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De gebroeders Wright

David McCullough

4.12 · Rating details · 79,445 ratings · 6,199 reviews

Op een winterdag in 1903 schreven twee onbekende broers uit Ohio geschiedenis.

Het tijdperk van de luchtvaart was begonnen, met de eerste vlucht van een door een motor aangedreven en door een piloot gestuurd luchtvaartuig. David McCullough, tweevoudig winnaar van de Pulitzerprijs, vertelt het verrassende en ontroerende verhaal van Wilbur en Orville Wright die de wereld vers ...more

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Hardcover, 366 pages

Published September 2015 by Uitgeverij Spectrum (first published March 20th 2015)

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May 10, 2015 Jeffrey Keeten rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The first photo of flight snapped by a man who was taking his first picture ever. The Wright brothers were very careful to document each stage of their development not only with photography, but also with journals.

”The best dividends on the labor invested have invariably come from seeking more knowledge rather than more power.” Wilbur and Orville Wright

They were brothers.

As close as two peas in a pod and you could make it three with Katharine, the little sister who also at times provided the ...more

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Mar 09, 2016 Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"The Wright Brothers", by David McCullough, is FANTASTIC!!!
I was 'hooked' instantly listening to the audiobook! Soooooo Good!!!!!!

I was immediately inspired by Wilbur, Orville, and their family values. Their dad was a
Bishop. There mother may have been shy but was a gifted 'fix-it' woman. There wasn't anything around the house that broke, that she couldn't fix. Wilbur and Orville credit their mother for their engineering talents. Don't you love it that these terrific guys credit their 'mother' "The Wright Brothers", by David McCullough, is FANTASTIC!!!
I was 'hooked' instantly listening to the audiobook! Soooooo Good!!!!!!

I was immediately inspired by Wilbur, Orville, and their family values. Their dad was a
Bishop. There mother may have been shy but was a gifted 'fix-it' woman. There wasn't anything around the house that broke, that she couldn't fix. Wilbur and Orville credit their mother for their engineering talents. Don't you love it that these terrific guys credit their 'mother' for their creative curiosity and abilities?/!
Their father, a Bishop, encourage reading in their family. Go dad!
There wasn't indoor plumbing -- but there were many books in the house. If any of the children felt like staying home from school for a day, to stay home and read a book, it was alright with their father.
I couldn't get over the 'life-changing' story about Wilbur when he was smashed in the face with a hockey stick by a neighborhood bully.
Something about that story- ( his original plans for college changed instantly)...stayed with me (deeply), while engaged listening to the rest of this novel.

I'm soooo moved by these brothers and their accomplishments. This is seriously a fantastic book about two brothers - a sister - a mom - a dad - their integrity - from family - to business - their passions - their sense of humor - hard work - determination & dedication- - fascinating mechanics of aviation ( fly like birds), ...the historical moments were exciting.
The magnitude what they manifested....is miraculous.

I've been 'nutty-excited' about this book -- (a chatter-box to my friends) --for days!!!
Many details moved the hell out of me. ( and will move you too). Just think -- their work began in the little town on Kitty Hawk...( they slept in tents, shared a community with the mosquitos, and cooked their food over the open fire).

An outstanding enjoyable book about two brothers who became a world sensation. (with heart-connecting side stories)

As for the author,.....David McCullough, .... he is *Viva-la-TERRIFIC*!!!!!

...more

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Jan 25, 2015 Diane rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, audiobooks, history

This is a gem of a book. McCullough is one of my favorite history writers, and I think The Wright Brothers is one of his best works.

Wilbur and Orville Wright make for a fascinating story. Born in Dayton, Ohio, the brothers were so clever and mechanically gifted that it seemed they could fix or create anything. They became interested in human flight at a young age after playing with a toy helicopter, made from just a stick and some rubber bands. The guys read everything they could about flight an This is a gem of a book. McCullough is one of my favorite history writers, and I think The Wright Brothers is one of his best works.

Wilbur and Orville Wright make for a fascinating story. Born in Dayton, Ohio, the brothers were so clever and mechanically gifted that it seemed they could fix or create anything. They became interested in human flight at a young age after playing with a toy helicopter, made from just a stick and some rubber bands. The guys read everything they could about flight and they studied birds obsessively, understanding that birds had a natural design that should be emulated.

