The Flight of the Century: Charles Lindbergh and the Rise of American Aviation »

Thomas Kessner is Distinguished Professor of History at the City University of New York Graduate Center. He is the author of many books, including Capital City: New York City and the Men Behind America's Rise to Dominance, 1860-1900, and Fiorello H. LaGuardia and the Making of Modern New York, which was a New York Times Notable Book.

In late May 1927 an inexperienced and unassuming 25-year-old Air Mail pilot from rural Minnesota stunned the world by making the first non-stop transatlantic flight. A spectacular feat of individual daring and collective technological accomplishment, Charles Lindbergh's flight from New York to Paris ushered in America's age of commercial aviation.
In The Flight of the Century, Thomas Kessner takes a fresh look at one of America's greatest moments, explaining how what was essentially a publicity stunt became a turning point in history. He vividly recreates the flight itself and the euphoric reaction to it on both sides of the Atlantic, and argues that Lindbergh's amazing feat occurred just when the world—still struggling with the disillusionment of WWI—desperately needed a hero to restore a sense of optimism and innocence. Kessner also shows how new forms of mass media made Lindbergh into the most famous international celebrity of his time, casting him in the role of a humble yet dashing American hero of rural origins and traditional values. Much has been made of Lindbergh's personal integrity and his refusal to cash in on his fame. But Kessner reveals that Lindbergh was closely allied with, and managed by, a group of powerful businessmen—Harry Guggenheim, Dwight Morrow, and Henry Breckenridge chief among them—who sought to exploit aviation for mass transport and massive profits. Their efforts paid off as commercial air traffic soared from 6,000 passengers in 1926 to 173,000 passengers in 1929. Kessner's book is the first to fully explore Lindbergh's central role in promoting the airline industry—the rise of which has influenced everything from where we live to how we wage war and do business.
The Flight of the Century sheds new light on one of America's fascinatingly enigmatic heroes and most transformative moments.

Praise for Capital City:

"In Capital City, Kessner has achieved for his subject what James McPherson accomplished for the Civil War."
— Wall Street Journal

"Graceful and lucid."
— Mike Wallace, co-author of the Pulitzer Prize-winner Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898

Library Journal

Kessner (history, Graduate Ctr., CUNY; Capital City: New York City and the Men Behind America's Rise to Dominance, 1860–1900) breathes new life into Lindbergh historiography by showing how this obscure midwesterner's acclaimed solo New York-to-Paris flight in May 1927 was both a watershed event in history and a transformative influence on the pilot's own life. Kessner meticulously re-creates the trials and triumphs of "Lindy's" transatlantic crossing and the public's frenzied reaction to it on both sides of the pond. Despite Lindbergh's pose of financial indifference, Kessner reveals that he was handled by powerful businessmen who sought to exploit his celebrity for the emerging field of commercial aviation. As the book progresses, Kessner portrays Lindbergh in an even harsher light, e.g., relating to his marriage to Anne Morrow, defense of isolationism in the face of growing Nazi aggression, racist sentiments, overseas liaisons, and bitter feud with the Roosevelt administration. Lindbergh's belated interest in environmentalism, according to Kessner, was to help repair damage to his brand. VERDICT The splendid, far-reaching analysis of one of American history's most enigmatic figures will satisfy the scholar, and the deft use of colorful anecdotes will appeal to general readers. Highly recommended.—John Carver Edwards, Univ. of Georgia Libs., Athens

Editor's Note Introduction Chapter One: Early Life Chapter Two: The Flight Chapter Three: A Hero's Reception Chapter Four: America Flies Chapter Five: Lindbergh and Celebrity Culture Conclusion Acknowledgments Notes Index