ARCHIVE- MARCH 2017 - LINDBERGH (Extended to the end of MAY 2017)

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

By the way folks are never late into an HBC read - we are always here and the threads are always open.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Chapter 3 - No Place Like Home - Introduction and Discussion Questions

And so Chapter Three begins:

"Raised in virtual isolation among Lindberghs, it was difficult for Charles Lindbergh ever to recognize that his kin might have differed from other people. He was proud that his family tree abounded with independent thinkers in a broad range of disciplines-- most of which he would pursue. But he never perceived that many of his ancestors were prideful to the point of arrogance - rebels far apart from the rest of society as to be above the law, so evangelical as to appear fanatical, so global in their vision as to be shortsighted. For all of his fascination with detail, Lindbergh never examined is family history closely enough to see that it included financial malfeasance, flight from justice, bigamy, illegitimacy, melancholia, manic-depressive, alcoholism, grievous generational conflicts, and wanton abandonment of families. But those undercurrents were always there. And so this third-generation Lindbergh was born with a deeply private nature and bred according to the principles of self-reliance - nonconformity and the innate understanding that greatness came at the inevitable price of being misunderstood.

(view spoiler)[
June 1927 - Charles Lindbergh is presented with the first Distinguished Flying Cross in honor of his solo nonstop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris

Discussion Questions:

1. Did you get the impression that Charles Lindbergh was spoiled as a baby - Why or why not?

2. What do you think the author meant by saying that "Lindbergh was born with a deeply private nature and bred according to the principles of self-reliance -- nonconformity and the innate understanding that greatness came at the inevitable price of being misunderstood?" Was the author implying that Lindbergh was fated to this outcome because he was a Lindbergh?

3. What did you think about the following quote - "(Decades later some believed she was the model for Carol Kennicott, the stifled heroine in Sinclair Lewis's Main Street, a novel based on the author's hometown of Sauk Centre, not fifty miles from Little Falls.") Do you think that this was possible and why would she be stifled?

4. Did you think it odd that the Lindberghs kept their baby outside even in winter? What other things about his upbringing did you find odd or did you think that his upbringing was the norm? The senior Lindbergh was known for his honesty and that it was uncompromising. Why would he keep most of his finances private from his wife? Why the demonstrable change in the senior Lindbergh's attitude toward his wife and his home?

5. How do you explain CA's sudden new interest in politics? Was CA abandoning the family and how did the fire and the moves and the loss of home affect the young Lindbergh as well as his father's absences in Washington? What do you think contributed to his shyness and his selective memory?

6. What are your thoughts on the following quote: "That farm was one of the most important things in my life," he would write his mother in his mid-forties. "It taught me the value of water, trees, and sky --and solitude. Anyone who has not known these elements has not really lived." Indeed, he later realized, "I am not happy living away from water or where I cannot see the sky on a clear night."

7. How did the Senior Lindbergh first raise in Congress - the hue and cry of the Money Trust Hunt?

8. Did you have the feeling that CA only married to not have to deal with the responsibilities of his two daughters. Did he indulge them because of his guilt? In some ways I had a lot of sympathy for Evangeline and what CA put her through in terms of moving around from home to home and having to come to terms with singularly bringing up two step daughters - it could not have been easy. How do you think that the young Lindbergh gained from his frequent interactions with his grandparents (the Lands)? And with his favorite uncle?

9. I found it interesting that the young Charles in 1913 entered The Sidwell Friends School in DC. That is the school that many of the president's children have attended and it is interesting that it was later reported that he palled around with Quentin and Kermit Roosevelt. Why do you think these myths were created when in fact Lindbergh was very much alone even at Sidwell? Was it your impression that Evangeline was devoted to the boy and did the best she could? What was wrong with his father? How do you view the relationship between the boy and his parents? Between Evangeline and her two step daughters?

