Questions About The Wright Brothers

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Other biographies have "soft-peddled" the Wrights' as pioneering "patent trolls", crippling the young American aviation industry. Others treat the Wrights as "heroes", forgetting their single minded obsession with patent suits allowing the French to take the lead in fixed-wing innovation, and hobbling American innovator Glenn Curtiss. How does Mr. McCullough handle these facts?

Jason Hart In this book, patents and lawsuits are mentioned but little attention is given to the Wright's legal battles. This book mostly covers just their perio…moreIn this book, patents and lawsuits are mentioned but little attention is given to the Wright's legal battles. This book mostly covers just their period of innovation from around 1900 to 1911.(less)

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Why are the Wrights considered the fathers of aviation as long as they showed no powered plane, before 1908? The two inventors have only patents for gliders. They appeared with a plane in 1908 after spending about half a year in France and witnessing H. Farman flying. All the pre-1908 articles about them look like clipped from tabloids and are laughable (see: http://wrightbrothers.altervista.org/WB/index.htm ).

Carol Albert Ah, I see you haven't read the McCullough book yet! The Wright Brothers first powered flight was in 1903 at Kitty Hawk, followed up shortly by others …moreAh, I see you haven't read the McCullough book yet! The Wright Brothers first powered flight was in 1903 at Kitty Hawk, followed up shortly by others at Huffman Prairie in Dayton. They were secretive for years, worried that someone would steal their ideas before they got a contract for purchase of their invention. They DID put up with a lot of ridicule for years. They wouldn't fly publicly, but locals around here (I'm in Dayton) could take a streetcar out to Huffman Prairie and watch them practice. Once Wilbur demonstrated their Flyer in LeMans, skeptics were sold. The same season, Orville was in the U.S. also demonstrating their machine. It was obvious that they had been doing this a while. Orville broke records for time in the air; over 2 hours, flying in formations and landing gently where he had started, demonstrating complete control. That was in 1909. They became celebrities at that point.(less)

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Is this book written in a source-analysis style as analytical non-fiction, or is it written as a creative nonfiction narrative?

Mark Proctor Truly, probably both. McCullough masterfully draws from myriad sources as no other author can. But he uses his literary mortar and pestal to grind the…moreTruly, probably both. McCullough masterfully draws from myriad sources as no other author can. But he uses his literary mortar and pestal to grind the analysis down into a softer form of analytical fiction. Should be pleasing to both the objective and subjective minds.(less)

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how long is the epilog?

yusuf habib Dibs wazit The epilog is seven pages. Not that long.

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Is Glenn Curtiss mentioned in the book? He was a pretty influential aviator.

Pablo Lora Yes, his relationship with the brothers is covered and towards the end of the book they talk more about the lawsuits. They do not go in to many specif…moreYes, his relationship with the brothers is covered and towards the end of the book they talk more about the lawsuits. They do not go in to many specific details about the lawsuits, but they do brush over them. (less)

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