What is the theme in An American Hero: The True Story of Charles a. Lindbergh by Barry Denenberg?

One important theme in the book is that of Lindbergh as an innovator. From very early on, Lindbergh was clearly an important pioneer and innovator of aviation. In the airmail service, he learned how to improve the efficiency and logistics of airmail routes, and because of his efforts airmail delivery became a lot safer and more reliable. With respect to his transatlantic flight, he realized that a single-engine plane flied solo had the best chance of crossing the ocean, given the technology that was available. This flied in the face of the common belief that multi-engine planes had to be used.

Additionally, Lindbergh insisted that the fuel tank for the plane be built between pilot and engine. Existing plane designs placed the pilot between the fuel tank and engine, and any rupture in the fuel tank meant the pilot was in danger of being caught in a fireball. Lindbergh also designed the plane to be as light as possible, to the point that he discarded a fuel gauge and relied upon a wristwatch and pencil marks to measure fuel consumption.

After his famous flight, Lindbergh continued to innovate as the unofficial ambassador of aviation. Working with fledgling airline companies, he designed plane routes and helped to determine terminal locations. Even as late as World War II, Lindbergh shared flying tricks he had learned about conserving fuel to other pilots, and he out-gunned and out-flew top pilots.