McCullough tells stories about the boys' childhood, their strong relationship with their father and sister, their early attempts at gliders and flying machines, those famous first flights in 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and finally of their international fame and travels.

My favorite stories were about how intelligent and determined the brothers were. They never seemed to give up hope that they would one day solve the problem of human flight. They kept modifying and improving their flying machines, and even after several crashes, the brothers insisted on continuing to fly. They never seemed afraid to go up in the air.

McCullough had access to hundreds of letters and diaries from the Wright family, and those passages were especially illuminating and enjoyable. In the acknowledgments, McCullough praised the Library of Congress for its collection, and wrote: "In a day and age when, unfortunately, so few write letters or keep a diary any longer, the Wright Papers stand as a striking reminder of a time when that was not the way and of the immense value such writings can have in bringing history to life. Seldom ever did any of the Wrights — father, sons, daughter — put anything down on paper that was dull or pointless or poorly expressed. And much that they said to each other, and only to each other, was of great importance."

I knew little about the Wright brothers before reading this book, and now I'm so keen on them that I want to visit that famous beach in Kitty Hawk, and to see the museum that has their bicycle shop, which is where they did so much of their inventing.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history or aviation.

Favorite Quotes
"From ancient times and into the Middle Ages, man had dreamed of taking to the sky, of soaring into the blue like the birds. One savant in Spain in the year 875 is known to have covered himself with feathers in the attempt. Others devised wings of their own design and jumped from rooftops and towers — some to their deaths — in Constantinople, Nuremberg, Perugia. Learned monks conceived schemes on paper. And starting about 1490, Leonardo da Vinci made the most serious studies. He felt predestined to study flight, he said, and related a childhood memory of a kite flying down onto his cradle."

"Orville's first teacher in grade school, Ida Palmer, would remember him at his desk tinkering with bits of wood. Asked what he was up to, he told her he was making a machine of a kind that he and his brother were going to fly someday."

"On July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong, another American born and raised in southwestern Ohio, stepped onto the moon, he carried with him, in tribute to the Wright brothers, a small swatch of the muslin from a wing of their 1903 flyer." ...more

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May 28, 2015 Michael rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: family-relationships, ohio, science, france, aviation, history, non-fiction, biography, north-carolina, paris

A beguiling tale of how a rather ordinary pair of brothers invented the first successful airplane and thereby changed history. A wonderfully told story with a lavish picture gallery that I think most readers could appreciate. It leaves you with the illusion that if you have enough persistence you might achieve personal ambitions of your own that could prove important. Yet they have some combination of the “right stuff” at the right time and the right place that appears to be quite special and no ...more

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Mar 31, 2015 Angela M rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-reviews

I don't read a lot of non fiction , but I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to read this book which tells the story of how two men changed the future. Having read David McCullough's John Adams, I knew that I would get an education at the very least .

Two of the chapter titles so aptly reflect what Wilbur and Orville Wright were all about - "The Dream Takes Hold" and "Unyielding Resolve". Their ingenuity, perseverance, thirst for understanding of the scientific aspects of a flying machine was ...more

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Feb 09, 2018 Jill Hutchinson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: american-history, biography

I hate to admit it but I never knew much about the Wright brothers beyond the basic story of their invention of the "flying machine". Now that I have finished this well done biography by one of my favorite historians, it appears that there wasn't much to know about them in the first place. Their whole lives were dedicated to the premise that man could fly and that they were going to find the secret. They had very few friends, no lady friends, no hobbies, were secretive, shy, and as close as iden I hate to admit it but I never knew much about the Wright brothers beyond the basic story of their invention of the "flying machine". Now that I have finished this well done biography by one of my favorite historians, it appears that there wasn't much to know about them in the first place. Their whole lives were dedicated to the premise that man could fly and that they were going to find the secret. They had very few friends, no lady friends, no hobbies, were secretive, shy, and as close as identical twins. Their great talent was mechanical and they started with bicycles. Once they built the best bicycles on the road, they turned their eyes to the idea of flight. And history began.

