AMY JOHNSON is world famous. Famous people rarely live simple lives. They often have a hidden, private side that might lead to dreadful results. Amy’s triumph is that she clambered out from under the wreckage of her own self-inflicted disaster and went on to great success. This publication explores her inner conflicts and her wonderful achievements.
One of Amy’s personality traits was being a lifelong “fertile liar”. She did a very good job when it came to misleading the global media, public and historians about where she was born. She was ashamed of the “ugly street” where she grew up in Hull’s Hessle Road Fishing Community. Many believed Amy was an Avenues girl from a posh part of the city. When a student, she declared Bridlington was her hometown.
After attaining international stardom, Amy became embarrassed by her Yorkshire accent and changed the way she spoke. She was also ashamed of her parents and did not invite them to her high-society wedding in London.
This, my fourth eBook – AMY JOHNSON: Hessle Road Tomboy – Born and Bred, Dread and Fled – is an in-depth exploration of her early life: her fishing family heritage; her Danish grandfather’s fish dock business; the homes and schools where she spent her formative years; how she was ostracised by her classmates, played truant, was often in trouble with the Head; and the way she adopted fishing folklore superstitions in place of her family’s Methodism. She was a tomboy in turmoil.
The eBook also highlights the Johnson Family’s ownership of Hull’s notorious fish salt-drying estate and its “rude, crude and lewd” Cod Farm lasses. Amy dreaded being associated with them or her dad’s fish merchant business. Nevertheless, she was not averse to taking money from the Cod Farm profits to buy her aircraft JASON to become the first woman in history to fly solo to Australia in May 1930.
Hopefully, this publication will set the record straight and place Amy’s magnificent aviation achievements within the true context of her childhood origins. Other topics covered include: the famous and aimless years after her Australian flight; how she was unlucky in love; her mysterious death in the Thames Estuary during WWII (1941); how a Hull trawlerman tried to save her life; and the forthcoming plans, during 2016, to celebrate the life and times of “Amy, Wonderful Amy”.
As well as a tribute to Amy, this book highlights how her Hessle Road tomboy traits contributed enormously to her self-determination to succeed on the world stage. She is a role model for all, but especially young women.
Edition 2 (Spring 2016) contains ten appendices which were not in Edition 1. I am keen to make available for readers samples of writing that highlight Amy as an author. My motivation is twofold: (1) to show Amy's vibrant personality via her own words; and (2) to enable readers to cross-reference statements that I have made when I cite Amy's words. For me, this second point is critical because most of Amy's source material is hidden away in obscure places such as Reference Libraries and out-of-print journal etc.
I am dusting off Amy's writing and exposing it to public scrutiny and enjoyment.
One of Amy’s personality traits was being a lifelong “fertile liar”. She did a very good job when it came to misleading the global media, public and historians about where she was born. She was ashamed of the “ugly street” where she grew up in Hull’s Hessle Road Fishing Community. Many believed Amy was an Avenues girl from a posh part of the city. When a student, she declared Bridlington was her hometown.
After attaining international stardom, Amy became embarrassed by her Yorkshire accent and changed the way she spoke. She was also ashamed of her parents and did not invite them to her high-society wedding in London.
This, my fourth eBook – AMY JOHNSON: Hessle Road Tomboy – Born and Bred, Dread and Fled – is an in-depth exploration of her early life: her fishing family heritage; her Danish grandfather’s fish dock business; the homes and schools where she spent her formative years; how she was ostracised by her classmates, played truant, was often in trouble with the Head; and the way she adopted fishing folklore superstitions in place of her family’s Methodism. She was a tomboy in turmoil.
The eBook also highlights the Johnson Family’s ownership of Hull’s notorious fish salt-drying estate and its “rude, crude and lewd” Cod Farm lasses. Amy dreaded being associated with them or her dad’s fish merchant business. Nevertheless, she was not averse to taking money from the Cod Farm profits to buy her aircraft JASON to become the first woman in history to fly solo to Australia in May 1930.
Hopefully, this publication will set the record straight and place Amy’s magnificent aviation achievements within the true context of her childhood origins. Other topics covered include: the famous and aimless years after her Australian flight; how she was unlucky in love; her mysterious death in the Thames Estuary during WWII (1941); how a Hull trawlerman tried to save her life; and the forthcoming plans, during 2016, to celebrate the life and times of “Amy, Wonderful Amy”.
As well as a tribute to Amy, this book highlights how her Hessle Road tomboy traits contributed enormously to her self-determination to succeed on the world stage. She is a role model for all, but especially young women.
Edition 2 (Spring 2016) contains ten appendices which were not in Edition 1. I am keen to make available for readers samples of writing that highlight Amy as an author. My motivation is twofold: (1) to show Amy's vibrant personality via her own words; and (2) to enable readers to cross-reference statements that I have made when I cite Amy's words. For me, this second point is critical because most of Amy's source material is hidden away in obscure places such as Reference Libraries and out-of-print journal etc.
I am dusting off Amy's writing and exposing it to public scrutiny and enjoyment.
