About this episode
Dr. David Hamilton, retired surgeon and award-winning historian joins us to to discuss his upcoming book The Enigmatic Aviator: Charles Lindbergh Revisited (out May 21, 2025—on the 98th anniversary of Lindbergh’s legendary flight to Paris). Dr. Hamilton unveils the lesser-known side of Lindbergh—his pivotal contributions to medical science, organ perfusion technology, and even the design of early centrifuges. We explore Lindbergh’s engineering brilliance, his secretive private life, and how his scientific legacy was buried beneath decades of political smears and tabloid noise. From barnstorming to building perfusion pumps, from fighting with the Luftwaffe to shaping the future U.S. Air Force, Lindbergh’s life was more complex than the myths suggest. This deep dive is both revelatory and respectful, with stories you’ve never heard—because until now, no one had dug this deep. Dr. Hamilton at the Smithsonian – Unusual, in that the Spirit of St. Louis was down for cleaning – NOT hanging from the ceiling as it usually is!