and philisophy, and the book provides a very effective spring board for personal interpretation as well as the author's intended themes. The detail with which Berg portrays the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of Lindbegh's eldest son brings a tear to the eye. Scott Berg depicts the thematic life of a perplexing character very well, highest recommendations.

This fair and well-rounded portrait corroborates my theory that people who accomplish great things are, in fact, extraordinary to the point of being a little -- or a lot -- crazy. Yes, Lindbergh possessed the attributes of a hero, even to the point of standing firm on a (according to Berg) misguided and unpopular opinion of WWII, but he was also a tyrannical husband and father. Given the revelations following the publication of this book -- that he had at least one secret family -- we've learned of further, contradictory, complexities. However, if you don't know about the man's life, his accomplishments, or his effect on world history, this biography is a perfect introduction. Berg also says that Anne Lindbergh told him he couldn't tell her husband's story without telling hers; without this deft integration on the part of the author, her husband's portrait would be flatter and infinitely less interesting. In defense of Berg for sort of rationalizing his subject's anti-semitism and anti-intervention stance, and omitting details of the double life: I suspect that had he been harsher, the family wouldn't have cooperated. In which case, Berg is to be commended for his discretion, else we wouldn't have this rich, even-handed, invaluable piece of Americana. Like all great biographers, he did avoided gratuitious salaciousness and supercilious psychological interpretation.

This book tells the story of Charles Lindbergh, one of the most colorful people in the history of the Twentieth Century. Berg takes us back to rural Little Falls, Minnesota, where Lindberg's parents first met. He describes Lindberg's childhood, marked by frequent moves and family discord. He describes how Lindberg first became fascinated with planes and decided to become a pilot. He details Lindberg's historic trans-Atlantic flight and its aftermath. Berg also describes Lindberg's relationship with Anne Morrow, who later became his wife, and devotes much space to the infamous kidnapping of their first child. Berg also explains Lindberg's isolationist views of the 1930s, why Lindberg felt we should not enter the war in Europe.

The book, with its detailed descriptions of Lindberg's feats and political views, provides an informative perspective of this extremely interesting person. Berg does not confine his descriptions to just Lindberg himself however-he also delves into Anne's concerns as expressed in her numerous letters and diaries. Through reading this book, I feel I have a much greater appreciation for the roles that both of these people played in American history.

Is there literally anyone in world history who within 36 hours came from being a relative unknown to the toast of the entire planet, or at least anyone with a radio or newspaper? Lindbergh makes the Beatles huge success 37 years later seem almost trivial! And for good reason! His achievement in flying solo from NY to Paris was truly monumental! This great book traces CAL's early days through his unsuccessful college days, living with his mother, barnstorming,and then the phenomenal flight to Paris at the age of 25. Babe Ruth had a great year in 1927, but compared to Lindbergh even he was small time! The terrible tragedy of the Lindbergh Bay kidnapping/murder is told in all its incredible detail with unlikely characters like an expert in wood and lumber, who analyzed the ladder's components, and an eccentric who received the ransom notes in a Bronx cemetary. Based on the evidence, even if it is circumstantial, there appears no doubt that Hauptmann was the culprit. Then Chas and his wife, Anne, globetrot to just about every place in the planet, even assisting in China during a horrendous flood. CAL even helped to develop an artificial heart in a NYC lab, and took aerial photos of Mexican ruins that may otherwise have taken decades to discover.His support for the Amercica First Committee is detailed, along with very antagonistic comments by Ickes and others in the FDR admintration, not to mention CAL's even more controversial medals from Nazi Germany which he never returned. After Pearl Harbor, his great aeronautical skills greatly aided in the Pacific War, and he even flew some very dangerous missions. This book goes all the way to the end when our hero became an environmental tree hugger (literally), and supporter of nature movements, including "Save the Whale" groups.In closing, a great bio, not to be missed!

When reading this tome you have to remember that this book is a biography, not a court jury passing judgement. There are already too many reviews on this book, thus I won't go into the story details.

From before birth to death, A. Scot Berg, covers Charles Lindbergh's life with class, using the best metaphores and similies possible. After all, this is a most unrelenting and compelling story of an accomplished life that was private and public. I took my time reading this book, which was a proces over a six month period because I didn't want to skim and skip, thereby missing some of Berg's excellent coverage of Lindbergh's escapades through life. Get the book from your library, take your time reading it, renew it at the libarary if you have to, but don't skip reading paragraphs or chapters becuase it's all excellent information and entertainment.

