Book. “Amelia – The Fascinating Tale of the World’s Greatest Airwoman”

A look back over the short-lived story of a true pioneer in aviation – the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean, first with a crew and then solo. Her name: Amelia Earhart.

“We must be on you, but we cannot see you. Gas is running low. Have been unable to reach you by radio.” Pacific, July 2, 1937. After taking off from New Guinea on the last leg of an attempted round-the-world trip, American aviator Amelia Earhart thought she was flying over the tiny Howland Island (USA) to land on its only runway. However, no one would ever hear from her, her co-pilot Fred Noonan or her twin-engine Lockheed Electra again.

Now, more than eighty years later, the cause of her death remains a mystery. Did they run out of gas? Was it an accident? A secret reconnaissance mission gone awry? Capture by the Japanese for later use as a propaganda tool? For several months, the US military under President Roosevelt scrambled, in vain, to send ships and planes in search of answers. She was declared legally dead a year and a half later.

The so-called “Lady Lindy”, due to her relative resemblance to Charles Lindbergh, has since become legend. That said, as the first woman to cross the Atlantic by air, both with a crew (1928) and solo (1932), she was already an integral part of aviation history
As one of the most beloved figures of the Roaring Twenties, Amelia Earhart caught the aviation bug after flying for the first time in 1920. Just two years later, she had set a world record by reaching an altitude of 4,300 meters. On the ground, she was a nurse and social worker in a passionate relationship with publisher George P. Putnam – and it was one of his closest associates who got in touch to arrange her first voyage across the Atlantic.

This biography by Bernard Marck takes an in-depth look at all facets of the airwoman’s life. Author of numerous books on the great aviation pioneers (“Once upon a time: Mermoz”, “Guynemer’s Last Flight”), Marck delves further into the disappearance of a relatively little-known figure this side of the Atlantic – despite having crossed it. A remarkable tale to (re)discover…

Book. “Amelia – Le Fascinant Destin de la plus grande aviatrice du monde” Author, Bernard Marck. Éditions Points. ISBN: 2757890026