Fascinating that a book about the pioneers of manned flight is more of a human interest story than a technical dissertation on the mechanics or the physics of flying. David McCullough's imminently readable The Wright Brothers reveals the brothers to be multifaceted individuals of unusual character and ingenuity.
Copyrighted in 2015, the book achieved number one status on the New York Times bestseller list. McCullough has made exhaustive use of volumes of family correspondence and written records. Much of the action happens in Dayton, Ohio, the home of the Wright Brothers. With dear friends living in Dayton I've had the opportunity of spending some time there which helps bring the narrative to even greater focus. McCullough is a gifted writer whose prose is a delight and he's also a good story teller.
Knowing little about the Wright brothers other than that they had a bicycle shop, were from Dayton and flew in North Carolina...who proudly display on their auto licenses "First In Flight" though North Carolina's main contribution was a wind swept, sandy beach...it was a revelation to learn how they parlayed innate mechanical genius, sterling character with grit and determination to achieve the first manned flight.
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