Amelia Earhart's Shoes: Is the Mystery Solved?

by Kenton Spading, Randall Scott Jacobson, Randall S. Jacobson, et al.

Book Overview

In this spellbinding book, these scholars offer tantalizing evidence that the First Lady of the Air and her copilot Fred Noonan landed on a deserted tropical island but perished before they could be rescued.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0759101302
• ISBN13: 9780759101302
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Altamira Press
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

"The Forensic Search for Amelia Earhart"

"Amelia Earhart's Shoes: Is the Mystery Solved?", Udated 2004 Ed., Thomas F. King, et al., AltaMira Press, NY 2001, ISBN: 0-7591-0131-0, PB 374 pgs., plus 23 pg. Notes, 9 pg. Biblio., 20 pg. Index, & 104 B & W photos, illus. or maps., 6" x 9". This is an academic work by a contingent of skilled scientific experts whose writings & basic investigative work was coordinated, in part & on behalf of TIGHAR (Int. Group of Historical Aircraft Recovery) & updated 2004. The 27 chapters describe a forensic approach to solve the mystery of aviatrix AE's disappearance enroute 2,223 miles to Howland Isle from Lae, New Guinea, July 2, 1937. The book's format & length makes for difficult reading: -- it is based on best available scientific evidences & hypotheses of multiple disciplines of archeology, geophysics, aeronautics, anthropology, and review of both private & governmental archival information in addition to tabulating their search findings on tiny remote South Pacific Phoenix Isle "Gardner", but renamed Nikumaroro, or "Niku". Author was a principle TIGHAR investigator taking part in expeditions to Niku, & he writes with authority, -- having "been there, done that!" Inclusion of more than 100 photos, illustrations, maps, etc., makes the reading more easily understood & tolerable: -- for it is not a book one picks up and being enchanted 'reads from cover to cover' without pause. For readers who want an up-to-date analysis of AE's disappearance this book is best read after the reader is thoroughly familiar with AE's character, avocations, skills, life experiences's and accolades by the press, politicians & the powerful, -- for Amelia was a complex person living in exciting, changing times on the cutting edge of new technologies. Many of the chapters begin with stanzas of word parodies to be sung to certain melodies, attributable to TIGHAR but not author King. The parodies I found to be highly irregular, unsettling & not in best taste, so downgraded book from 5* to 4*.

Fantastic, not at all dry!

I saw one of the people involved in this project speak at EAA's big national air show in Oshkosh, WI last summer. It was the most popular lecture session I attended while I was there. Interested, I picked up this book expecting a thorough but dry, academic read. Was I ever wrong! This book is not only fascinating, it's funny! It's written with some dry humor that made me want to keep reading more. And the authors lay out a strong argument, to boot. It does make one wonder...

Fascinating, based on evidence

I had the opportunity to meet the primary author of this book (Tom King) recently and was impressed with his fact-based approach to the Earhart mystery. This book describes the search for artifacts from Earhart's last flight. The book presents evidence, analyzes its value and develops a hypothesis concerning the events of July, 1937. The author is primarily a archeologist, and while no "[fool]-proof" evidence is presented, what is known is presented and explained in scientific, but easy to read prose. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. My only nits with it are the reproductions of many of the photographs are poor, however, they can all be found at the TIGHAR web site.

Impossible to put down (Six Stars)

This is an absolutely fantastic book!! It is extremely well written in a very readable and friendly style. It describes the search for evidence to support the hypothesis that Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan wound up on a certain island in the Pacific after radio communication between her and her contacts near and around Howland Island was lost on 2 July, 1937. The four co-authors of this book are all scientists who have been very careful in applying the scientific method in this historical/archaeological research project. Well illustrated with photographs and diagrams, this book is a must read for anyone interested in Amelia Earhart and her fate, in history of the mid-twentieth century, in how scientists work or simply in great detective stories. Very highly recommended!!

Not at all boring

So many science-oriented books are boring, boring, boring - which partially explains the appeal of all of that UFO-abduction literature. This book, while sticking close to the science supporting its tentative conclusions, is funny, witty and engaging from beginning to end.