Synopses & Reviews
Gisand#232;le dand#8217;Estoc was the pseudonym of a nineteenth-century French woman writer and, it turns out, artist who, among other things, was accused of being a bomb-planting anarchist, the cross-dressing lover of writer Guy de Maupassant, and the fighter of at least one duel with another woman, inspiring Bayardand#8217;s famous painting on the subject. The true identity of this enigmatic woman remained unknown and was even considered fictional until recently, when Melanie C. Hawthorne resurrected dand#8217;Estocand#8217;s discarded story from the annals of forgotten history.
Finding the Woman Who Didnand#8217;t Exist begins with the claim by expert literary historians of France on the eve of World War II that the woman then known only as Gisand#232;le dand#8217;Estoc was merely a hoax. More than fifty years later, Hawthorne not only proves that she did exist but also uncovers details about her fascinating life and career, along the way adding to our understanding of nineteenth-century France, literary culture, and gender identity. Hawthorne explores the intriguing life of the real dand#8217;Estoc, explaining why others came to doubt the and#8220;expertsand#8221; and following the threads of evidence that the latter overlooked. In focusing on how narratives are shaped for particular audiences at particular times, Hawthorne also tells and#8220;the story of the story,and#8221; which reveals how the habits of thought fostered by the humanities continue to matter beyond the halls of academe.
Review
Praise for Anne Morrow Lindergh: "A perfectly calibrated tribute to an early heroine of the air."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Both pointed and modest."--The New York Times Book Review "Beautifully written."--Booklist
Review
“Kathleen Winters's book is full of details I had never known about Amelia Earhart, which put her achievements and ultimate tragedy in a surprising new perspective. The author's experience as a pilot herself comes through in every part of the book. Anyone interested in flying or women who defy stereotypes will enjoy this book; but it also is a study in the timeless American traditions of marketing and PR.”James Fallows,
Atlantic Monthly, author of
Free Flight “Kathleen C. Winters promises to dig through the myths and heroic dross to look at Amelia Earhart from ‘a pilots perspective. This she does with masterly story-telling precision, revealing the sad truth that the famous aviatrix was all too often (usually owing to conflicting demands) ill-prepared to undertake her many attempted record flights. The result is a sober and absorbing account of the worlds most iconic, yet tragic female pilot.”Larry E. Tise, author of
Conquering the Sky and the Wilbur and Orville Wright Distinguished Professor of History, East Carolina University
Praise for Anne Morrow Lindergh: "A perfectly calibrated tribute to an early heroine of the air."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Both pointed and modest."--The New York Times Book Review "Beautifully written."--Booklist
Review
“In this insightful biography, Winters looks at Earharts achievements and, perhaps more significantly, the influence of her husband, George Palmer Putnam, who promoted her tirelessly and ‘catapulted her to fame by helping with fundraising and setting up book deals and speaking engagements. She avoids romanticizing Earhart and points out her personal short-comings, such as an occasional reluctance to prepare properly for excursions. But Winters still believes equipment failure was just as responsible for Earharts ill-fated final flight in 1937 as the pilots insufficiencies. In so doing, she paints a fair picture of the famous woman aviator that so successfully captured the American imagination.”—
Publishers Weekly “In this biography…Kathleen C. Winters chooses to disregard the afterlife. She focuses on Earharts surprising lack of technical skill and flight experience, drawing on her own experience as a pilot, and on contemporary opinion. Fascinating reading.”—
The Times Literary Supplement "Succinctly lays out the facts of Amelia Earhart's remarkable story from 'a pilot's perspective' . . . The author's knowledge of aviation history renders this a proficient chronicle of women in flight."--
Kirkus Reviews“Winters follows her biography Anne Morrow Lindbergh (2006) with a refreshing look at Earhart. Resisting tabloid tales, Winters focuses on responsible accounts and Earharts own writings to show how public demands and family pressures induced the aviatrix to fly beyond her capabilities. With erudite analysis of everything from Earharts flying to her marriage and longtime financial support of her parents and sister, Winters proves there is still much to learn about this American icon.”—Booklist
“In this latest installment of Earhart historiography, Winters (Anne Morrow Lindbergh: First Lady of the Air) explores her subjects skills as an aviator and questions her character, thus providing another corrective to earlier Earhart hagiographies and popular perceptions. Earharts accomplishments have been scrutinized for some time, and Winterss well-written and thoroughly researched study should serve as a final corrective. Recommended both as a character study and a technical study to general readers and specialists.”—Library Journal “The late aviation historian Winters draws on a variety of new sources, including Earharts own writings, to tell with an absorbing style the amazing story of a flawed American heroine. Winterss ‘back story of her subjects growth and achievements, problems, and ultimate failure focuses on the human development of an international celebrity who chose to fly beyond her capabilities, rather than conjecturing on Earharts fate after the crash. Highly recommended.”—CHOICE