10. Why do you think the young Lindbergh did not have any friends? He did not seem unlikable.

11. Lindbergh's childhood and teen years were rough - the solitude and his being alone and on his own had to influence the man that he would become. What surprised you about his young life and what he had to endure? And did it surprise you as to how abruptly by the end of the summer of 1920 - he would never live on the farm again and took off on his twin-cylinder Excelsior motorcycle for college? Did you have the feeling that when his beautiful childhood home burned down in the fire that any semblance of a normal childhood went up in flames with it?

(hide spoiler)]

[Glynn]

Bentley wrote: "General Question:

(view spoiler)[ I just finished chapter 2 and I am liking the book. The author has an easy to read style of writing, although I struggle with keeping the characters straight (expecially with all the Charles and Evangelines!) August's reaction to his milling accident was surprising (Ch 2, pg 14: 'When Lindbergh was able to get out of bed, he called for the dead limb so that he could bury it in his garden. "Bring him to me," Lindbergh cried. Then, taking the fingers of the lifeless left hand, he said, "Gootbye, mine dear hand. You have been a goot frent to me for fifty years. You haf always been goot and true to me, but you can't be viv me anymore."' (hide spoiler)]

[Glynn]

Guess I should introduce myself. I am Glynn from sunny Florida (formerly from Long Island, NY.) I've always been interested in the early days of aviation and I grew up not far from Roosevelt Field where Lindbergh started his famous flight. I have also been to the Smithsonian Air and Space museum in Washington and saw the Spirit of St. Louis in person. I am reading the hardcover version which has some great photos sprinkled throughout.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Response to Glynn - message 55

(view spoiler)[Yes, that was a gruesome account of the milling accident. Yikes. I agree - it has taken me awhile myself (hide spoiler)]

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Glynn wrote: "Guess I should introduce myself. I am Glynn from sunny Florida (formerly from Long Island, NY.) I've always been interested in the early days of aviation and I grew up not far from Roosevelt Field ..."

Welcome Glynn - that is interesting that you grew up close to Roosevelt Field. I too have visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum multiple times (my sons loved the place as did I) and have seen the Spirit of St Louis in person (and can you imagine going across the Atlantic in that plane). There are many great photos. I hope to have an opportunity to add them here. I imagine that the weather in Florida is vastly superior to what we are experiencing up north in your old stomping grounds.

Glad to have you as part of the discussion - jump into the questions and voice your opinions and impressions.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Interesting photo of Lindbergh's half sister Eva when she was older:


Autographed Photograph of Russell Fridley, Eva Lindbergh Christie Spaeth, Vern Jobst and James D. Newton

Her obit:
January 31, 1985
Lindbergh Sister Dies at 92

AP
ROSEVILLE, Minn., Jan. 30— Eva Lindbergh Christie Spaeth, the sister of the flier Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., died Monday.

She was 92 years old. Her first husband, George W. Christie, published The Red Lake Falls, Minn., Gazette. After his death in 1956, the widow published the newspaper until 1968. In 1970 she married G. Howard Spaeth, a Minnesota tax commissioner. Survivors include Mr. Spaeth, Mrs. Spaeth's son and a daughter, and six grandchildren.

Source: New York Times
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/31/us/...

More:
http://articles.latimes.com/1985-01-3...

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Chapter 4 - Under a Wing - Introduction and Discussion Questions

And so we begin Chapter Four:

Traveling alone by train, Evangeline arrived before Charles; and she wasted no time hunting for an apartment for the two of them.

At first blush she did not take to Madison, finding it "a queer place." Situated on an isthmus among a group of lakes, Wisconsin's capital seemed incongruous -- with its brand-new, two-million-dollar Capitol dome lording over what might otherwise pass for a small farming village. But she quickly discovered the many charms of this exceptional college community-- an intellectual hub of the Midwest.

Just blocks from the campus, at 35 North Mills Street, Evangeline found a third-floor apartment that rented for seventy dollars per month. While the building was closer to the railroad tracks tan she would have liked, their flat was more spacious than any of the others she had shared with Charles. It has a living room and front porch, kitchen and dining alcove, a bedroom for each of them, even an extra room in which to study. She had shipped books and furniture from Little Falls to make it feel more like home."

