Description

This is the astounding story of the six female aviators who battled to become the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean by plane.

In the early 20th century, the dream of crossing the Atlantic by air was as potent as putting a man on the moon would be 50 years later. But many people believed women too fragile and lacking in the skills to endure the gruelling conditions of flying long distances.

In Atlantic Furies, Midge Gillies uncovers the stories of Elsie Mackay, Lady Anne Savile, Frances Grayson, Ruth Elder, Amelia Earhart, and Mabel Boll. These courageous, rule-breaking aviators risked everything to prove that women could fly the Atlantic. Some had lied to their families in order not to be stopped, others duped the press about their intentions and, ultimately, three lost their lives, but each pushed the boundaries of the possible.

Atlantic Furies celebrates the bravery, panache, and drive of these trail-blazing aviators, who showed the world that it wasn’t just men who could conquer the skies.

Publisher Review

‘What a delightful book! Written with verve, Atlantic Furies cuts across all the categories and all our expectations of the women who, in the Roaring Twenties, broke that singular glass ceiling: the aviation cockpit. This is the deeply transatlantic and transcontinental story of the pathbreaking women, from all walks of life, who dared. We all know the story of Amelia Earhart. Now we know the story of her compatriots and competitors.’ — Tilar J. Mazzeo, author of The Widow Clicquot ‘Atlantic Furies is a joy for anyone who’s ever gazed down from the window seat of a trans-Atlantic flight and wondered about the intrepid women and men who braved these long, lonely miles in the earliest days of flight. I loved these fascinating stories of aviation pioneers, and can’t recommend them highly enough to every frequent flier and armchair traveller.’ — Mark Vanhoenacker, Boeing 787 pilot and author of the bestseller Skyfaring and Imagine a City ‘The astounding stories of the first women aviators, who took to the skies in the 1920s – all of them intrepid, determined, and remarkably stylish.’ — Sue Roe, author of Hidden Portraits ‘We now fly across oceans with careless ease, but it wasn’t always so. To appreciate today’s aerial freedom, we must understand those dauntless characters who went first. In Atlantic Furies, Midge Gillies offers a vivid account of the Atlantic challenge which captured the imagination of so many pioneers. The tale she narrates of the female aviators of the 1920s and 30s – inspirational characters all – is a fascinating one: in changing their own lives, they shaped ours. — David Rooney, author of The Big Hop Praise for The Barbed-Wire University:

‘A valuable, fascinating, and moving book … this is a riveting collection of stories about incredible resourcefulness.’ * The Guardian * Praise for Amy Johnson:

‘This diligent, vivid, and stirring biography … an exceptionally thorough biography, but one that wears its research lightly, never allowing it to choke up the narrative. Her book is perceptive without being over-analytical; colourful without being over-egged and full of admiration for its subject without ever toppling into over-empathy. I was gripped, exhilarated, and moved by it.’ * The Sunday Telegraph * Praise for Piccadilly:

‘A magpie’s nest of a book, replete with anecdotes, sketches, and quotes … Piccadilly is painstakingly researched and as busy as the Circus itself.’ * TLS *