“Winters vividly captures what life was like for Earhart and her fellow women pilots in the 1920s and early 30s, when technology was developing and flying was dangerous.”— St. Paul Pioneer-Press
“Informative and insightful.”—Asbury Park Press
“Unsparing as Winters is with her subjects many shortcomings, her admiration for her intrepid spirit comes shining through.”—Living Scotsman “Kathleen Winters's book is full of details I had never known about Amelia Earhart, which put her achievements and ultimate tragedy in a surprising new perspective. The author's experience as a pilot herself comes through in every part of the book. Anyone interested in flying or women who defy stereotypes will enjoy this book; but it also is a study in the timeless American traditions of marketing and PR.”—James Fallows, Atlantic Monthly, author of Free Flight “Kathleen C. Winters promises to dig through the myths and heroic dross to look at Amelia Earhart from ‘a pilots perspective. This she does with masterly story-telling precision, revealing the sad truth that the famous aviatrix was all too often (usually owing to conflicting demands) ill-prepared to undertake her many attempted record flights. The result is a sober and absorbing account of the worlds most iconic, yet tragic female pilot.”—Larry E. Tise, author of Conquering the Sky and the Wilbur and Orville Wright Distinguished Professor of History, East Carolina University
“In Amelia Earhart: The Turbulent Life of an American Icon, pilot and biographer Kathleen C. Winters draws upon new sources to give us a welcome and long overdue account of Earharts tumultuous career, as well as the careful fashioning of her public image. A book with no small share of surprises, and an important contribution to the history of women and aviation.”—David Toomey, author of Stormchasers and co-author of Amelia Earhart's Daughters
“If youre only going to read one Amelia biography, make it this one. Its fast moving, puts all the facts in the context of the times and doesnt try to prove a point. Its hard to put down.”—Budd Davisson, Editor-in-Chief, Flight Journal magazine Praise for Anne Morrow Lindergh: "A perfectly calibrated tribute to an early heroine of the air."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Both pointed and modest."--The New York Times Book Review "Beautifully written."--Booklist
Review
"Aand#160;truly exquisite volume. . . . Conversational, erudite, and inspired: this book is exceptional."and#8212;Choice
Review
andquot;Finding the Woman Who Didnandrsquo;t Exist is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. It can appeal, on the one hand, to those interested in biographies that are also good stories. On the other, its observations of scholarship can be useful both for those who are established in the field and can even serve as a primer for those in the beginning phases of scholarship, especially when it concerns primary sources.andquot;andmdash;Richard Shryock, Contemporary French Civilization
Review
and#8220;Learned, funny, enlightening, and provocative in terms of what [this book] reveals not only about the past but about how we think in the present about the past and how we think about knowledge in general.and#8221;and#8212;Janet Beizer, professor of Romance languages and literatures at Harvard University and author of Thinking through the Mothers: Reimagining Womenand#8217;s Biographies
Review
and#8220;A research odyssey that addresses nothing less than the importance of the humanities to education and to life.and#8221;and#8212;Carol Mossman, professor of French at the University of Maryland and author of Writing with a Vengeance: The Countess de Chabrillanand#8217;s Rise from Prostitution
Synopsis
When Amelia Earhart disappeared over the Pacific in 1937, she was at the height of her fame. Fascination with Earhart remains just as strong today, as her mysterious disappearance continues to inspire speculation. In this nuanced and often surprising biography, acclaimed aviation historian Kathleen C. Winters moves beyond the caricature of the spunky, precocious pilot to offer a more complex portrait. Drawing on a wealth of contemporary accounts, airline records, and other original research, this book reveals a flawed heroine who was frequently reckless and lacked basic navigation skills, but who was also a canny manipulator of mass media. Winters details how Earhart and her husband, publisher George Putnam, worked to establish her as an international icon, even as other spectacular pilots went unnoticed. Sympathetic yet unsentimental, this biography helps us to see Amelia Earhart with fresh eyes.
About the Author
Kathleen C. Winters is an aviation historian, licensed pilot, and author of the critically acclaimed Anne Morrow Lindbergh: First Lady of the Air. Her writing has appeared in Woman Pilot, Aviation for Women, and Soaring magazines, and she appears regularly before aviation groups and other organizations. She lives in St. Paul, MN.
Table of Contents
March 27, 1937 * Heritage * Childhood, 1900-1913 * On the Move, 1913-1920 * Flying Lessons, 1920-1924 * Boston, 1924-1928 * The Invitation * To Trepassey * Across the Atlantic * The Heroine * The Vagabond * Off and Running, 1928-1929 * The Derby * Breaking Records, 1929-1930 * Marriage, 1930-1931 * The Fun of It, 1931-1932 * Celebrity, 1932-1935 * Over the Pacific * Detours, 1935-1937 * The Idea * Preparations * The Final Flight