This book is undoubtedly the best researched, aviation based, human interest story I have ever read. The cross referencing, attention to detail and indexing are superb and the author has woven the complete Jean Batten story into a most enlightening but very sad historical chronicle. Fascinating photographs. I met Jean Batten in the late 1970s through the NZ Airwomens Assn and the authors summation of her attitude at that time is right on the mark. I have her autographed book but I did feel at the time that she only said hello and spoke with my wife and myself because we decided to buy 'Alone in the Sky' - the reprint of her original 1930s book.The authors feeling for long distance flying in a light aircraft is also very accurate as I can attest having done a long distance flight myself from Western Canada the long way around the World to NZ in 1976 and having flown over the past 52 years many of the aircraft Jean flew including Gypsy Moth, Tiger Moths and Proctor - which is very similar to Jean's Percival Gull. She undoubtedly had extreme drive and skill but also a fair measure of good luck and it is indeed very regrettable that her own personal life did not run a happier path.Congratulations Ian - you have written an excellent book and I am recommending it to all my friends. It is very difficult to get things absolutely right in layout and typeface when publishing in Kindle format as I can personally attest but the author has got it right first time.. Well done.Biggles NZ