John Horry Dent: South Carolina Aristocrat on the Alabama Frontier Book

Unlike Earhart's other works, 20 Hours, 40 Minutes and Last Flight, which focus on flight details and aircraft specifications, this one is about HER and her life and her love of flying. Amelia began her life in Kansas and she became a nurse, a car mechanic, a social worker, a photgrapher, and even an airline vice president before she became America's aviation sweetheart. In this book she tells about those occupations and the impacts they had on her life and choices. She also tells a funny tale here and there like the time she was sledding and barely missed a head on collision with a horse, going between its legs as luck would have it. Another funny tale (that also involves a horse) is when she had one as a passenger!

I got bored, however, when Earhart started about the weather bureau and went on a bit too much about the autogiro (helicopter today). The last quarter saves it from becoming a four star book tho. When today someone says the words "women in aviation" we immediately think about Amelia. Amelia generously hands out the credit tho. In the last quarter, Earhart talks about numerous women and their accomplishments in aviation including but not limited to Ruth Nichols, Elinor Smith, Bobby Trout, Anne Lindbergh, Phoebe Omlie, and even a historical great, Ruth Law. There is also a chapter devoted to the early days of hot air ballooning and the ladies involved.

This is a must read for any and all aviation buffs. I will be reading it again.