Man had flown in hot air balloons but this was not what Orville and Wilbur were trying to achieve.....they wanted a machine driven by an engine that could be controlled by the operator and could perform turns, dips, fly at different altitudes and speeds and land safely. They looked for the perfect place to work in isolation and that had the geographic features necessary for their project. They decided on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, in those days a practically deserted area of the United States, and built their workshop. Their work ethic was almost supernatural and errors and accidents were quickly overcome as their determination grew. And on December, 17, 1903, Orville Wright and his Flyer 1 took to the air. He only flew 120 feet in 12 seconds but it was a turning point in history.

The book follows the perfecting of the flying machine, the world-wide acclaim of the Wright brothers and their invention, and the aviation work of others such as Glenn Curtiss and Louis Bléroit (which often resulted in legal suits over patents). This is a short book, especially for one written by McCullough, but it covers in detail the work and dedication of the Wright brothers which changed the world. But you will not find out much about the brothers themselves since there isn't much to know....their lives were aviation and all else was just incidental. Recommended. ...more

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Aug 08, 2016 Connie G rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, non-fiction, ohio, france, north-carolina, history, aviation

How did two brothers without any funding or engineering education become pioneers in aviation? David McCullough answers that question in his superb book, "The Wright Brothers". Wilbur and Orville grew up in a family that loved learning. They were also very intelligent, focused, persistent, and hard working. The brothers owned a bicycle shop, possessed exceptional mechanical ability, and designed their own bicycles. They were interested in flight, and gazed at birds for hours to study how wings w ...more

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Apr 21, 2015 Chrissie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bio, history, 2015-read, audible, usa, france

What You Get is Very Good, But I Wanted More

Another very good book by David McCullough. I have yet to read a book by this author that doesn't make history fascinating.

Aeronautics isn't a topic that draws me, but McCullough had me thinking about the miracle of flying. He had me observing birds with a different eye.

This is a relatively short book. That covered is that which a "normal reader" will want to know. There isn't a whole lot about the Wright Brothers' childhood, neither the patent lawsui What You Get is Very Good, But I Wanted More

Another very good book by David McCullough. I have yet to read a book by this author that doesn't make history fascinating.

Aeronautics isn't a topic that draws me, but McCullough had me thinking about the miracle of flying. He had me observing birds with a different eye.

This is a relatively short book. That covered is that which a "normal reader" will want to know. There isn't a whole lot about the Wright Brothers' childhood, neither the patent lawsuits that arose after their accomplishment was a fact. The central focus is the years between 1899 and 1912, and how they came to be the first to ever fly. 1912 was the year of Wilbur’s death, and I am not going to tell you more about that. The book briefly skims major life events of all family members through to their respective deaths. Orville died in 1948. The wide scope of advancements in aeronautics is scarcely even mentioned. The focus is Orville and Wilbur's flying achievement. You get a detailed picture of their world - in Dayton, Ohio, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and in Paris and Les Mans and Pau, France. Wilbur spent almost an entire year in France. In 1903 the brothers had flown and by 1906 the sale of the airplane had begun. What the book well draws is the excitement and incredulity of man being able to fly, and it looks at how these two brothers did this. The two brothers are, in my view exceptional people, not really for what they achieved but for their steadfastness, their determination and hard work. Both had only a high school education and they financed their work on the sales from their bicycle company! They were not backed by big money! Others were, and they failed. For me the book imparted a clear picture of the personality of the two brothers, their father and their younger sister Katherine. She too was part of their team. I appreciated that McCullough took the time to elucidate her role.

I very much enjoyed the quotes from the brothers’ letters and speeches. I loved Wilbur’s heartfelt response to his reception in France. I loved the small details describing people; sometimes it is the unbuttoned button of a jacket or a shamrock in a buttonhole. McCullough’s works are not just well researched but that which is put there in the book is interesting. He doesn’t throw too much at you; he sifts through what is important, relevant and amusing, so you see the people and the times.

BUT…..I close the book with some questions. I want to know more about Wilbur's, Orville's and Katherine's childhood years, and more about their older siblings. I want to know more about the split between Orville and Katherine after her marriage in 1926 with Henry Joseph Haskell. I want to know how it came to be that the children were not religious; their father, Milton, was a Bishop of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. What the book gave me was very good, but I would have been pleased with more, more biographical details. I wonder if some of the less complimentary personal characteristics are not here?!The emphasis is on their flying achievement. I do though have a mania for biographical details. You might be satisfied with a little bit less rather than more!

