Card catalogue data
The Wright Brothers by David McCullough (New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2015, 2016)
Categories: U.S. history, biography; aeronautics
Format: Paperback
Pages: 262 (321 with end matter)
This is the third book I read in June, and the 14th book I read in 2016.
Bottom line
This engaging biography shows the tenacity, ability, and curiosity of a couple of Dayton bicycle mechanics as they begin the age of flight.
About the author/Why I read this book
I had to put these two categories together because they interweave. I love reading U.S. history and biography and there is no better writer in this genre than David McCullough. His most well-known book is John Adams, on which the 2008 HBO miniseries was based. McCullough twice received the Pulitzer Prize, for John Adams and for Truman. He also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom among many other awards and honors. He is among my top five favorite authors of any genre. He makes history read like a novel. I will read anything he has published.
By the way, years ago McCullough was the narrator voice for the PBS series American Experience. I love his voice. I find my mind reading his books in his voice. As a bonus, the audio version of the book is read by the author himself.
Beyond just the appeal to me of the author, the subject itself is fascinating. It’s hard for us now in the 21st century to imagine, but try to put yourself in the time frame, when manned, heavier-than-air flight was an impossibility. Yes, I knew about the Wright flier. I remember visiting D.C. as a seventh grade student and seeing it suspended in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. (You can also see a replica here locally at the Tellus Museum in Cartersville, Georgia. And at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, you can see the Wright family’s home and the Wright Cycle Shop.) But beyond the flier and knowing they carried their experiments out at KItty Hawk, I knew very little about them.
What I’ve learned
Of course I already knew of the two brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright. But in this book I learned of the important roles that their sister Katharine Wright and their father Bishop Milton Wright played. I felt like I knew this family after reading this book. What was most fascinating was the brothers’ tenacity. Yes, they had abilities and intellect, but it was their dogged determination that made the difference for them. It’s a great reminder that persistence will win over talent and skill every time.
Favorite quote
No bird soars in a calm.
—Wilbur Wright
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Highly recommended.
Author’s sources
McCullough’s sources are always extensive. The greatest treasure trove can be found at the Library of Congress, where many of the Wright family papers are stored. Included in this stash are the many letters the family wrote. McCullough says the entire family wrote so clearly and expressed their thoughts so well in writing. In our 21st century world we seem to be losing that ability.
Other related books
If you would like to read further on the topic of inventions and discoveries at the turn of the 20th century, I would highly recommend McCullough’s book The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, another fascinating book.