Despite the appropriate respect accorded a man who genuinely did great things, Berg does not shy away from Lindbergh’s apparent anti-Semitism, his rigidity as a parent, regular absences as a husband, and lifelong restlessness. Berg’s perspective on Lindbergh is admiring but not fawning or unbalanced. His account of Lindbergh’s life is detailed without plodding, and extensive without seeming long the pace is excellent throughout, with the reader continually drawn forward by the prose, even though one already knows what is going to happen. Fortunately for all of us, Berg (Goldwyn: A Biography, 1989 Max Perkins: Editor of Genius, 1978.) does a superb job with this material.
That this figure was also constantly in the media spotlight, regularly met with leading luminaries throughout the world, and had a wife whose life and accomplishments are fascinating in their own right, you have the substantive ingredients for a great biography. If you go beyond a barrier-breaking flight to Paris and a baby’s kidnapping and can still draw upon controversial opposition to entering WWII and major contributions to the development of commercial aviation, so much the better. If you’re writing a biography, choosing a subject involved in both one of the century’s great adventures and one of its great tragedies is a good start. A magisterial work chronicling the life of a great American hero, from a National Book Award-winning author.
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