The author narrates his own book. I liked the narration, because it is very slow. That may not please others. Sometimes he mumbles a bit, but heck I understood. I could feel when he wanted to emphasize the importance of an event. You could almost hear the thought, "Hey, pay attention!" I felt he wanted to give me time to absorb all the details and the importance of what was being said. So, I personally liked the narration very much. ...more

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Nov 10, 2015 Cheri rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2015, biography, history, history-aviation

"Years later, a friend told Orville that he and his brother would always stand as an example of how far Americans with no special advantages could advance in the world. 'But it isn't true' Orville responded emphatically, 'to say we had no special advantages .... the greatest thing in our favor was growing up in a family where there was always much encouragement to intellectual curiosity.'"

Growing up, aviation was pretty much everywhere I looked. My father was a pilot, my mother had been an Airli ...more

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Nov 18, 2015 David rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, history, audiobook

This is an excellent book about the inventors of the airplane. David McCullough is a great admirer of the Wright Brothers. He mentions, over and over again, how passionate and single-minded they were. They focused on their purpose; to develop the science of aeronautics to the point where flight would become possible. They worked very very hard, all day long, under less-than-optimal conditions. I did not realize that for a few years they flew only gliders at Kitty Hawk, before attempting to use a This is an excellent book about the inventors of the airplane. David McCullough is a great admirer of the Wright Brothers. He mentions, over and over again, how passionate and single-minded they were. They focused on their purpose; to develop the science of aeronautics to the point where flight would become possible. They worked very very hard, all day long, under less-than-optimal conditions. I did not realize that for a few years they flew only gliders at Kitty Hawk, before attempting to use an engine for powered flight.

Both of the Wright Brothers were detail-oriented. They had to be, because the alternative would have been failure or worse; fatal. When they gave demonstrations of their inventions, they did not give any thought about the celebrities or leaders in the spectator stands; if conditions were unfavorable, they would just pack the airplane back into the hangar, and wait for more favorable winds.

Wilbur was a true Renaissance genius. He had a broad range of knowledge about virtually every subject. And Orville was mechanically brilliant. Over the course of several years, the two of them developed the science and their inventions; living for months at a time under primitive conditions at Kitty Hawk, their activities and materials cost them a total of about one thousand dollars. They did not really care about fame or fortune. They did, however, care that they receive proper credit as the inventors of the airplane, and protected their interests through patent lawsuits. The book also discusses their sister Katherine, who was indispensable to their journey.

Their flights were risky; any number of components could malfunction, leading to a crash. They were reluctant to take passengers who were national leaders. In fact, they were reluctant to fly together, lest a crash would kill them both without someone to carry on their work.

After reading this book, it is hard not to be extremely respectful of the amazing dedication of the Wright Brothers. David McCullough has done an excellent job of helping us understand the brothers and their family. I listened to this book as an audiobook; the author is the narrator, which is a bit unfortunate. He is not a bad narrator, but he does not bring a polish to the reading, either.

...more

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Dec 01, 2016 Karen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved this book. I was completely oblivious about the amazing lives of Wilbur and Orville Wright. This book should be required reading for every high school student in the US.

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Dec 20, 2016 ☮Karen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, read-in-2016, audio, overdrive

"On July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong, another American born and raised in Southwestern Ohio, stepped onto the moon, he carried with him, in tribute to the Wright Brothers, a small swatch of the muslin from a wing of their 1903 Flyer."

