The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh

READ THIS BOOK! Glad it won YALSA's Nonfic award. The audio was done in the exact right skeptical but informational tone. The physical book includes pictures, a massive index and her primary sources/research notes - all dialog is taken directly from primary sources. Very modern parallels to 2020/2021 and such a good reminder that history is not past and always has current implications. I knew only the most cursory facts about Lindbergh's life and my mind was blown repeatedly at the reveals and twists and contradictions of his life. Definitely one of my top books of the year already!

I like reading YA nonfiction because it's often a good, compelling way to learn a reasonable amount of information about something/someone without committing to like 1000 pages about Charles Lindbergh (for example), and this definitely delivered on that. I thought the prologue with Lindbergh at an America First rally, indirectly reminding the reader of Trump rally, was a good way to start the book–making the content feel fresh and starting you right off with the news that eventually Lindbergh is headed to yikes-town. (I first learned about that era of Lindbergh's life from [b:The Plot Against America 703 The Plot Against America Philip Roth https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1553896240l/703.SY75.jpg 911456] lol but I imagine most teens might not be as familiar with Lindbergh's love affair with eugenics). After that prologue it's a chronological look at Lindbergh's life starting with his wack childhood, letting you understand some of why he might grow up to be such a wack adult (though also one with the strength and persistence to, for example, fly solo from New York to Paris). I think Fleming does a good job of not excusing any of Lindbergh's shit but giving you some context for it.I will say that there is a lot in here about the extremely active role Lindbergh took in eugenic “scientific research” that involves a lot of animal experimentation that made me squeamish! (In addition to the squeamishness over the racism and ableism involved!) Yikes! Anyway between the aeronautics, the eugenics, the kidnapping, the WWII stuff...there's something in this for a lot of readers. Definitely an engaging read, especially for teens interested in science/history.