Chapter 4 Summary and Analysis

Going from St. Louis to New York, Lindbergh set a new transcontinental record. Lindbergh had become well-known by this time, and in New York he was mobbed by reporters, a hint of things to come. The public became enamored of Lindbergh because of his underdog status, as a lone pilot in a single-engine plane going against more famous aviators backed by huge corporations and piloting much more elaborate planes. Lindbergh was shy in front of cameras and photogenic, further endearing him to the American public. Thousands came to see him take off across the Atlantic, and police had to hold mobs of people away from the airplane hangar. One of the nicknames the media gave Lindbergh was "Lucky Lindy", a nickname Lindbergh hated because he believed there was no luck involved in what he did, only proper training and diligence.

Even...