This was a very thorough bio of Orville and Wilbur, read by the author, the incomparable David McCullough. Their story is already well known if you studied them at all in school, but McCullough was able to add some dimension to the brothers and to their family mem ...more

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Mar 09, 2020 SimitudeSims rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-book-club-books

Thank God it did pick up. It was a very good informational book about the Wright Bros, but it was similar to a history book. Don't get me wrong, I love history books, but you have to be interested in the subject or it's like being back in school. If you are interested in this subject, I think you would enjoy this book. ...more

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Apr 23, 2015 Jimmy Reagan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

He’s still got it. David McCullough, a favorite for many of us, weaves another powerful tale. I’ll confess in my looking forward to his next book that I was disappointed when I saw the press clippings for it some months ago. I wanted another John Adams or 1776. I don’t feel that way after actually reading the book. In the hands of this master writer, we learn both how important and interesting were Wilbur and Orville and how revolutionary flying was when they brought it about. I don’t believe an He’s still got it. David McCullough, a favorite for many of us, weaves another powerful tale. I’ll confess in my looking forward to his next book that I was disappointed when I saw the press clippings for it some months ago. I wanted another John Adams or 1776. I don’t feel that way after actually reading the book. In the hands of this master writer, we learn both how important and interesting were Wilbur and Orville and how revolutionary flying was when they brought it about. I don’t believe anything in my lifetime has equaled taking to the skies in the early 1900s.

Wilbur and Orville were unique. Never showing any interest in getting married, never afraid to go their own way no matter what anyone else thought, and never deviating from the raising of their preacher father, they do not fit the common mold. Dismiss out of hand any comments that the characterizations here are one-dimensional. The Wright brothers simply do not fit the modern mold especially. Mr. McCullough obviously felt no need to manufacture some speculations that tantalize our generation. He just gave us the Wright brothers as they were. I enjoyed getting to know them and have nothing but respect for them. The saw the prize out ahead of them and never rested till they had it.

The setbacks, the hardships (Kitty Hawk was not pleasant then), the secrecy when fame was dangling in front of them, the danger, the crashes, the occasional family drama but unwavering devotion–the story never sags. The competition with others trying to get the title of first to truly fly was always part or the story. The initial reluctance of the U.S. to show interest while France was ready to embrace them is interestingly portrayed. You admired the brilliance of these amateur mechanics as you read and are amazed at the mathematical and scientific ground they covered in their relentless research.

This volume can proudly take its place on the hollowed bookshelf of Mr. McCullough’s writings. Another piece of our history is now preserved with distinction.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
...more

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Apr 02, 2017 Joel rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: to-read-2017, 19th-century, biography-memoir, history

This was the first book of David McCullough I read, and I am now a devoted fan. His writing is clear and direct, yet he respects his readers by not talking down or attempting to be amusing. He gives sufficient detail without getting boring. I would have likes slightly more background information about the cultural context of the age and other characters, such as Lilienthal, Chanute, Flint, Curtiss, and a few others, but I appreciated that the book was not too lengthy. Richard Rhodes does this ef ...more

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Sep 30, 2015 happy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography

In my opinion Mr. McCullough has once again delivered a solidly researched and very readable look at an important figure, or in this case figures, in US history. In his look at the Wright Brothers, the author basically focuses on the 15 years between 1895 and 1910. These are the years of the brothers developed an interest in flight, proved their concepts, and then concluded a very successful tour of Europe, demonstrating their mastery of the air.

In telling their story, Mr. McCullough also looks In my opinion Mr. McCullough has once again delivered a solidly researched and very readable look at an important figure, or in this case figures, in US history. In his look at the Wright Brothers, the author basically focuses on the 15 years between 1895 and 1910. These are the years of the brothers developed an interest in flight, proved their concepts, and then concluded a very successful tour of Europe, demonstrating their mastery of the air.

In telling their story, Mr. McCullough also looks at their close family ties, especially with their sister Katherine. As lifelong bachelors, she basically ran their home life and lived with them until her marriage quite late in life. After the marriage Orville refused to have anything more to do with her and even refused to attend the ceremony. Their relationship with their father is also explored, although not to the same extent as with their sister. However personal stories are a very minor portion of the book.

The main focus is their invention of powered flight and its aftermath in their lives. In fact the story of the first heavier than air powered flight actually comes quite early in the narrative, about 1/3rd mark. Their selection of Kitty Hawk for their experiments is explained and the fact that at the time of the first flight was the brothers 4th annual trip to the site. Each year they brought an improved glider to test the control system among other things. I found the story of Wilber’s first trip interesting. It was a 2 day trip by a broken down sailing ship and he was seasick most of the way. Another example of their resourcefulness is the story of the development of the engine for their first airplane. The put out a Request for Proposal for an engine and didn’t get any satisfactory responses. So with the help of one of their employees at their bicycle factory, they designed and built their own.

