Synopsis
The year was 1933. A severe economic depression had devastated the United States of America. The stock market had collapsed. Unemployment was rampant. People were desperate.
Amidst such widespread misery, an intrepid young pilot named Jimmie Mattern set out to become the first pilot to circumnavigate the globe solo. An unceasing optimist, Jimmie believed his flight, if successful, could lift the hopes and spirits of a struggling nation.
Instead, Jimmie was the one who would need hope just to make it home alive.
On June 3, 1933, Jimmie, aboard his Lockheed Vega, rose joyfully into the sky to chase glory. All went well. At first. Nothing but clear skies and tailwinds.
But halfway across the Atlantic his troubles began. One mishap after another befell the intrepid flyer. Foul weather, bad fuel, errant maps, sleep deprivation, and mechanical problems all worked to slow his progress and endanger both his mission and his life.
Still, Jimmie persevered. Until, just as he was about to cross the Bering Straits and return to North America, the Vega coughed and sputtered and lost power. Jimmie had no choice but to crash-land his small, single-engine plane on the Siberian tundra. The plane was crippled and Jimmie injured, in the middle of absolutely nowhere.
People around the world had been following Jimmie’s progress. Wherever he landed newspapermen stood by ready to record his adventures and forward them to their editors. But Jimmie had no radio on board his plane, no way of communicating with the outside world. And so, as first days and then weeks passed, virtually everyone assumed the pilot was dead.
Undaunted is the captivating true story of the spirited aviation pioneer who inspired the countless daring pilots and astronauts who came after him. A consummate adventurer, Jimmie Mattern was impervious to pain and despair. After every misfortune, no matter how severe, he climbed back into the cockpit and set his sights on the next horizon—unafraid and unfaltering. Undaunted.
An excellent and inspiring true-life adventure.
