The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart

by Mary S. Lovell

Book Overview

This definitive biography of aviation legend Amelia Earhart delivers a brilliantly researched report on Earhart's life--from her tomboy childhood and early fascination with flying, her peculiar business/matrimonial realtionship with publisher G.P. Putnam to her consuming quest for avaiation fame.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312034318
• ISBN13: 9780312034313
• Release Date: January 1989
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 420 Pages
• Weight: 1.38 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Quick delivery and just what I ordered.

My daughter was very pleased to receive this gift for Christmas. Thanks for the quick delivery!

The 1st Lady of Flight.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from cover to cover. No detail was spared in the writing of "The Sound..." The book covered Amelia Earhart's life from birth to her ill-fated final journey. Amelia Earhart was instrumental in introducing women to flying and taking them out of their 2nd class citizenry. The author sparred no details and captured what life was like in those times. The flying pioneer's life was chronicled with all of her loves and her refusal to accept 2nd best. Her husband, George Putnam, was given (rightly) the credit for making Amelia Earhart a household name. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written, all inclusive biography.

Enthralling

I have always wanted to read a biography of Amelia Earhart and, after searching various reviews, I learned that this biography is judged by many to be the best. I can wholeheartedly support this recommendation. Mary Lovell does an excellent job of 'getting under the skin' of both of her main characters: Amelia and George Putnam. She presents a completely fair and level-headed account of both of their lives allowing just enough commentrary into her narrative to enable one to conclude that, yes, maybe Amelia wasn't the best woman flier of her generation, but she was certainly the bravest. And, yes, she was pushed forward into the limelight by George but it was Amelia who wanted to be there in that limelight. I came away from this gripping narrative feeling alternately an enduring admiration for Amelia and her bravery, and an underlying pity for her because it seems to me that a lot of her drive arose from feelings of low self-worth arising from growing-up with a loser, alcoholic father. Maybe, like a lot of brave and famous people, she was driven to succeed by low feelings of self worth and was never really happy. That is a sad thought. In any event, she did a huge favour for the female sex in making them realize that their dreams could be realized. It was notable female figures like Amelia, along with the impact that the second world war had on women in the workforce, that changed the history of women forever. A fascinating read - funny that this definitive account of an American female legend was presented by a British writer!

Best Biography of Earhart to Date

I've read a dozen or so biographies of Amelia Earhart, and Lovell's is by far the best. It is the most comprehensive, the most thoroughly researched, and best written of the lot. Lovell doesn't stoop to speculation or rumor in place of facts. Highly recommended.

An engaging look at a complex woman and the man she loved

(by E.M. Singer, author of "Mother Flies Hurricanes")This well-written, thoroughly researched biography of Amelia Earhart focuses more on her life than on her death, which is what she would have wanted anyway. It debunks certain time-held assumptions about Earhart's personal and professional life, and sheds new light on her character and relationships. Contrary to conventional wisdom, Lovell holds that Amelia's husband, George Putnam, was not a manipulative, self-aggrandizing promoter who drove her to her death. There was genuine affection and mutual respect in their marriage. Though their relationship was not free from tension and cross-purposes, Amelia drew inspiration and support from him to realize her dreams. A good chunk of Lovell's book is a biography of George himself, and don't skip it-he's a fascinating person in his own right. The Sound of Wings also presents a fascinating picture of Amelia's early years: her half-idyllic, half-traumatic childhood, and her desperate seeking for inner peace and a place in the world. The author expounds unsparingly, yet tenderly, on Amelia's flaws, demons, and scars. She also gives a clear-sighted and balanced assessment of the various theories for Earhart's disappearance, yet does not allow it to overshadow her life. For more recommendations on books about women pilots, visit the motherflieshurricanes[...] website.