In telling the story of the invention of powered flight, Mr. McCullough illustrates the methodical way the Wrights worked. While both were high school drop outs, they were mechanically gifted and have a good grasp of mechanical principles. Their study of birds and how they controlled their flight led to their development if wing warping. He also mentions their development of a homemade wind tunnel to test the wing designs.

In additions to the Wrights, the author also looks at who was doing what in the race for powered flight. He does a pretty good job of telling Samuel Langley’s story. According to the author he was the Wrights main completion for the title of the first man to make a powered flight.

The reaction to the news of the first flight was enlightening – almost none. When they wrote to the US Gov’t, the reaction seemed to be, “That’s nice. Prove it.” It seems it took a few months and some demonstration flights in Dayton for the news to sink in.

The last portion of the book covers the Brother’s trips to Europe in 1908, 1910 on what were basically business trips. They were trying to interest European Gov’ts and esp their militaries in their invention. The author does a good job of telling the enthusiastic reception they received, both in England and in France.

While they were relatively successful, they didn’t become wealthy. Mr. McCullough states that when he died in 1912 Wilbur left an estate of appox $120,000 and when Orville died in 1948 his estate was valued at just over $1 million. As Mr. McCullough says, they were well-to-do, but not really wealthy.

All in all a very solid read, but not extensive. At just over 260 pages there is a lot left unsaid and for this reason I “only” rated 4 stars on Good Reads.
...more

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Jun 09, 2019 Daniel Greear rated it really liked it · review of another edition

“On July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong, another American born and raised in southwestern Ohio, stepped onto the moon, he carried with him, in tribute to the Wright brothers, a small swatch of the muslin from a wing of their 1903 Flyer.”

David McCullough is the greatest living American historian. His books are wholesome, enjoyable, and make one swell with pride over the stories of America. “The Wright Brothers” is a testament to the brothers who changed the world for the better by becoming the fi ...more

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Jun 08, 2016 Skip rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoirs

Amazing story of Orville and Wilbur Wright's intrepid efforts to create human flight. Their creativity, ingenuity, perseverance, and thirst for knowledge and understanding was truly remarkable, starting with a letter to the Smithsonian asking for references and their intense study of birds.

McCullough's research is impeccable, from their bicycle designs to their efforts to find the ideal location for testing (desolate, windy Kitty Hawk), following their triumphs and setbacks, having to find suppo ...more

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Jan 18, 2019 Cheryl rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, own, first-edition-2015, puliter-prize-winning-author, 1903, first-flight-motor-driven-airplane, wilbur-and-orville-wright

A piece of the first plane flown by Wilbur Wright was left on the lunar surface by Neal Armstrong in 1968 to honor the maiden motor driven flight of 1903. From the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the moon in 65 years. Amazing!

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Jan 13, 2020 Roy Lotz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: one-damn-thing-after-another, americana

When you open a McCullough book you know what to expect: fine prose, strong storytelling, and inspiring stories of American heroes. That is his domain, and he is the master of it. This book about the Wright brothers exemplifies all of these virtues in just over 300 pages. The audio book in particular, narrated by McCullough himself—whose folksy and yet erudite speaking voice encapsulates his ethos—is perhaps the most concentrated form of McCullough that you can imbibe.

Like many people, I was su When you open a McCullough book you know what to expect: fine prose, strong storytelling, and inspiring stories of American heroes. That is his domain, and he is the master of it. This book about the Wright brothers exemplifies all of these virtues in just over 300 pages. The audio book in particular, narrated by McCullough himself—whose folksy and yet erudite speaking voice encapsulates his ethos—is perhaps the most concentrated form of McCullough that you can imbibe.

Like many people, I was surprised at how little I knew about the Wrights. My hazy impression of their story was thus: The brothers were eccentric bike mechanics who, through a series of trial and error, managed to make some primitive flying machines, devices that could putter a few hundred feet and lift a few dozen feet off the ground. This is quite wrong. The Wrights approached the problem of flight with remarkable dedication and care. They read all the scientific literature they could find; and they performed careful experiments, documenting each step of the way. Their final product was not just some clumsy motor-powered kite, but a sophisticated machine capable of crossing the English channel and flying over the Eiffel Tower. Their creative vision was matched only by their persistence and perfectionism.

