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Gipsy MOTH
While growing up privileged in the north of England during an extraordinary era that included the Wright Brothers’ first flight and a war raging across Europe, Nikki Beattie finds relief from her boisterous brothers and a burgeoning sadness brought on by her absent parents in her nanny, Miss Boswell. But it is not until she meets another Yorkshire lass that Nikki’s life begins transforming in ways she never imagined.
When the lives of Nikki and Amy Johnson collide, they establish a lasting friendship that takes them from Yorkshire to London and beyond to places they only once ever dreamed of. As their paths lead them into the pioneering days of early aviation, they catch the bug and join the ranks of the Air Transport Auxiliary, one of the most influential groups of women in the history of British avionics. But just as Amy becomes a celebrity in the evolution of flight, a shining light for women’s rights, and an international heroine, tragedy strikes and buries a dark secret forever—or so everyone thinks.
Gipsy Moth: Aviatrix is a story of friendship, love, and courage as two extraordinary women transform into true pioneers during the golden age of aviation.
When the lives of Nikki and Amy Johnson collide, they establish a lasting friendship that takes them from Yorkshire to London and beyond to places they only once ever dreamed of. As their paths lead them into the pioneering days of early aviation, they catch the bug and join the ranks of the Air Transport Auxiliary, one of the most influential groups of women in the history of British avionics. But just as Amy becomes a celebrity in the evolution of flight, a shining light for women’s rights, and an international heroine, tragedy strikes and buries a dark secret forever—or so everyone thinks.
Gipsy Moth: Aviatrix is a story of friendship, love, and courage as two extraordinary women transform into true pioneers during the golden age of aviation.
310 pages, Paperback
Published November 5, 2020
About the author
Willy Mitchell
13 books7 followersWilly Mitchell was born in Glasgow, Scotland, with origins from the shipyards of the Clyde. He has spent many an hour in hostelries around the world and heard many a story - some true, some fiction, and some of legend.
After heading south of the border to work in the steel mills of Yorkshire he is now retired in California and has turned his hand to writing some of these tales that he had heard over the years, and now bringing those stories to life.
Willy Mitchell is an indie author, a writer, and a storyteller.
After heading south of the border to work in the steel mills of Yorkshire he is now retired in California and has turned his hand to writing some of these tales that he had heard over the years, and now bringing those stories to life.
Willy Mitchell is an indie author, a writer, and a storyteller.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 20, 2020
Gypsy Moth - Aviatrix, pays homage to exceptional ladies who had changed perceptions of women in aviation. Willy Mitchell leads the reader through this rich history on either side of the Atlantic during the late 1920s up to 1944. The lives of his aunt Nicky and her friend Amy Johnson, who lived in Britain, had striking parallels with that of the American, Amelia Earhart. Their stories are portrayed in historical context while embracing societal perspectives through rich layers of exquisite storytelling.
Nicky Beatty-Baxter and her childhood friend, Amy, inspired each other’s careers and personal lives. Their biographies are poignantly recounted by Nicky’s nephew, Willy. He connected congruities, which echoed their journeys with that of Amelia Earhart. Constructed masterfully, Gypsy Moth - Aviatrix grips attention and shares public and private achievements of these three remarkable women, flying de Haviland Gipsy Moth equipment, yet always reported in the media as subservient to the feats of their male counterparts. Insights gained here add an authentic luster to what female pilots experienced and had to contend with during this era. Their contributions in aviation remain unquestionable.
Eloquent detailed descriptions transport readers back in time while providing a compelling reconstruction of this bygone era. Dark family secrets and intrigue intertwine the lives of these outliers, their families, associates, and friends. Mitchell skillfully crafts the Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar as an extended metaphor and powerfully weaves this thread throughout this golden age of women’s aviation history.
The Epilogue and Author’s Notes are indispensable. Information provided as a timeline of technology evolution needed for flight, and women in aviation pays homage to numerous individuals, who received varying levels of recognition in their lifetimes. The compounding effect of their contributions have since served women in aviation well yet glaring disparity in this industry remain. Insight as to what motivated this book positions the reader to understand the passion that fueled the countless hours of research and creative storytelling. Willy Mitchell’s hand at poetry frames the overall extended metaphor. This is a compelling read for anyone, especially for those who has connections and interest in aviation.
BRAVO Willy!