(view spoiler)[
Charles A. Lindbergh at age six with his mother, Evangeline Lodge Land Lindbergh. 1908. Source: Lindbergh Picture Collection. Manuscripts & Archives, Yale University Library

Discussion Questions:

1. Did it appear to you that Charles had taken pride in the fact that he had never been present for the first day of school, and freshman year at the University of Wisconsin proved no exception? How odd a life for that to be true? What were your impressions when reading that? Why do you think Charles shut down in the classroom? He certainly had run a household and a farm - what do you think were his problems?

2. Why do you think Lindbergh had any interest in the Reserve Officer Training Program? For whatever reason the structure of the military life seemed to appeal to him. Why do you think that was?

3. What are your impressions of the following quote - "For the first time in his life, the shy loner belonged to a group. Ironically, it was in the military-- that Lindbergh discovered his first adult identity."

4. Another quote which was interesting - "Unlike many a collegian, Lindbergh avoided tobacco and alcohol altogether. His grandfather Land had told him that "cigarettes contained a poison"; and, as he later note, "I was so revolted by the men I saw in and outside of the saloons I passed in Little Falls that I would have turned away from hard liquor." What were your impressions of the young Lindbergh?

5. What does this quote tell you about what Lindbergh felt was lacking - "The strictness of discipline amazed me, but I enjoyed it, and realized its value in military life."

6. What happened to CA - a man that was so revered in town because of his honesty and good business sense? Now he was having problems coming up with $50 a month in support. In what ways did Evangeline's perseverance surprise you?

7. Why did Lindbergh have such a hard time in school? The school thought he was immature but actually he had shown quite a bit of maturity running the farm etc. He certainly was bright enough. What got in his way?

8. Lindbergh flunks out of college and decides on aviation. Somehow his father footed the bill! Were you surprised by that? What surprised me a great deal was Evangeline. Were you impressed that she had completed her teacher's training and was going to graduate school at Columbia? And the fact that she was brave enough to go along in the cockpit amazed me - why was she criticized so by others? Was anyone else impressed with her?

9. Another quote which we should note is: "When the plane took flight and banked for the first time, Lindbergh felt as though he had lost "all conscious connection with the past," that he lived "only in the moment in this strange, unmortal space, crowded with beauty, pierced with danger." Fifteen minutes in the air, and Lindbergh was forever changed." How had flying changed him?

10. Had you ever heard of the term "barnstorming"? Did you think that Lindbergh was reckless with his wing walking, skydiving and flying? It is hard to imagine a protective mother like Evangeline being OK with this. What did aviation create for Lindbergh which he never had in his life before and why do you think that it was able to do that?

11. In what ways did the death of his Grandfather Land change Lindbergh and what did he credit his grandfather in teaching him?

12. Things were certainly different in 1923! Were you amazed that Lindbergh showed up to buy a plane and nobody asked if he was an experienced pilot. The fact was that you didn't have to have a license to fly an airplane in 1923. What a time period to live - such freedoms. What did you think when you read that? And to think that Lindbergh was foolhardy enough to take off in the plane without knowing what he was doing shocked me - was anyone else surprised? Can you imagine being allowed nowadays to throw circulars out of the plane?

13. Another quote for discussion - "And then one morning Lindbergh realized a promise he had made to himself years earlier. "I shall never forget flying the first time over the farm in Minnesota where I grew up as a boy, " Lindbergh wrote an acquaintance more than 40 years laters - "the new and seemingly god-like perspective it gave to me."

14. Lindbergh joined the army and what did the army schools teach him which he had never learned before?

15. Was anyone struck by the deepness and degree of bitterness and hatefulness in Eva and how she put together CA's obituary. How did CA's death change the young Lindbergh? (hide spoiler)]

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Progress and Road Map.

First if you are new to the discussion and are reading and signed up - you should simply post a brief intro that you are beginning to read the Week One assignment.

