Charles Lindbergh's Transatlantic Flight

After Charles Lindbergh's historic nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927, he became an instant American hero and one of the 20th Century's first international superstars. Lindbergh himself wrote several books, and countless pieces have been written about him over the past century. The following books and articles were written immediately or shortly after the flight, so they capture the initial impressions of this event before people had a chance to reflect upon it or forget about certain details. They can be found in person at the Central Library.

Books

Fife, George Buchanan. Lindbergh: The Lone Eagle: His Life and Epoch Making Flight. New York: A. L. Burt Co., 1927, 1928, 1930. TL540.L5F53 (Storage - Ask Staff)

• Written by a member of the editorial staff of the New York Evening World who was "especially assigned to write this work from the 'take off' at Roosevelt Field of Captain Lindbergh with the 'Spirit of St. Louis' for the New York to Paris Flight to the events of 1929."

Lindbergh, Charles A. "We." New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1927. TL540.L5A32 (Storage - Ask Staff)

• Lindbergh's autobiography was first published only two months after his flight.

Vale, Charles, ed. The Spirit of St. Louis: One Hundred Poems. New York: George H. Doran Co., 1927. TL540.L5H6 (Storage - Ask Staff)

• The results of a "Spirit of St. Louis" poetry contest inspired by Lindbergh's historic trip.

Newspaper Articles

James, Edwin L. "Lindbergh Does It! To Paris in 33-1/2 Hours; Flies 1,000 Miles Through Snow and Sleet; Cheering French Carry Him Off Field." New York Times, May 22, 1927, page 1+.

• This article, written on the day that Lindbergh landed at Le Bourget airfield outside Paris, describes the hero's welcome that Lindbergh received upon arrival in France.

James, Edwin L. "Hero of the Hour in Paris; Lindbergh is Hailed by Huge Crowds and Gets Regal Honors…" New York Times, May 23, 1927, page 1+.

• Times correspondent Edwin L. James describes the tumultuous welcome that greeted Lindbergh upon his arrival in Paris and relates the reporter's conversation with Lindbergh on the following afternoon.

Lindbergh, Charles A. "Lindbergh's Own Story of Epochal Flight; Tempted to Turn Back, Keeps on in Storm; Asks Fishing Boat: 'Am I on Road to Ireland?'" New York Times, May 23, 1927, page 1+.

• With his characteristic modesty, Lindbergh recalls his just-completed transatlantic flight in this first-hand account written the day after his arrival in Paris. He wrote, "They call me 'Lucky,' but luck isn't enough."

MacDonald, Charlie. "Could Have Gone 500 Miles Farther." New York Times, May 22, 1927, page 1+.

• Reportedly one of the first interviews that Lindbergh granted after his arrival in Paris, this account presents an early version of the historic flight.

"New York-Paris Flight; Capt. Lindbergh's Lone Voyage; British Airmen's Mishap; Machine Down in Persian Gulf." The Times (London), May 23, 1927, page 14.

• Relegated to page 14 of The Times, Lindbergh's historic flight here shares the headlines with an aborted British attempt to fly nonstop to Pakistan.

Owen, Russell. "Lindbergh Speeds Across North Atlantic, Keeping to Schedule of 100 Miles an Hour; Sighted Passing St. John's, N.F., at 7:15 P.M." New York Times, May 21, 1927, page 1+.

• Times reporter Owen describes Lindbergh's takeoff from New York and the first phase of his flight to Paris.

Magazine Articles

"Aeronautics: Flight." Time, vol. 9, no. 22, May 30, 1927, pp. 26, 28.

• Time relegated its coverage of Lindbergh's transatlantic flight to page 26 of this issue, saying that Lindbergh "had established for himself the immemorial right of extracting dollars from the hero-gaping U.S. public."

Horsfall, Jessie. E. "Lindbergh's Start for Paris." Aero Digest: The Magazine of the Air, vol. 10, no. 6, June 1927, pp. 503-504, 506, 508.

• Horsfall provides an eyewitness account to Lindbergh's takeoff from Long Island on May 20, 1927 and the events during that morning that preceded the flight.

"Lindbergh Welcomed in Europe." Aero Digest: The Magazine of the Air, vol. 10, no. 6, June 1927, pp. 530, 552.

• Describes Lindbergh's reception in Paris, Brussels and London following his historic transatlantic flight.

"New York-Paris Flight a Reality." Aviation, vol. 22, no. 22, May 30, 1927, pp. 1120-1122.

• Provides an overview of Lindbergh's historic flight.