Rating: 
Summary: Well Written but Soft-Pedaled Certain Things
Review: As a writer, Scott Berg does a very good job. This is for the most part a page-turner. His description of the 1927 flight, of the night of the kidnapping and of the events leading up to the trial are very well done. However, this is two books. The first book, about Lindbergh up till the trial, is superb and captures the greatness of the man's accomplishments and the limitations of the man. The second book, about the trial, the isolationist and the husband, is much less substantial. It glosses over the revisionist versions of the the trial - which might be too complex for this already long book - and downplays Lindbergh's anti-Semitism and his swift rehabilitation far too readily. I've come away seeing that Lindy was a hero for his flight and for the role he played in opening the skies. I'm also more interested in reading more about that era. But I'm more convinced than before that Lindbergh forfeited his exalted status and that he was an anti-Semite. Berg chooses not to address this head-on, and undermines his credibility as a historian. I wonder if anyone has written about the Jewish community and America First to set the record to balance for me. At the same time, he brings Anne Lindbergh to life very well and I hope to red her recent biography. I would actually like to give his version of history 2 1/2 stars but his bio of the people a 4. The 3 is a compromise. And I do like readers the mix of views this book has inspired, even from the more dedicated readers. Ain't amazon.com great?
Rating: 
Summary: My review below was meant to be five stars
Review: Perhaps I mis-clicked. I give "Lindbergh" five stars. This second chance allows me to say something that came to me after posting the review. Few biographies have left me feeling so inferior.
Rating:
Summary: A superb rendering of a great American
Review: Lamenting over the state of the world after WW II, Charles Lindbergh wrote in his journal, "The value of truth has never been so low." Pogo observed that "Nobody is so blind as he who will not see." Charles Lindbergh wasted very few minutes during his incredibly worthy lifetime, applying himself to a range of endeavors that was breathtaking in scope. He died without one legitimate smear on his character. Few mortals contributed to mankind in general and to their country in particular a fraction as much as he. Much of what he did was at his own expense and neither promised nor provided financial gain. His opposition to war was based on sound reasoning: he foresaw a devastated postwar western Europe, leaving Russia to plunder and usurp much of Europe unopposed. His fears were realized, of course. And who knows how close Russia may have come to igniting WW III? Lindbergh's hope of negotiating a peace with Germany proved to be unrealistic, but he could not have suspected that Hitler was a madman, one who would condemn his own country to ruin even after it was clearly defeated. Scott Berg painted a brilliant panoramic view of the man, of the times in which he lived, and of the world he lived in. I will argue against the preposterous premise that Lindbergh killed his son on the page for that scurrilous book, "The Crime of the Century: The Lindbergh Kidnapping Hoax", and only mention it here because some readers below me expressed that belief. Some souls can't coexist with greatness, can only find comfort in their own pitiful existences by defiling greatness. The value of truth is at an all-time low and falling, and the blind who will not see are still very much with us.
Rating:
Summary: Great read - a real page turner !
Review: This book deserves the Pulitzer Prize that it won ! Rarely do I find books of non-fiction that read as fast and engagingly as those fiction works by Grishham, Paterson, or Cornwell. Lindbergh is a terrific read. This man did far more than fly solo across the ocean...buy this book !
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly fascinating -- an absorbing page-turner.
Review: The author presents a thorough, vivid, balanced and very readable history of the events and times of Charles Lindbergh's life (which spanned a considerable era, from the Wright Brothers to the moon landings) as well as a perceptive, in-depth, flesh and blood portrait of the man, his personal and family life, and his career.Thanks to the copious and detailed written record that the Lindberghs kept of their experiences -- made available to Mr. Berg in addition to all his other research -- the book gave this baby boomer a riveting glimpse into the half of the Twentieth Century which I was born too late to witness. There was truly a "you are there" feel to accounts of the famous flight, the kidnapping, the trial, the couple's marriage, the birth of commercial and military aviation, the events leading up to World War II, and even Lindbergh's passing as they were unfolding. There was also a very real and intimate depiction of Charles and Anne as people through the various stages of their lives.It was enlightening that public craziness and media frenzy hardly began with Princess Di and O.J. It was also quite revealing of the times that Anne so unquestioningly suppressed aspects of herself to support her husband and his endeavors even though she was an educated and independent woman with separate needs which were quite often at odds with his.If anyone thinks this book would not interest them, they should think again. A very worthwhile read in many respects. Definitely deserved the Pulitzer Prize.
Rating:
Summary: A biography of note.
Review: I've never been interested in biographies (finding them minutiae-bogged tomes that don't illustrate the spirit of the subject) but was fascinated when I read excerpts of Berg's book. Berg, most impressively, is able to leave the reader with significant milestones in Lindbergh's life without glossing over any of the negative aspects of Lindbergh's character or personality. The "high points" - the flight to Paris, Linbergh's conservation work, etc. are sympathetically, even heroically portrayed, while the less desirable elements - his involvement with "America First" and his cold personality are also there for the reader's scrutiny. Overall, a balanced portrayal of a man many Americans continue to regard as one of the last true heroic figures despite the controversy that remains with his passage.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful, interesting reading
Review: This is a fascinating account of a man who influenced our history, society and culture far more than I had realized. His historic flight across the Atlantic is just a small piece of his incredible life. You get a good sense of the marriage relationship and Anne herself in this, too.
Rating:
Summary: Good bio on a great man
Review: This is a good biography. The treatment of Lindbergh's flight over the Atlantic and the baby kidnapping are dealt with very well. Berg leaves no doubt in the listerner that Hauptmann was the kidnapper. I would have liked more details on other parts of Lindbergh's life, though, but that's probably because the audio book is abridged.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book about a so-so person
Review: Taken for all in all, Lindbergh was a rather average man. In some things, he was a great person. Normal average people do not fly solo across the Atlantic, even to this day. But Lindbergh's dark side, the Nazi connections, the unapologitic anti-semtic remarks, the oddities concerning the kidnapping of his son. These are not the average problems that normal average people have in their lives. The book is a lot better than the person it is about.
Rating:
Summary: So much more than his "Claim to Fame"...
Review: I heard about this biography after it won the Pulitzer Prize, and Mr. Peck was interviewed on NPR. This is a book that I will re-read and definitely recommend for History buffs. Peck stated that Lindbergh's famous flight was the least of his accomplishments and for being an essentially untrained scientist, did some truly amazing research on rocket science, tissue growth, artifical hearts, and aeronautic experiments re: the impact of high-g forces and other safety issues on behalf of his country during WWII. However, it also turns an unblinking brutally honest eye upon Lindbergh's less popular aspects, his alleged fascism, racism, and distant pseudo-parenting of his family. Anne Morrow Lindbergh also contributed some very candid and personal insights into the man who was far more complex and driven than the public ever really imagined.
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