Second - as you read the epigram - then post your responses to those questions, then read ahead as to what the questions will be in Chapter One - read the chapter and then post your responses, and so on for all six chapters in this week's assignment - in other words for this first week - you have 12 days to get it done. So all is well and nobody is behind - we are always here to respond to you but just post with your ideas and that makes it even more fun. Try not to get ahead in your reading - just read along with the group and respond to the discussion questions.

Questions for the Epigram, Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four are already completed and up.

Epigram Questions - post 13
Some Quotes for Discussion - post 17
Chapter One Questions - post 17
Chapter Two Questions - posts 28 and 29
General Question - post 35
Chapter Three Questions - posts 50 and 52
Chapter Four Questions - post 58

[Glynn]

Response to Epigram, discussion question a)(view spoiler)[I think this is an appropriate poem for Lindbergh. I am a little familiar with his life and I think the epigram has to do with Karma. I was not sure that bad Karma passed down can affect a person (like if your grandfather did something bad it might affect you) but I read a bit about it and it seems that this is a common belief. I guess we will see how this plays out as we read along. (hide spoiler)]

[Glynn]

Bentley wrote: "Photo of Evangeline Lodge (Land) Lindbergh - Lindbergh - the aviator's mother

Charles Lindbergh (aviator) with his mother Evangeline Lodge (Land) Lindbergh

Evangeline Lindbergh with her son Charl..."

Great photos. Evangiline Lodge really was a beautiful woman. :)

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Response to Glynn - regarding Epigram

Family related karma - how horrendous. I always thought the religious belief was that each soul stood alone but then again there is the biblical story of original sin.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Response to Glynn regarding Evangeline
(view spoiler)[Glynn - I thought so too - and to tell you the truth so far - she is the only one keeping things together for young Charles. (hide spoiler)]

[Doug]

Hello all, I'm Doug from Southern California. I live about 35 miles northeast of San Diego, and Lindbergh is especially timely and pertinent. My town recently posted a large-scale mural on the wall of one of the buildings in town. Many people were outraged and demanded that it be taken down because of Lindbergh's anti-Semitism. Also, San Diego International Airport is under fire by some for continuing to call the airport "Lindbergh Field." These two recent undertones add a semblance of urgency for me to read this book. That, and all I know about Lindbergh is the flight and the baby kidnapping. Looking forward to reading this book with you all!

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Doug welcome - I often wonder about folks not looking at the totality of a life but this isn't the first protest about a well known president or iconic figure - Andrew Jackson has had his issues, Calhoun, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, even Jane Fonda who is still alive had her problems about what she did regarding Viet Nam. Why not Lindbergh.

Maybe folks want to change history rather than learn from it.

However, right now there is great sensitivity to the outrageous attacks on Jewish cemeteries which is increasing the backlash I imagine. You have to wonder what kind of deranged and prejudiced individual or groups would stoop so low. It just gets everybody over sensitized and that could be a threat to our rights to free speech although hate speech is not included in those rights..

It is such a delicate line - many things that people say are abhorrent but we have free speech and we should protect and treasure that right.

At a golf course recently - they were trying to ban Obama from being extended a membership which is normally a matter of course because his administration abstained from a UN vote against additional settlements in Israel which could endanger an Israeli/Palestine peace deal and some of the members of the golf course called that anti semitic.

So there are varying degrees of things that should outrage us. The cemetery desecrations and threats are outrageous and against the law - these should stop but Lindbergh Field I think is a bit over the top. What did the bible say - "Let he who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone".

We shall learn what Lindbergh did soon enough.

Together we can judge what Lindbergh said and decide for ourselves when reading the book. We look forward to your joining us.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Regarding the Epigram for Chapter 5 - Spirit - Discussion Questions

(view spoiler)[What did folks think about the Lindbergh quote - the chapter 5 epigram - "I have felt the godlike power man derives from his machines..the immortal viewpoint of higher air."

