20 Hrs. 40 Min. (Primary source)
Earhart’s 1928 memoir chronicles her pioneering transatlantic flight, capturing both the mechanical drama of early flight and her own awakening to aerial possibilities. Written with characteristic modesty, it reveals the seeds of her later solo ambitions.
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“In soloing—as in other activities—it is far easier to start something than it is to finish it. Almost every beginner hops off with a whoop of joy, though he is likely to end his flight with something akin to D. T.’s [delirium tremens—the severe withdrawal symptoms associated with alcoholism, characterized by violent trembling, hallucinations, and intense anxiety].”
Amelia Earhart
“Preparation, I have often said, is rightly two-thirds of any venture.”
— Amelia Earhart Primary source“The time to worry is three months before a flight. Decide then whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying. To worry is to add another hazard. It retards reactions, makes one unfit. Hamlet would have been a bad aviator. He worried too much.”
— Amelia Earhart Primary source“Anticipation, I suppose, sometimes exceeds realization.”
— Amelia Earhart Primary source“The stars seemed near enough to touch and never before have I seen so many. I always believed the lure of flying is the lure of beauty, but I was sure of it that night.”
— Amelia Earhart Primary sourceMore quotes by Amelia Earhart →
“Never interrupt someone doing something you said couldn’t be done.”
— Amelia Earhart Disputed“It’s never too early to start winning.”
— Ian Fleming Primary source“’'Tis easier to suppress the first desire, than to satisfy all that follow it.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source“’Tis easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.”
— Benjamin Franklin Primary source