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"All those who see me, and all who believe in me, share in the freedom I feel when I fly." Book Brief-ings by Julie Welch 20 Hrs., 40 Min.: Our Flight in the Friendship Amelia Earhart 1928 Reissued 2003, National Geographic Adventure Classics Charles Lindbergh was the first man to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, in 1927. In 1928, "Lady Lindy" - Amelia Earhart - would follow, although as a passenger - not pilot. [She would fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932.] In this book, Earhart gives her personal account of the historic 1928 Friendship flight, sharing with readers details that could only come directly from the famous aviator herself. Earhart not only discusses the flight, but also includes key personal experiences from her life, giving this book tremendous depth. Although there are unfortunately only a few pictures in this book, they are carefully chosen to help the reader to visualize both her life and this flight. While much of her life?s story has been told numerous times and in numerous books, 20 Hrs., 40 Min. provides a deeper look into her historic Transatlantic flight. In the "Preparations" section, Earhart talks about the extensive media coverage leading up to the flight. The world watched in anticipation of this event and read the news daily. She had to go through extensive planning and persuasion with powerful politicians and air controllers to receive permission to attempt the flight. When she finally got the go-ahead for this flight, she now needed to go through extensive equipment preparation to ensure her safety. Timing and weather conditions were considered and a flight team was put into place. Her plane was called Friendship and her journey captivated the world! Earhart included portions of her log book entries from her flight that are both fascinating and connecting, as it takes the reader along with her while she makes this historic flight. Account by account descriptions of the flight, the trials and unpredictable weather conditions are all included. The anxiety that you feel while reading even though you already know the outcome keeps you turning every page. While Earhart was in the air, the world was watching. Not on TV, as there was no TV at that time - but newspapers and radio stations were keeping up with every account of the entire flight. Headlines were plastered all over the biggest newspapers in the country, and across the world. Hearing about this historic flight through the words and pictures in this book, provide a unique perspective on what it might have been like to be Amelia Earhart on this flight. Her addition of personal life events both before the flight and following provide valuable historic context and add depth to the book. Although Earhart was "just" a passenger on this flight, she was the one who got most of the publicity. However, Earhart, in her book, doesn't attempt to hide the fact that the pilot of the Friendship was Wilmer Stutz, and they were accompanied by mechanic Louis "Slim" Gordon." This book was first published in 1928. This edition was released in 2003 by the National Geographics Society, and contains a forward by Anthony Brandt and an introduction by Marion Perkins. Interestingly..the page numbers on the Table of Contents aren't correct. Table of Contents: Toronto Days Early Aviation My Own Plane East to Boston Preparations Off for Newfoundland At Trespassey Across Journey?s End Aviation Invites Women in Aviation Problems and Progress Retrospect

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