Discussion Questions:

1. How did that quote signify Lindbergh's personality and life and the isolation that he always felt until he entered the army. Does flying give a pilot the feeling of immortality and godlike powers? (hide spoiler)]

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Some Photos of People and Events so far:


Ola Mansson - August Lindbergh - Charles the aviator's paternal grandfather


Charles H. Land—Lindbergh’s maternal grandfather—known as the “Father of Porcelain Dentistry”—taught young Charles that “Science is the key to all mystery.”

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Welcome Betty - never knew you had Massachusetts and Maine roots - where in Massachusetts and Maine.

When you were at Smithsonian did you wonder how Lindbergh could possibly have made a trans atlantic flight in such a small plane?

We are glad to have you with us - please dive into the chapter questions.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Really - I had roots to Maine too - in fact my ancestors were some of the founding fathers in Portland. Interesting. Live a long way away now.

Brave people do things every day that amaze us. But that plane was small.

[Betty]

Epigram

(view spoiler)[I really like the observation that Candace made regarding Lindbergh being closest to his God while on that flight. From what I have read so far, I get the feeling that Lindbergh was a rather humble man, and didn't expect all the attention and accolades that he ended up receiving. Until he landed, he was at peace.

Also reading this a little more literally, I think the line "Shadow and sunlight are the same" might describe his experiences during that long flight, with the atmosphere blending into one.

"And one to me are shame and fame." definitely describes some of the emotional roller coaster he endures during his life.

The "they" in the line "When me they fly, I am the wings;" could be applied to the sponsors of the flight.

I believe this poem is very fitting for a biography of Lindbergh. (hide spoiler)]

[Betty]

Karma

(view spoiler)[Lindbergh had survived a flight across the Atlantic, a feat that had never been successfully done. His accomplishment meant that the world could become even more connected than ever before, and there was hope that we could explore the world, and not just a country or continent.

The flow of traffic outside the airfield came to a standstill, with Parisians basically holding their breath and hoping and praying that Lindbergh would land successfully. On page 4: " Two French fliers - Nungesser and Coli - had not been heard from in the two weeks since their attempt to fly nonstop from Paris to New York; and their disappearance weighed heavily on the Parisians' minds." They didn't want another loss. It would be too hard to bear.

In this chapter, I may have missed the explanation as to why the plane was called the Spirit of St Louis, although I will guess it is due to the sponsorship of the plane.

What struck me most from this chapter were the paragraphs about how Lindbergh felt about all of the unexpected attention. On page 6, for example: "For several years, Lindbergh had lived according to one of the basic laws of aerodynamics - the need to maintain balance. And so, in those figures running toward him, Lindbergh immediately saw inevitable repercussions." And "He instinctively knew that submitting himself to the idolatry of the public could strip him of his very identity; and the only preventative he could see was to maintain his privacy." Then on page 7: "The unwanted fame all but guaranteed an isolated adulthood. And, indeed, Lindbergh spent the rest of his life in flight, searching for islands of tranquility." I find this so incredibly sad! Here is a man who attempted something and succeeded, and it helped our world to be more connected ... yet, this caused him to disconnect for the rest of his life. And I try to imagine a life where you have to think about every single thing you do, and how you can do it, while maintaining your privacy from the media and the public, who are all stalking you. I know this is a reality for many public figures and famous and popular entertainers, etc. I can see why so many succumb to drug use to escape - also so sad, since that is never the intention when one first begins such a career! (hide spoiler)]

[Dora]

I'm Dora from Southern California and I decided to read this as 1. I met my husband taking flying lessons, he's was my instructor and 2. I'm a fan of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's writing. I'm often giving her book Gifts from the Sea as a gift.

I think one thing that makes this book so fascinating is Berg's unfettered access to family letters and diaries.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Thank you Betty

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

@Betty - Karma

(view spoiler)[The constant intrusion into one's life especially for a loner must have been totally unsettling. (hide spoiler)]

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Dora wrote: "I'm Dora from Southern California and I decided to read this as 1. I met my husband taking flying lessons, he's was my instructor and 2. I'm a fan of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's writing. I'm often give..."

