Atlantic Fever: Lindbergh, His Competitors, and the Race to Cross the Atlantic

By Joe Jackson

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The Orteig prize of $25,000 (approximately $330,000 today) was established in 1919 to award the first pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Those who attempted the crossing in 1927 were a mixed bunch—pros, amateurs, famous and now infamous—but almost all were better known and better equipped than the winner Charles Lindbergh was. Anyone who has seen the fragile Spirit of St. Louis will salute Lindbergh’s courage, but he was one of fourteen. Jackson reminds us there are other courageous pilots in his shadow. Jackson’s research is well documented in notes and bibliography, which will interest historians and history buffs. This should not deter general readers. Atlantic Fever is a page-turner that deserves a wide audience. Highly recommended.