The story of the Wrights is legitimately inspiring. Having no special resources, no roadmap, no background, no support, they were able to succeed where so many other famous and wealthy inventors failed. They endured countless setbacks, both in the research and development of their craft and then in achieving recognition for their accomplishments. But in the end, two modest men from Ohio profoundly changed human life. It is a testament to their tenacity as much as to their intelligence.

It is difficult to criticize McCullough, because he does so perfectly what he sets out to do: show us how people in ordinary circumstances accomplish extraordinary things. But of course, this requires minimizing or even ignoring many aspects of a story that would attract other writers. One prominent example of this is the Wrights’ personalities. McCullough portrays them as dignified and diligent, representatives of an old-fashioned work ethic, unconcerned with fame or fortune. But in the hands of another biographer, the Wrights might not come across as so perfectly admirable. To me, they seemed curiously aloof, distant, and even repressed. The fact that Orville flew into a rage when his sister got married, for example, seems to be worth more investigation than McCullough is willing to give it. He dismisses the long estrangement as one of Orville’s “moods.”

Reading McCullough is a bit strange in today’s political climate. He was never concerned with being cutting-edge; but now more than ever he feels distinctly like a holdover from another era. As is commonly observed, American life has become deeply divided; so McCullough’s mission—to write about universally admirable Americans—seems especially quixotic. Yet McCullough’s reputation appears to have survived the late polarization relatively intact. And I think that is a good thing. True, it is wise to be wary of national mythologizers. But for the life of me I cannot find anything to trouble my conscience or divide the nation in the figures of Wilbur and Orville Wright. ...more

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Jul 20, 2015 Char rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, from-library, audio-book, non-fiction, biography

I haven't read nearly enough of David McCullough's books. This is my second and I loved it.

The story of the Wright Brothers is as fascinating as it is incredible. From this book I learned that they were hard working men and SO determined. Never did they give up-despite the failure of numerous tests. Neither did they ever become anyone's pawn-they refused many offers of financial backing. Even though there were times when I'm sure they could have used it, they preferred to remain independent. Th ...more

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Sep 01, 2016 Petra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I don't have a particular interest in aeronautics so am hazy on any details of the subject.
I found the Wright brothers to be a delightful duo and their family to be solid and interesting. The brothers had an unconventional upbringing in that they were allowed to follow their interests and encouraged in their endeavours. They were such a solid, down-to-earth family as well. It was really nice to read about a family that supported each other.
The brothers were genius ...more

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Mar 03, 2020 Lori rated it really liked it · review of another edition

McCullough's biography of the Wright Brothers explores their fascination with aviation and the race to be first to create a machine capable of flight. Although the brothers lacked a college education, their mechanical skills and their fascination with birds proved useful in being the first to fly. The brothers, from Dayton,Ohio, found a place in the Kill Devil Hills/Kitty Hawk area of North Carolina to test their machine. We all know what happened. Eventually the brothers found a place nearer ho ...more

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Jan 27, 2016 Laurie Anderson rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, non-fiction

Some wonderful details and great writing about the birth of flight. The ending came a bit abruptly, but I think that's because I wanted more. ...more

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Apr 21, 2015 Clif Hostetler rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: history

David McCullough can always be counted on to turn history into an interesting story. This book brings the Wright family dynamics and personalities to life.

The brothers really did work hard on their project. One of the things they learned after finding that their glider's flight was unstable is that all existing literature of the time about wing design was little more than guess work. The Wright brother designed their own wind tunnel and tried out numerous configurations before they came up with David McCullough can always be counted on to turn history into an interesting story. This book brings the Wright family dynamics and personalities to life.

The brothers really did work hard on their project. One of the things they learned after finding that their glider's flight was unstable is that all existing literature of the time about wing design was little more than guess work. The Wright brother designed their own wind tunnel and tried out numerous configurations before they came up with a wing design for stable flight.

