This book is for anyone who wants to know more about ill-fated aviator Amelia Earhart than what we learned in school. “The Aviator and the Showman” is an in-depth examination of her life from a complicated childhood up to the lost flight. Author Laurie Gwen Shapiro’s Acknowledgements and Notes at the end detail her research and sources. Very well written, even if sometimes I felt there was too much detail.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review.

Amelia was the most famous woman in America at the time, but we've never known much about her private life. Until now. Laurie Gwen Shapiro has written a definitive biography of Amelia and her husband, publisher George P. Putnam. They met when Putnam was running a series of adventure books at his family's publishing house and was looking for a woman to fly as a passenger on a flight to England. Amelia was the perfect choice. She was as all-American as apple pie and attractive as a film ingenue. From their work together, a romance blossomed. Putnam left his wife and married Amelia, creating one of the biggest power couples of the 1930s.

Neither person comes off well in this book. Putnam is a manipulative, overbearing narcissist. Amelia seems extremely self-centered, pursuing her dream of flying to the extent that she was willing to ruin relationships and take advantage of people. I always thought Putnam was a user and Amelia was stuck with him, but after reading this book, I have to say, they were two selfish people who deserved each other.

The book itself, is fascinating. Ms. Shapiro's research is impeccable, and far reaching. Her writing style is entertaining. This dual biography reads like a novel. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes history or a good story.

Title: The Aviator and the Showman
Author: Laurie Gwen Shapiro
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a longer nonfiction book. My online book was 477 pages. It was an eye opener for me about what I have learned in life about the accomplishments of Amelia Earhart as well as introduced me to George P. Putnam. Outside of knowing Putnam and publishing go together, I knew nothing about him. I did find myself googling things about people and events along the way to see images and get a quick snapshot to help my understanding.

George P. Putnam was a spin doctor. He reminded me of a current ‘uge political figure that deemed what he said as the truth, regardless of what proof might be presented to say otherwise. His influence and power extended far and wide, so people who dared to set him straight found themselves on the wrong end of his wrath. At the halfway point in the book, I was completely convinced that all the lies and twisted truths he put out into the world are what cause Earhart to not successfully complete her final mission. He saw her as a cash cow and exploited her in the way that profited him the most.

Now let’s talk about Amelia. I went into this book curious about the in depth research Shapiro put in over time and how it might deepen my picture of her. The one word that never wavers in thinking of what she accomplished is bravery. What I didn’t expect is how it would change my impression of Earhart in other descriptors. Strong, independent, pioneering were ways I would describe her before. As I was reading, I felt the pendulum swing to words like complex, shortsighted about safety because ambition was the driving force, non contentious/passive with her husband’s actions. Yes, she wanted to push herself to learn and lead as much for women in aviation that she could, but in my opinion her ties to Putnam acted more as an albatross more than a boost in her safely accomplishing all she wanted to do.

Shapiro has written an insightful look at Earhart and the impact of having Putnam in her life. Did she accomplish more than she would’ve without him? Yes. Was it with integrity, safety, and honesty? No. Maybe generationally, I felt she should’ve spoken up more to correct his misspeaks, but again, there are powerful people in our world today who surround themselves with silent followers instead of accountability partners.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be republished on July 15, 2025.

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I had so much fun reading this book! I’ve always admired Amelia Earhart, but I didn’t realize how much I needed a deeper dive into her relationship with George Putnam. I found their dynamic fascinating—both their support for each other and the pressures that shaped their partnership kept me hooked from start to finish. I loved how the book balanced adventure, ambition, and personal struggles, making Amelia feel more human than ever. I appreciated the way it peeled back the layers of myth surrounding her life and revealed the compromises she made to fit into the world around her. The writing was cinematic and immersive, and I felt completely transported into their era. By the end, I felt both inspired and emotionally invested in this amazing duo.

This book added a whole new dimension to how I see Amelia, and I will read anything this author writes!

Laurie Gwen Shapiro had me at the prologue.

Her newest book, the Aviator and the Showman, looks at the intertwined lives of Amelia Earhart and her (eventual) husband/handler/manipulator/bad cop/person everyone hates, George Putnam. What sold me in the prologue was Shapiro's stated intent to look at all aspects of the legend of Amelia Earhart. Shapiro is clear that Amelia was a complex person who could be wonderful, flighty (you can be dang sure that pun was intended), supremely confident, and amazingly arrogant. She was beloved by almost anyone who met her, but she also married one of the most unpleasant men on the planet according to many sources. He was her attack dog, but how much did she know about what he did on her behalf? And also, was it ever really on her behalf or was it to line his own pockets?

I love it when a book is informative while leaving me thinking. Shapiro presents the facts as best she can and leaves the reader with the facts to decide for themselves. I don't want an author to tell me who a person was. I want them to give me the knowledge to make my own decisions. It especially helps that Shapiro knows how to tell a story. The book is not short, but it is also never boring. Each chapter contains so much insight and even finds some time for name-dropping and side characters. Thankfully, Shapiro masterfully knows when to take a quick side quest but never lets diversions get in the way of the main story. Shapiro will also add some witty asides and some harmless conjecture for effect, which I enjoyed, but I know some people want their non-fiction to be laser-focused on the facts. I never found it distracting and Shapiro always calls it out when she's not sure or the record is unclear.

In the end, this book finally gave me what I wanted. After reading or watching documentaries about Amelia, I finally understand why she was so captivating to the public during her heyday. She's not a legend anymore, but she is something much better than that after reading this. She is a fully realized person all her own. As for Putnam, well, he was whoever he needed to be to make great copy.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Viking Books.)