First hello Dora - we are delighted to have you join us. You do not have to cite the book we are reading nor the author but the others you do:

by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

How interesting that your husband was first your flight instructor. You must have a love of flying.

[Rachel]

Hello, I finally managed to get my book for the reading along. Look forward to being apart of the discussion soon.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Very good Rachel - welcome

[Janis]

Hi I am Janis and I am living currently between AZ and Massachusetts. I got my book yesterday from the library and glad to be able to join in on time. I read a fictionalized account of Lindbergh last year from his wife's viewpoint and wanted to learn more about the real man. I has always been fascinated by the many facets of Lindbergh and his triumphs and tragedies along his wife. I got the first couple of chapters read yesterday and am very pleased with the great reading so far. Yes, the research is superb and I am finding out info about Lindbergh's early formative years. I can see that his early years formed the basis for his secretive nature. Very excited to be reading this book which I might not have read otherwise and getting other viewpoints on the man, his life and the early 20th century and the part he played in the 20th century history.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Welcome Janis - be sure to start responding to the discussion questions as you read.

[Michele]

Just starting with Chap. 12. Am I on schedule? Had to run and help out my in-laws with some health problems and lost track.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

No Michelle - you are way ahead - just stick with the group (smile) and syllabus - there are plenty of question to try your hand with - here is the syllabus which is posted on this thread:

SYLLABUS

Part One - Week One - MARCH 1ST THROUGH MARCH 12TH - pages 3 - 134
1. Karma
2. Northern Lights
3. No Place Like Home
4. Under a Wing
5. Spirit
6. Perchance to Dream

Part Two - Week Two - MARCH 13TH THROUGH MARCH 19TH - pages 135 - 344
7. Only a Man
8. Unicorns
9. “We”
10. Sourland
11. Apprehension
12. Circus Maximus

Part Three - Week Three -MARCH 20TH THROUGH MARCH 26TH - 345 - 461
13. Rising Tides
14. The Great Debate
15. Clipped Wings

Part Four - Week Four - MARCH 26TH THROUGH APRIL 1ST - pages 462 - 544
16. Phoenix
17. Double Sunrise
18. Alone Together
19. Aloha


Acknowledgments
Notes and Sources
Permissions
Index

[Michele]

Oh, I see now. I misread the weeks! Thanks for the repost Bentley. Its been crazy this week. My father-in-law had to be hospitalized and my mother-in-law is disabled and not walking very well, so someone has to stay with her.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

I know - for me too (smile)

[Paula]

Hi, I'm Paula from Sweden. I just started the book and will try to catch up with the discussion. It's a fascinating book so far and I'm glad I decided to join.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Yes it is Paula and welcome to the discussion. Try to tackle the chapter questions. We look forward to reading your posts.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Folks, this is Week Two!

Here is the assignment - just try to keep up but not get ahead - and post your answers to the discussion questions past or present - make sure to place your responses in the spoiler html so that those folks coming along after us will not encounter spoilers. We only use the spoiler html on single thread discussions.

Part Two - Week Two - MARCH 13TH THROUGH MARCH 19TH - pages 135 - 344
7. Only a Man
8. Unicorns
9. “We”
10. Sourland
11. Apprehension
12. Circus Maximus

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Chapter Overviews and Summaries:

Part Two

7. Only a Man:

Lindbergh receives acclaim from Paris, Britain, the US and iconic stature.



8. Unicorns:

In Chapter Eight, the author introduces us to the Morrows.


From left: Charles Lindbergh, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Elisabeth Morrow, Dwight Morrow. Taken in early 1931

9. “We”:

The Lindberghs go on their honeymoon and begin married life with all that it entails.


May 20, 1929: Charles Lindbergh marries Anne, daughter of Dwight W. Morrow


10. Sourland:

The press - unrelenting- starts to turn on Lindbergh and his family as well as the young baby. Things go bad and Lindbergh cries.