The comparison of the Wright brothers' work with the efforts of Samuel P. Langley of the Smithsonian is a classic David versus Goliath tale. Langley with government funding managed to spend $70,000 on flights that did little more than flop into the Potomac. The Wright brothers using inexpensive materials and technology learned from building bicycles to accomplish powered flight for a total cost of about $1,000. One of the biggest differences between the two endeavors is that the Wright brothers had a machinist friend who in retrospect was a genius craftsman. He was able manufacture a light gas powered internal combustion engine to use on the flying machine in about six weeks. Langley's engineers in contrast took years to do the equivalent.

This book goes into more detail about their time spent in Europe than any other source I've read. The European governments were more interested in (and willing to pay for) flying machines than the Americans. In retrospect they were visiting Europe during the prosperous climax of the Edwardian age a couple years prior to World War I.

The brothers spent much of their time in later years defending their patents. I guess we shouldn't be too critical of this because tech companies today probably spend as much money on patent defense as on technical research. The Wright brothers won all their contested patent suits.

Wilber Wright died at the relatively young age of 47 (of typhoid). With him gone and the death of their father soon after, Orville Wright and his sister Kathryn were left at their home in Dayton, Ohio. When Kathryn decided to marry an acquaintance from her College days Orville refused to attend the wedding or visit her afterward. Orville's behavior is regrettable, and I can't help but think that if Wilber had been living his presence would have ameliorated the family relationships.

The following book review is from the PageADay Book Lover's Calendar for March 27, 2018:
Wibur and Orville Wright were bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio. Neither of them had a college education or much money, but they had a lot of ingenuity. Together they risked their lives in the first attempts at human flight—and their success paved the way for the future of airplanes. David McCullough brings empathy and a sense of wonder to the Wright legend, and also reveals the crucial role that their overlooked sister, Katherine, played in their story. This inspirational biography is terrific from beginning to end.
THE WRIGHT BROTHERS, by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster, 2015) ...more

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Aug 11, 2019 Gary K Bibliophile rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

before the review.. a few GIFs to reflect on some of the silly early ideas that people tried in the quest for flight...

Well the last one wasn’t silly (that one actually worked.)

I found the book very interesting. McCullough as usual does his research well and unfolds the story in a very entertaining way. It’s a very inspirational story. Two brothers following a dream - with limited resources, scorn from a skeptical public, and finding along the way that the *science* behind what they were basing ...more

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Jan 14, 2015 Amy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Curling up with a David McCullough book is like climbing into your grandfather's lap in his favorite armchair and whispering, "Tell me a story..." It's both comfortable and exciting, familiar and spellbinding.

McCullough breathes such humanity into this history of Wilbur and Orville Wright, their family, friends, colleagues and adversaries, that I cheered, shouted, laughed, cried and soared right along with the famed aviators. Told with a passion and skill that far exceeds most fiction writers, M ...more

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Jul 12, 2015 Brina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history

McCullough is a master story in my book 2nd only to DKG. Learned much of wright family in this captivating read.

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Jul 25, 2018 Alex Givant rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: best-of-2018, tts, memoirs, history

Excellent biography of Wright's brother - interesting to read after recent visit to Washington Smithsonian Air and Space museum. ...more

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Jul 09, 2015 John rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: american-history

Prior to reading this book most of my knowledge of the Wright Brothers had come from other aviation books. None of these books dealt with the brothers in an in-depth manner. I knew of their first flight at Kitty Hawk and the fact that they were bicycle mechanics. I also knew about their wing warping technology and other tidbits. Never before did I get any inkling about what the brothers were like and the true extent of their genius. This book, while it doesn't go in-depth with the technical aspe ...more

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About David McCullough

David McCullough

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David McCullough is a Yale-educated, two-time recipient of both the Pulitzer Prize (Truman; John Adams) and the National Book Award (The Path Between the Seas; Mornings on Horseback). His many other highly-acclaimed works of historical non-fiction include The Greater Journey, 1776, Brave Companions, The Great Bridge, The Wright Brothers, and The Johnstown Flood. He has been honored with the Nation ...more

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Quotes from De gebroeders Wright

“If I were giving a young man advice as to how he might succeed in life, I would say to him, pick out a good father and mother, and begin life in Ohio. WILBUR WRIGHT” — 34 likes

“All the money anyone needs is just enough to prevent one from being a burden on others.” — 26 likes

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