The celebrities that we are familiar with now are stars in the movies, music, sports, politics or some combination. However, the biggest celebrity of the twentieth century was Charles A. Lindbergh. He was the first to fly solo across the Atlantic and it was an event that catapulted him into an international hero. It started before he even landed at the airport in Paris. As was reported in this book, there were so many car headlights around the airport that at first he couldn't recognize it from the air. Once he landed, the only way he was able to escape the crush of the media was to have his aviator cap placed on another person, who acted as a decoy while Lindbergh slipped away.
Since those tragic days when his infant son was kidnapped and died during the crime, many additional crimes have been dubbed "the crime of the century." However, that is nonsense, the kidnapping of Lindbergh's son was without question the greatest crime of the twentieth century. It seems that the question of whether Hauptmann actually did it or whether the baby really died never seems to be truly settled. That is astonishing, for although Hauptmann denied it, the amount of evidence against him was overwhelming.
Lindbergh also suffered from the affliction that all major celebrities suffer from, that the public always takes their every statement beyond what it is actually worth or what was meant. As an aviation expert, in the thirties, Lindbergh was asked by the U. S. military to go to Germany and report on what he saw concerning the growing power of the Luftwaffe. His statements about the rising power of the Nazi air force have been soundly criticized and used to argue that he was pro-Nazi. That is nonsensical, his reports, as was later obvious from the efficiency of the Lufwaffe in World War II, were honest and accurate. As only military historians seem to know, the German air force was the best in the world when World War II started. Lindbergh was right about that and had the allied political leadership paid more attention to him, they may have been better prepared for the German attacks.
I was not aware that Lindbergh actually flew combat missions in the Pacific theatre in World War II. Since I knew that he was no longer in the military at that time, I had assumed that he was not involved in combat. He flew "observational" and "test" missions, and the military commanders said that if he was to choose to engage in some "target practice" while flying, no one would object. His "target practice" even included shooting down a Japanese fighter. I also knew that Lindbergh and Franklin Roosevelt had a mutual dislike for each other, but I had no idea that Roosevelt hated Lindbergh so much. Part of it was due to Lindbergh's involvement in the American First committee, which was so strongly opposed to Roosevelt's pushing the U. S. into involvement in the wars in Asia and Europe. However, some of it was probably due to Roosevelt's realization that he should have paid more attention to Lindbergh earlier. Roosevelt accomplished much while he was president, and he richly deserves the credit for having won World War II. The often forgotten reality is that he was also a ruthless politician when he had to be, and he only reluctantly backed off from hounding someone he perceived as an enemy.
I was also unaware of how talented Lindbergh and his wife Anne were as writers. Quite naturally, their books would make a mark due to their celebrity status, but that would only take them so far. The rest was due to their writing talents, which were considerable. Both Charles and Anne were subjected to a great deal of praise and vituperation during their lives. So bad that years after their child was kidnapped, they regularly received letters threatening to kidnap and even kill their remaining children. Which shows us how little the consequences of being a celebrity have changed over the last seventy years.
This is an excellent biography of how a boy from rural Minnesota became the greatest hero of the twentieth century. On the whole, he handled his celebrity status very well, even after it cost him his son. There is also an honest appraisal of Lindbergh's contact with the Nazi government, he was never as pro Nazi as his critics have charged. Lindbergh has also been accused of being anti-semitic over his remarks concerning the desires of Jews. Yes, he said that Jews were trying to push the United States into war with Germany, but he also said that he understood why. Nevertheless, his point was that the persecution in Europe was not enough to justify the United States going to war. When you consider that Lindbergh's statement has been official U. S. policy for decades after World War II, then it is clear that he was merely expressing the opinion held by most Americans concerning the justification for war. Since that time, we have seen persecution and slaughter in many areas around the world and the U. S. has yet to consider it a reason to go to war on any significant scale.
This book is the most even-handed appraisal of the life of Lindbergh, what he did, what he really believed and all of his many accomplishments after the Spirit of St. Louis landed at the airfield outside Paris.

This book has truly got it all. The definitive biography on Lindbergh, it begins with a fascinating subject in Charles Lindbergh himself. The man was a true enigma, a private person who became the most famous human up to his time. Lindbergh spent his life seeking something that he never quite seemed to find. The story also benefits by capturing an era when so much of life was in flux for so many.

A great story about a fascinating character, well-written and well-constructed. A must-read for biography and history buffs or for anyone interested in knowing more about Lindbergh.

Great book and I encourage those interested to read the book. However, Berg does tread lightly on the America First issue. Though he is direct in printing Lindbergh's previously unpublished diary entries. All in all the book is very well rounded, and extremely well-written. I finished most of it in an evening (not to say it is short, just very easy to get through). It was very enjoyable, if not a tad hero-worshipy. Lindbergh was a man of contradictions and this book illustrates his contradictions. The book does a good job of portraying Lindbergh as a convicted (if not aloof) man. Interesting character in American history. Please do read it.