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bechug's review against another edition
5.0
This was a well researched and well written book.
I loved learning about Wilbur and Orville Wright and their family. They were hard working, full of grit and true to their beliefs and themselves.
Today it's easy to take the airplane for granted, but looking at how it came to be and the efforts to get it off the ground and I appreciate it so much more.
I loved learning about Wilbur and Orville Wright and their family. They were hard working, full of grit and true to their beliefs and themselves.
Today it's easy to take the airplane for granted, but looking at how it came to be and the efforts to get it off the ground and I appreciate it so much more.
deelightfull's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome, if you like other works McCullough, you'll like this. If you'd like to try non fiction this is a good place to start!
pilot_scholar236's review against another edition
4.0
Always incredible story telling by David McCullough. He provides great details and humanity to two of our countries mythical heroes. Also illuminating was the impact of their sister Katherine in their accomplishments. A very great read to understand a pivotal moment in history and the type of character it takes to achieve something so amazing.
chelse34's review against another edition
3.0
I have only read David McCullough because of book club. This is my 3rd book I've read of his. I find them hard to get through and I feel like I'm reading a history book. He is very thorough in his details.
That being said, I learned a lot from this book. The only thing I knew going into this book was that the Wright brothers were the first make and fly an airplane. I knew one was Orville and didn't know the other brother. Not much prior knowledge at all. I did find a lot of the book interesting (and a lot full of boring details). But I did learn a ton.
I loved the Wright brothers for their grit, humility, and passion. They worked hard even when they had setbacks and learned to fly. They didn't let their new wealth and fame go to their heads. I appreciated that about them.
I also really liked everyone attributed flight as a gift from God and not something exclusively from the Wright Brothers. I also believe they were inspired by God in their endeavors.
I now want to go back to DC and see their 1903 flyer in the Smithsonian. I went there in 2004, but didn't have a chance to go to that museum. I feel like I'd have a new jaw-dropping moment if I saw it after reading this book.
And I loved the pictures in the book. Makes it all come to life for me to see it in action. Amazing what the Wright brothers did.
That being said, I learned a lot from this book. The only thing I knew going into this book was that the Wright brothers were the first make and fly an airplane. I knew one was Orville and didn't know the other brother. Not much prior knowledge at all. I did find a lot of the book interesting (and a lot full of boring details). But I did learn a ton.
I loved the Wright brothers for their grit, humility, and passion. They worked hard even when they had setbacks and learned to fly. They didn't let their new wealth and fame go to their heads. I appreciated that about them.
I also really liked everyone attributed flight as a gift from God and not something exclusively from the Wright Brothers. I also believe they were inspired by God in their endeavors.
I now want to go back to DC and see their 1903 flyer in the Smithsonian. I went there in 2004, but didn't have a chance to go to that museum. I feel like I'd have a new jaw-dropping moment if I saw it after reading this book.
And I loved the pictures in the book. Makes it all come to life for me to see it in action. Amazing what the Wright brothers did.
ceroon56's review against another edition
4.0
Felt short? Would have been interested in more about competitors and lawsuits.
maxstone98's review against another edition
2.0
I picked this book up because the Wright Brothers seem interesting and the author has a good reputation. I was very disappointed.
Right from the opening there seemed to be no theme or rhyme or reason to what the author was focusing on (he selected a particular photo of the brothers and described it in a lot of detail, discussed ways it captured them or didn't capture them, and there was no indication why this was the way the author chose to introduce his subjects).
It wasn't a book exactly about a specific period in their lives but it certainly wasn't a book about their whole lives either. It was 10% about childhood, 89% about building the plane and exhibiting it, and 1% about what happened after that, again with no sense of why various decades were essentially excluded (maybe nothing happened, or maybe the book was meant to cover only specific years, but it certainly never said "this is a book about the 6 years from 1903 to 1909" or whatever). The book felt at times like lists of facts.
Overall my impression was: I just read an entire book about the Wright Brothers and I don't think I learned anything about them that I don't remember from some childrens book I read 35 years ago. Actually that is not quite true: the book focused on Katherine Wright (their sister) as well and that was interesting and something I didn't previously know much about.
Also, the very strong theme was: boy were those Wright Brothers (especially Wilbur) humble, despite their great talent. That's great, but by literally the 25th repetition of that fact (usually by noting a press article that lauded how down-to-earth they were) it wasn't adding much.
All that said, it was written in an easy to read style. Normally I wouldn't finish a book that I liked this little, but I kept going, which I think says something positive about it being written somewhat entertainingly.
Right from the opening there seemed to be no theme or rhyme or reason to what the author was focusing on (he selected a particular photo of the brothers and described it in a lot of detail, discussed ways it captured them or didn't capture them, and there was no indication why this was the way the author chose to introduce his subjects).
It wasn't a book exactly about a specific period in their lives but it certainly wasn't a book about their whole lives either. It was 10% about childhood, 89% about building the plane and exhibiting it, and 1% about what happened after that, again with no sense of why various decades were essentially excluded (maybe nothing happened, or maybe the book was meant to cover only specific years, but it certainly never said "this is a book about the 6 years from 1903 to 1909" or whatever). The book felt at times like lists of facts.
Overall my impression was: I just read an entire book about the Wright Brothers and I don't think I learned anything about them that I don't remember from some childrens book I read 35 years ago. Actually that is not quite true: the book focused on Katherine Wright (their sister) as well and that was interesting and something I didn't previously know much about.
Also, the very strong theme was: boy were those Wright Brothers (especially Wilbur) humble, despite their great talent. That's great, but by literally the 25th repetition of that fact (usually by noting a press article that lauded how down-to-earth they were) it wasn't adding much.
All that said, it was written in an easy to read style. Normally I wouldn't finish a book that I liked this little, but I kept going, which I think says something positive about it being written somewhat entertainingly.
modernviking's review against another edition
4.0
Great read! Filled in a huge amount of detail about the development of the flyer. Would have liked there to be at least a little discussion about how the wing warping as control (vs ailerons) was something of a dead end, but this was more about the men than the machine.
will2480's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.75