The Flight, Dan Hampton
The Flight, Dan Hampton
3 Rating(s)
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The Flight
Charles Lindbergh's Daring and Immortal 1927 Transatlantic Crossing

Author: Dan Hampton

Narrator: John Pruden

Unabridged: 8 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 05/16/2017


Synopsis

A gripping and unique ""in-the-cockpit"" account of Charles Lindbergh’s extraordinary first transatlantic flight from New York to Paris, by acclaimed aviation historian (Viper Pilot, Lords of the Sky) and former fighter pilot Dan Hampton—""one of the most decorated pilots in Air Force history"" (New York Post).America’s finest aviation story in the hands of our finest aviation historian, The Flight is Dan Hampton’s biggest, most dramatic book yet.On the morning of May 20, 1927, a little known pilot named Charles Lindbergh waited to take off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island. He was determined to claim the $25,000 Orteig Prize promised to the first pilot to fly nonstop from New York to Paris—a contest that had already claimed six men’s lives. Just twenty-five years old, Lindbergh had never before flown over water. Yet thirty-three hours later, his single-engine monoplane, The Spirit of St. Louis, touched down in Paris. Overnight, Charles Lindbergh became the most famous aviator of all time.The Flight is a long overdue, flyer’s-eye-view look at Lindbergh’s legendary journey. Decorated fighter pilot and bestselling author Dan Hampton offers a unique appreciation for Lindbergh’s accomplishment: Hampton has flown the exact same route many times, knowledge that informs and shapes The Flight. Relying upon a trove of primary sources, including Lindbergh’s own personal diary and writings, Hampton crafts a dramatic narrative of a challenging, death-defying feat that many had believed was impossible. Moving hour by hour, Hampton recounts Lindbergh’s uncertainty over his equipment and his courage as he traverses the vast darkness of the Atlantic with no radar. Moving between the sky and ground, Hampton intersperses the tale of the flight with Lindbergh’s personal history as well as some of the stories of those waiting for him on the ground, praying he would make it safely across.

About Dan Hampton

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Dan Hampton flew 151 combat missions during his twenty years (1986–2006) in the United States Air Force. For his service in the Iraq War, Kosovo conflict, and first Gulf War, Col. Hampton received four Distinguished Flying Crosses with Valor, a Purple Heart, eight Air Medals with Valor, five Meritorious Service medals, and numerous other citations. He is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School, USN Top Gun School (TOGS), and USAF Special Operations School. A frequent guest analyst on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC discussing foreign affairs, military, aviation, and intelligence issues, he has published in Aviation History, the Journal of Electronic Defense, Air Force Magazine, Vietnam magazine, and Airpower magazine, and written several classified tactical works for the USAF Weapons Review. He is the author of the national bestsellers Viper Pilot and Lords of the Sky, as well as a novel, The Mercenary.


Reviews

Goodreads review by KOMET on August 10, 2024

As someone who has been an aviation fan since I was 10, "THE FLIGHT: Charles Lindbergh's Daring and Immortal 1927 Transatlantic Crossing" was a book that commanded my immediate attention. So I bought it and read it avidly. The strengths of the book are in the way Hampton, himself a retired U.S. Air......more

Goodreads review by Sruly on April 09, 2025

First off, this book is fun! It’s written to bring you into the cockpit as only an aviator could. You can tell Hampton is drawing from personal experience, and that's one of the book's strengths. The writing falls short of great but is good to very good throughout and consistently exciting. One thing......more

Goodreads review by Diane on July 02, 2017

Hampton brings Lindberg's historical flight to life. This is the first story dedicated to the flight itself. Using Lindberg's notes and quotes and extensive research, we feel the story is as close to what actually happened as we can get. We are in the cockpit with Lindberg seeing what he sees and fe......more

Goodreads review by Pete on May 15, 2017

Just finished "The Flight" by Dan Hampton. Wow! You know the outcome already but I found myself cheering Lindbergh on to the finish. I was concerned for his every action and if it would impact the result. I found myself smiling and telling myself that he'll be fine. As a pilot or just an aviation enthu......more

Goodreads review by Tammy on June 30, 2018

What an excellent book! Thinking about how the first person to do this flew by site in a little plane without any sleep for a few days is just remarkable. Our pioneers aren’t always stellar in every area of their lives, but his contribution to aviation is remarkable and cannot be overlooked. I love......more