Autographs
Charles Lindbergh Signed Autobiography Book Titled "WE" 1927-Dated Special "Author's Autograph Edition"
CHARLES A. LINDBERGH (1902-1974). Historic American Aviator, Author, Inventor, Explorer and Social Activist. "WE" is the autobiography of the famous flier, written almost immediately after his famous flight across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Paris on May 20-21, 1927.
1927-Dated, original excellent quality, special "Author's Autograph Edition" of Lindbergh's Book titled, "WE" Signed, "Charles. A Lindbergh" written in deep black ink on the colophon front page, Choice Extremely Fine. This historic Rare Edition Book was part of a Limited Issue of only 1,000 being published by G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, in 1927 and also Signed by the publisher along with Lindbergh. This Book numbered 668/1000.
It measures about 6.75" x 10" with 308 pages with some illustration images and is in beautiful condition printed on a special high quality untrimmed heavy wove paper. "WE" is the autobiographical account by Lindbergh about his life and the years leading up to and including his historic 1927 Solo Transatlantic flight in his custom single engine airplane named, "The Spirit of St. Louis." This book's title refers to the "Spiritual" partnership that Lindbergh and his plane developed during "the dark hours of his flight". A superb addition to any collector's library. Choice quality being crisp fresh and clean throughout.
"WE" is the autobiography of the famous flier, Charles A. Lindbergh, written almost immediately after his famous flight across the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Paris on May 20-21, 1927.
This historic flight by Charles Lindbergh took him from being a little known US Postal Service Air Mail pilot and made him into one of the most famous if not the most famous person in the world. The main impetus for the flight was the $25,000 Orteig Prize offered by the French-born New York hotelier Raymond Orteig. He offered the prize to be awarded to the pilot of the first successful nonstop flight made in either direction between New York City and Paris.
The book, which was also soon translated into most major languages, remained at the top of best-seller lists well into 1928, with more than 650,000 copies sold in the first year, and earned Lindbergh more than $250,000. The book's great commercial success was considerably aided by its publication coinciding with the start of his three-month tour of the United States in the Spirit on behalf of the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics.
The nation became obsessed with Lindbergh during the tour in which he was seen in person by more than 30 million Americans, a quarter of the nation's then population. No other author before or since ever had such an extensive, highly publicized tour that helped promote a book than did Lindbergh's "We" of himself and the Spirit during their 22,350-mile tour of the US. He visited 82 cities in all 48 states during which the nation's nascent aviation superhero delivered 147 speeches and rode 1,290 miles in parades.
Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 " August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. At the age of 25 in 1927, he went from obscurity as a U.S. Air Mail pilot to instantaneous world fame by winning the Orteig Prize for making a nonstop flight from New York City to Paris. Lindbergh covered the 3,600-statute-mile (5,800 km) flight alone in a purpose-built, single-engine Ryan monoplane, he named "The Spirit of St. Louis".
While the first Non-stop Transatlantic flight had been made 8 years earlier, this was the first Solo Transatlantic flight, the first Transatlantic flight between two major city hubs, and the longest tTansatlantic flight by almost 2,000 miles. Thus it is widely considered a turning point in world history for the development and advancement of aviation.
Lindbergh was an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps Reserve, and he received the United States' highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his transatlantic flight. His achievement spurred interest in both commercial aviation and air mail, which revolutionized the aviation industry, and he devoted much time and effort to promoting such activity.
In March 1932, Lindbergh's infant son, Charles Jr., was kidnapped and murdered in what the American media called the "Crime of the Century". The case prompted the United States Congress to establish kidnapping as a federal crime if the kidnapper crosses state lines with a victim. By late 1935, the hysteria surrounding the case had driven the Lindbergh family into exile in Europe, from which they returned in 1939.
In the years before the United States entered World War II, his non-interventionist stance and statements about Jews led some to suspect he was a Nazi sympathizer, although Lindbergh never publicly stated support for Nazi Germany. He opposed not only the intervention of the United States but also the provision of aid to the United Kingdom. He supported the anti-war America First Committee and resigned his commission in the U.S. Army Air Forces in April 1941 after President Franklin Roosevelt publicly rebuked him for his views. In September 1941, Lindbergh gave a significant address, titled "Speech on Neutrality", outlining his views and arguments against greater American involvement in the war.
Lindbergh did ultimately express public support for the U.S. war effort after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent United States declaration of war upon Germany. He flew 50 missions in the Pacific Theater of World War II as a civilian consultant, but did not take up arms as Roosevelt refused to reinstate his Air Corps colonel's commission. In his later years, Lindbergh became a prolific author, international explorer, inventor, and environmentalist, eventually dying of lymphoma in 1974, at age 72.