The Lindbergh Baby


11. Apprehension:

The baby was gone and sympathy pours in.




12. Circus Maximus:

The trial begins and it becomes a big circus. The man who was hailed as an international hero eight short years ago and a goodwill ambassador now has to flee his own country in order to protect his family from further tragedy. Lindbergh had paid the ultimate price - the horrible murder of his young son. The family sets sail to find some peace and safety.


Newsreel still of Lindbergh family arrival in England, December 31, 1935

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

General Discussion Question

1. What are your initial thoughts on this week's reading. What surprised you?

Note: Question itself is generic and does not need spoiler html - however the responses will need the html.

[Megan]

I am fascinated by this photo. I dont know anything about Lindbergh or his family, which you would think living in St. Louis I would be more knowledgeable on the subject. I learned that his father was (view spoiler)[elected to the House of Reps and Lindbergh grew up around so many important political figures (hide spoiler)]. I am just amazed at what I have read so far.
Opening of the 60th Congress

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Very interesting Megan. With the 24x7 news cycle that we have today and the focus on the mundane and immediate like "tweets" - history and learning from history is sometimes forgotten. But "we are still here". So just jump in and discuss what else surprises you.

[Janis]

I knew that Lindbergh was reclusive but knew very little about the circumstances of his upbringing or his extended family. It explained a lot of things about Lindbergh's interactions with others. The book has been a real eye-opener so far.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Very good Janis - I do not see any spoilers in message 93 but remember when you begin answering any of the questions which you should place them in the spoiler html.

[Glynn]

Bentley wrote: "Regarding the Epigram for Chapter 5 - Spirit - Discussion Questions

I just finished chapter 5. (excellent chapter.) I am a bit behind. As regards your question (view spoiler)[ I think that flying a plane would make one feel a bit powerful, not sure if godlike, but being able to view the world from a different perspective than everyone else might give you a thrill. For Lindbergh it was also a chance to escape from the crowd. (hide spoiler)]

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

They are terrifically researched chapters. There is no rush - just add and respond as you get caught up. There is a lot for the first couple of weeks. (view spoiler)[I would imagine that flying in those kinds of planes might have made folks feel a bit light headed and disoriented especially at night and over the ocean. And decades later he described some phantom like creatures in the cockpit which we would imagine were figments of his imagination from deprivation of sleep and basic necessities of life. (hide spoiler)]

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Only a Man - Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven Begins:

"Around one o'clock on Sunday afternoon, May 22, 1927, Charles Lindbergh awoke in his room at the American Embassy in Paris. Ambassador Herrick had send in his valet, Walter Blanchard, who drew a bath and raised the curtains at the window overlooking the Trocadero Gardens and the Seine. As Lindbergh opened his eyes, he noticed for the first time the splendor of his surroundings. Standing by the bed, Blanchard held open a bathrobe, announced that the bath was ready, and asked how the pilot liked his eggs. Then he left the wide-eyed young man to the tub of warm water and a large cake of yellow soap.

Feeling as though he were awakening into a dream, Lindbergh had no idea that the fantasy was just beginning. Unbeknownst to him, the modern wonders of communication had transformed the twenty-five year-old "boy" into the most famous man on earth.

While Lindbergh slept, all other news- a massive flood in the Mississippi Valley, rising tensions between Japan and China, Britain's severance of diplomatic relations with Russia, appeal effort in the Sacco-Vanzetti Case- disappeared from the front pages of most American newspapers and from most people's minds."


Lindbergh's Views of the Trocadero Gardens

Introductory Discussion Questions for Chapter Seven:

(view spoiler)[1. Charles Lindbergh states "that he was astonished at the effect his successful landing had in France and on other nations of the world. How was he correct that it was like a match had lit a bonfire"?

2. Were you surprised in reading Chapter Seven how genteel and tolerant and generous the peoples of the world were towards Lindbergh and his success even though he was American. I was impressed with the differences in the world then and now. What examples and events in the chapter or in the chapters before showed how "generous of spirit" the world was then and towards Lindbergh at that point in time?

