Major themes to be tackled:
What is author's fundamental purpose? how does the work contribute to our knowledge of history? What sources did the author rely on? Contain judgements? Emergence of tragedy in the public eye.
Finding Amelia
Finding Amelia is perhaps one of the most controversial stories ever written on the real life case where a woman and her navigator disappeared. This story has a large number of warts and all in it but it is also extremely interesting in the sense that it portrays the author’s purpose in getting to the bottom of things accordingly. The author also relies on several important sources including the data left behind by the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery which forms an essential part of the book. This data appears to shed new light on Amelia’s disappearance where she vanished completely without a trace.
In a sense the author’s purpose appears to be to get to the bottom of the whole story and to finally find a solution to her and her navigator’s disappearance. Obviously these could not have vanished into thin air but one also has to account for the fact that they might have been killed in the flight. Several legends abound especially the one where it is touted about that Earhart and her navigator ended their lives on some remote desert island.
The book also examines Earhart’s relationship with the US Coast Guard which was an extremely good one and her talent was surely undisputed. There is also great detail on the massive search carried out by the US Coast Guard to find her after she disappeared.
The work contributes substantially to the history of the event as it is probably one of the most detailed ever to emanate from the story. The author is painstaking in his research which is obviously important but is also very much down to earth and factual in his findings. The new data which comes out of the book is crucially important as although Gillespie does not offer any of his own conclusions in the story he appears extremely well attired in his description of events which are backed up by credible sources as already mentioned.
Aircraft disappearances form an essential part of the story of aviation and Earhart’s is no exception. Perhaps what Gillespie manages to achieve here is the debunking of all the myths surrounding Earhart and other aspects of the story which were perhaps misunderstood before. All this comes together in a narrative which appeals to the initiated but may also prove to be an eye opener to those who have no real background on the event.
Another interesting aspect of the book is the DVd which accompanies it and which includes several clips, images and other documentary evidence which supports the narrative. Although not always an important part of the book, such background evidence supports Gillespie’s claims and his story which is further supported by the evidence featured in the findings.
Amelia Earhart was also a character which caught the imagination of the public eye and her disappearance caused quite a sensation. She was an important part of the folklore of the time and her death remained a huge mystery which was romanticised for several decades after it. Gillespie also examines this aspect of Earhart’s story which is crucially important if we are to continue to understand the whole procedure in the book. Naturally enough certain aspects may tend to be quickly forgotten but all comes together rather interestingly in the central part of the narrative where the public opinion question is examined in much greater detail than that touted previously. We should be grateful to Gillespie who uses the story skillfully and provides various interesting anecdotes and points for reflection.
Additionally Gillespie is not judgmental in his statements but rather he provides a no holds barred account with several facts and figures to let the raeder draw his/her own conclusions. This is reflected in the concluding part of the book which is as unsentimental as possible and steers clear of controversy and/or unnecessary sensationalism. Gillespie is firm and clear in his thoughts and does not look to create a story within a story which would perhaps harm the scope of the whole book.
Conclusion: a must read for the aviation enthusiast and those who are interested in this story.
Amelia earhart’s story is surely one of fantasy turned into reality and although there have been several books written on it, none has come close as Gillespie’s in offering the facts in a clear and completely succinct way. The result is a volume which definitely should be the standard read for this story and which should also provide a looking glass and a window on what really happened on that fateful day in the Caribbean. Although some might take Gillespie to task for being slightly too rational, the book can be confidently recommended as a hugely interesting read which cuts to the core of the matter without any qualms or foibles.
