Term paper on Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr.’s Transatlantic Flight

Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr.’s Transatlantic Flight (1927)

Limited airmail service and the exhibitions of barnstorming pilots characterized aviation in postwar America . A $25,000 prize offered for the first nonstop crossing from the United States to Paris spurred interest. Several aviators had already failed or died in the attempt to cross the Atlantic , but Lindbergh, piloting his single-engine plane, The Spirit of St. Louis , succeeded. On May 21, 1927, with food and water but no parachute, he took off from Long Island and after a flight of some 3,500 miles that lasted more than thirty-three hours, he landed at Paris ‘s Le Bourget airport. The flight made Lindbergh an international celebrity and stimulated the growth of the aviation industry.

Suggestions for Term Papers

1. Discuss the experiences of American aviators in World War I.

2. Why did Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight succeed while others failed?

3. Analyze the consequences of Lindbergh’s flight.

4. Discuss Lindbergh’s later contributions to aviation.

5. Discuss the growth of the aviation industry during the 1920s.

REFERENCE SOURCES

Charles A. Lindbergh, a Bio-bibliography . Perry D. Luckett. Westport , CT : Greenwood , 1986. Brief biography with useful bibliography of materials relating to Lindbergh’s life, career, and achievements.

World War I Aviation: A Bibliography of Books in English, French, German, and Italian, with a Price List Supplement . James P. Noffsinger. Rev. ed. Lanham , MD : Scarecrow, 1997. Comprehensive listing of writings with different views and perspectives. Recent revision of a bibliography originally issued in 1987.

GENERAL SOURCES

Beaty, David. The Water Jump: The Story of Transatlantic Flight . London : Secker&Warburg, 1976. Comprehensive coverage of flights over the Atlantic .

Cooke, David C. Sky Battle , 1914–1918: The Story of Aviation in World War I . New York : Norton, 1970. Informative historical survey of aerial operations during World War I.

Layman, R. D. Naval Aviation in the First World War: Its Impact and Influence . Annapolis , MD : Naval Institute, 1996. Up-to-date military history examining the naval aerial operations in World War I, including the role of seaplanes.

Pattillo, Donald M. A History in the Making: 50 Turbulent Years in the American General Aviation Industry . New York : McGraw-Hill, 1998. Recent examination of the history of the growth and development of the aviation industry in the United States .

SPECIALIZED SOURCES

Kent, Zachary. Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis . Parsippany , NJ : New Discovery Books, 1998. Concise and easy-to-read examination of the Lindbergh story, with emphasis given to the preparation for and conduct of the transatlantic flight.

Lindbergh, Charles A. The Spirit of St. Louis . (1953). Reprint. St. Paul : Minnesota Historical Society, 1993. Autobiographical account of Lindbergh’s career with detailed coverage of the airplane and its great flight.

Taylor, Richard L. The First Solo Transatlantic Flight: The Story of Charles Lindbergh and His Airplane . New York : Franklin Watts, 1995. Brief and easy-to-read biographical treatment, with emphasis given to the flight.

BIOGRAPHICAL SOURCES

Berg, A. Scott. Lindbergh . The first biography of the Lone Eagle based on unrestricted access to his papers. This is a major work.

Denenberg, Barry. An American Hero: The True Story of Charles A. Lindbergh . New York : Scholastic, 1996. Interesting and informative biography providing insight into Lindbergh’s life and career.

Giblin, James. Charles A. Lindbergh: A Human Hero . New York : Clarion Books, 1997. Easy-to-read examination of Lindbergh’s life, with all its tragedy, controversy, and achievement.

Gray, Susan M. Charles A. Lindbergh and the American Dilemma: The Conflict of Technology and Human Values . Bowling Green , OH : Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1988. Interesting and informative examination of Lindbergh’s views on technology, with treatment of societal aspects.

Hixson, Walter L. Charles A. Lindbergh, Lone Eagle . New York : HarperCollins, 1996. Brief biographical account examining Lindbergh’s life and career, with a treatment of his personality.

Hunter, T. Willard. The Spirit of Charles Lindbergh: Another Dimension . Lanham , MD : Madison Books/National Book Network, 1993. Brief biographical treatment providing insight into Lindbergh’s indomitable nature.

Lindbergh, Charles A. Autobiography of Values . (1978). Reprint. San Diego : Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992. Lindbergh’s own story setting forth his perspectives regarding the achievement of success.

Milton, Joyce. Loss of Eden : A Biography of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh . New York : HarperCollins, 1993. Detailed narrative describing the lives and careers of both Lindbergh and his wife, the celebrated author.

Randolph, Blythe. Charles Lindbergh . New York : Franklin Watts, 1990. Brief and easy-to-read biographical overview of Lindbergh from his early years as a flier to his troubled later years.

Ross, Walter S. The Last Hero, Charles A. Lindbergh . Rev. ed. New York : Harper&Row, 1976. Detailed laudatory biography with slight changes to the earlier edition published in 1968.

Stoff, Joshua. Charles A. Lindbergh: A Photographic Album . New York : Do ver, 1995. Brief biographical treatment, with photographs illustrating Lindbergh’s career and achievements.

AUDIOVISUAL SOURCES

Famous American Speeches: A Multimedia History, 1850 to the Present . Phoenix : Oryx, 1996. CD-ROM. A comprehensive general source. The publisher uses Lindbergh as an example of a search to produce audio clips, video clips, photographs, subjects, additional references, and other materials.

Richardson, Cameron. Are There Any Mechanics Here? Charles Lindbergh and the New York to Paris Flight . New York : National Video Industries, 1995. Videocassette. Award-winning documentary of the transatlantic flight. Contains archival footage, newsreel material, and sound recordings in a 90-minute presentation.

WORLD WIDE WEB

‘‘Ryan NYP ‘Spirit of St. Louis ‘: First Nonstop Solo Transatlantic Flight.” Milestones of Flight Gallery . June 1996. http:www.nasm.edu/GALLERIES/GAL100/stlouis.html A brief descriptive commentary of the flight and its impact from the Smithsonian Institution (Gallery 100). Enumerates the design features of the airplane along with a small picture.