3. Were you surprised at how lenient times were then - landing your plane in Paris and asking about immigration and customs and folks just laughing? How do you think this situation would have been handled today?

4. Can you imagine today a plane being left to crowds of thousands and nothing of note being damaged. Were you surprised too at how people and times have changed?

5. In what instances were your surprised at how mature Lindbergh seemed far in advance of his biological age and how generous in spirit he was to the French and the other European countries he visited?

6. How did the world celebrate this flight and how did New York greet the first news posted on a window of the Times building?

7. While reading the chapter - there are very few events in my lifetime that ever received the igniting of the world in the same way as the Lindbergh flight and Charles Lindbergh did? Can you think of any that came close that you can recall? When were they and what happened? (hide spoiler)]

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Unicorns - Chapter 8

Chapter Eight begins

"Dwight Whitney Morrow was the American Dream incarnate, living proof that hard work could elevate the most humbly born to the nation's power elite. He was often presumed to be descended from one of America's first families, but the life of his influential banker-diplomat-politician--whom Walter Lippman called the most 'trusted" man of his time--actually began in poverty in West Virginia"


Dwight Morrow
Who was Dwight Morrow? - Link - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_...


Who was Walter Lippman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_...

Introductory Discussion Questions:

(view spoiler)[1. How many of you had heard of Dwight Morrow or Walter Lippman? What surprised you about Dwight Morrow in this chapter? In what context had you heard about either man?

2. It is hard to believe that 100 years ago - men talked about trustworthiness as being a critical part of someone's character. How have times changed and how was Dwight Morrow iconic?

3. What are your thoughts on Chapter Eight and what quotes or ideas presented by the author resonated with you? (hide spoiler)]

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Memorable quote - Chapter Eight

(view spoiler)["Amherst College became Morrow's lifelong passion. As an undergraduate, he scraped by financially, by borrowing money and tutoring; but he was quickly recognized as the most dynamic member of the class of 1895-- an A- student, a prize winner in Mathematics, Writing, and Forensics, as well as the class orator at graduation. He wrote for the campus literary magazines, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and made many friends. Upon graduation, Amherst legend has held for more than a century, Dwight Morrow was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" by a unanimous vote save one -- his, which he cast for classmate Calvin Coolidge."

Discussion Question:

1. What did this passage tell you about Dwight Morrow and about Calvin Coolidge? Who cast the best vote - the classmates or Dwight? It appears that Calvin and Dwight voted for each other!


Amherst College (hide spoiler)]

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

This was the George Washington Bridge opening in 1931



The Morrow Estate in Englewood

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Anne Morrow



Discussion Questions:

(view spoiler)[1. What did we learn about the young Anne Morrow - how did her personality differ from her sisters and how do you think she would be as a match for the young Lindbergh?

2. Do you think that they will suit each other - why or why not?

3. Was Morrow prophetic about what was going to be her life's ambition? Why or why not?

4. Why was the symbol of the unicorn such a fixation for Morrow - what did you think of her verse:

"Everything today has been
heavy and brown
Bring me a Unicorn
to ride about the town."

5. Why did Anne persist in put downs about her physical and mental shortcomings?

6. What were the connotations of Sparklers, Twinklers, Worthies and Lumps?

7. What did you think of Anne's statement - "Clouds and stars and birds," she wrote, " -- I must have been walking with my head down looking at puddles for twenty years." Why do you think that Lindbergh became an obsession to Anne? (hide spoiler)]

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Discussion of Quote:

"The man I was to marry believed in me and what I could do, and consequently I found I could do more than I realized, even in that mysterious outer world that fascinated me but seemed unattainable. He opened the door to "real life" and although it frightened me, it also beckoned. I had to go."

(view spoiler)[Discussion Question:

1. How did you feel when you read Anne's quote about how she felt about Lindbergh and how he made her feel? Was she too looking for a savior or a partner? (hide spoiler)]