David McCullough's book The Wright Brothers is a stunning narrative of the incredible invention of the first successful airplane by Wilbur and Orville Wright. Written by a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and an Academy Award-winning biographer and historian, this acclaimed work provides thrilling insight into the brothers’ lives and their astounding accomplishment.
The opening sections of the book provide invaluable context into Wilbur and Orville’s background and early motivations. Born to a devout Methodist family in Milville, Indiana, Wilbur and Orville demonstrated a vibrant intellectual curiosity from a young age. Their father’s abiding interest in books and periodicals, as well as every scientific invention of note in their day, gave shape to their upbringing. David McCullough paints a mesmerizing portrait of their relationship with one another, and their determination to pursue cutting-edge technology.
In the book, readers are introduced to the pair’s formidable initiative and the conviction that drives the Wright brothers to boldly move forward in their efforts. McCullough beautifully chronicles the pair’s struggles and successes as they attempt to build a working aircraft, weaving a vivid tapestry of their lives in the process. From their family’s ceaseless support to their unparalleled dedication, the book offers an inside look into their journey toward building the first successful airplane.
The Wright Brothers also captures the external influences that made their invention possible. McCullough details the unwitting contributions of unsung heroes, such as brother Charles and others in the Dayton Bicycle Club who underwent crash tests in the brothers’ machines, and the rarely acknowledged work of the staff at the Smithsonian Institution. The dedication and meticulous attention to detail of the Wright brothers is highlighted, even as the book explains the full story of their breakthrough.
The Wright Brothers culminates in spectacular fashion. On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville’s years of meticulous research and relentless experimentation paid off handsomely. The “Flyer”—as it had been baptized—climbed 120 feet in the air for a glorious twelve seconds and changed the world, forever. Today, their names and their story still inspire us to pursue our dreams and to strive towards greatness.
David McCullough’s The Wright Brothers is an essential read, one that celebrates human ambition and determination while highlighting the incredible feat at its core. By focusing on the extraordinary brothers and their long and trying journey, the book offers a captivating look into the sense of adventure, pain and victory that shepherded the Wright brothers to success—and to a remarkable moment in history.