Nicky Beatty-Baxter and her childhood friend, Amy, inspired each other’s careers and personal lives. Their biographies are poignantly recounted by Nicky’s nephew, Willy. He connected congruities, which echoed their journeys with that of Amelia Earhart. Constructed masterfully, Gypsy Moth - Aviatrix grips attention and shares public and private achievements of these three remarkable women, flying de Haviland Gipsy Moth equipment, yet always reported in the media as subservient to the feats of their male counterparts. Insights gained here add an authentic luster to what female pilots experienced and had to contend with during this era. Their contributions in aviation remain unquestionable.
Eloquent detailed descriptions transport readers back in time while providing a compelling reconstruction of this bygone era. Dark family secrets and intrigue intertwine the lives of these outliers, their families, associates, and friends. Mitchell skillfully crafts the Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar as an extended metaphor and powerfully weaves this thread throughout this golden age of women’s aviation history.
The Epilogue and Author’s Notes are indispensable. Information provided as a timeline of technology evolution needed for flight, and women in aviation pays homage to numerous individuals, who received varying levels of recognition in their lifetimes. The compounding effect of their contributions have since served women in aviation well yet glaring disparity in this industry remain. Insight as to what motivated this book positions the reader to understand the passion that fueled the countless hours of research and creative storytelling. Willy Mitchell’s hand at poetry frames the overall extended metaphor. This is a compelling read for anyone, especially for those who has connections and interest in aviation.
BRAVO Willy!
February 7, 2021
Gypsy Moth - Aviatrix, pays homage to exceptional ladies who had changed perceptions of women in aviation. Willy Mitchell leads the reader through this rich history on either side of the Atlantic during the late 1920s up to 1944. The lives of his aunt Nicky and her friend Amy Johnson, who lived in Britain, had striking parallels with that of the American, Amelia Earhart. Their stories are portrayed in historical context while embracing societal perspectives through rich layers of exquisite storytelling.
Nicky Beatty-Baxter and her childhood friend, Amy, inspired each other’s careers and personal lives. Their biographies are poignantly recounted by Nicky’s nephew, Willy. He connected congruities, which echoed their journeys with that of Amelia Earhart. Constructed masterfully, Gypsy Moth - Aviatrix grips attention and shares public and private achievements of these three remarkable women, flying de Haviland Gipsy Moth equipment, yet always reported in the media as subservient to the feats of their male counterparts. Insights gained here add an authentic luster to what female pilots experienced and had to contend with during this era. Their contributions in aviation remain unquestionable.
Eloquent detailed descriptions transport readers back in time while providing a compelling reconstruction of this bygone era. Dark family secrets and intrigue intertwine the lives of these outliers, their families, associates, and friends. Mitchell skillfully crafts the Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar as an extended metaphor and powerfully weaves this thread throughout this golden age of women’s aviation history.
The Epilogue and Author’s Notes are indispensable. Information provided as a timeline of technology evolution needed for flight, and women in aviation pays homage to numerous individuals, who received varying levels of recognition in their lifetimes. The compounding effect of their contributions have since served women in aviation well yet glaring disparity in this industry remain. Insight as to what motivated this book positions the reader to understand the passion that fueled the countless hours of research and creative storytelling. Willy Mitchell’s hand at poetry frames the overall extended metaphor. This is a compelling read for anyone, especially for those who has connections and interest in aviation.
BRAVO Willy!
Nicky Beatty-Baxter and her childhood friend, Amy, inspired each other’s careers and personal lives. Their biographies are poignantly recounted by Nicky’s nephew, Willy. He connected congruities, which echoed their journeys with that of Amelia Earhart. Constructed masterfully, Gypsy Moth - Aviatrix grips attention and shares public and private achievements of these three remarkable women, flying de Haviland Gipsy Moth equipment, yet always reported in the media as subservient to the feats of their male counterparts. Insights gained here add an authentic luster to what female pilots experienced and had to contend with during this era. Their contributions in aviation remain unquestionable.
Eloquent detailed descriptions transport readers back in time while providing a compelling reconstruction of this bygone era. Dark family secrets and intrigue intertwine the lives of these outliers, their families, associates, and friends. Mitchell skillfully crafts the Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar as an extended metaphor and powerfully weaves this thread throughout this golden age of women’s aviation history.
The Epilogue and Author’s Notes are indispensable. Information provided as a timeline of technology evolution needed for flight, and women in aviation pays homage to numerous individuals, who received varying levels of recognition in their lifetimes. The compounding effect of their contributions have since served women in aviation well yet glaring disparity in this industry remain. Insight as to what motivated this book positions the reader to understand the passion that fueled the countless hours of research and creative storytelling. Willy Mitchell’s hand at poetry frames the overall extended metaphor. This is a compelling read for anyone, especially for those who has connections and interest in aviation.
BRAVO Willy!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews