"I like to think about that first airplane the way it sailed off in the air...as pretty as any bird you ever laid your eyes on. I don't think I ever saw a prettier sight in my life....It wasn't luck that made them fly; it was hard work and common sense; they put their whole heart and soul and all their energy into an idea and they had the faith."
-John T. Daniels, eyewitness to historic 1903 flight of the Wright Brothers
The Wright Brothers was selected for February at the recommendation of another book club which came with the offer of a couple of copies to loan. I was familiar with author McCullough, well-known for his biographies and histories so I knew he was an excellent writer.
I can't say I loved the book and it surely was NOT a page-turner. However, I am glad I read it because I learned a great deal about two true American heroes. My foreknowledge was limited to the invention of the airplane and that Kitty Hawk, NC was involved. So for me the book held many surprises---the closeness of the Wright family, their beginnings as bicycle manufacturers and much of their early work being done in France. The speed of development in the field of aeronautics was amazing, as well, considering how much competition the Wright brothers had just a year after their break-through events. When one thinks of the progress in manned flight since, one cannot help being inspired by these two brilliant, unrelenting scientist inventors!
I enjoyed the photographs included, not just of the flying machines but also of family, friends and supporters of Orville and Wilbur. They helped to humanize these larger-than-life characters. Some of the technical aspects were well over my head, but necessary for the accuracy of the story. I couldn't help being impressed with the amount of research required for such a book. I have decided on a rating of 4 for the reasons I have mentioned.
I had visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. a few years ago and vaguely remember seeing the Wright Brothers exhibit including the 1903 Flyer, noted as the first airplane. I do wish I could return having read McCullough's book. I would appreciate it so much more now!
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When our Page Turners group met, our average rating was 3.9, with a preponderance of 4's. Our members were glad to have read it. In our midst were two lady pilots who may have enjoyed it (and understood the technical parts) better than the rest of us. In discussing the differences between the brothers, it was said that they complimented each other. One participant went so far as to predict one could not have accomplished the same feats alone. We noted that both brothers were patient, persistent, and determined with great vision and imagination. While Wilbur was an intellectual genius, Orville had amazing mechanical ability. The teamwork was invaluable.
Most participants did not realize the "French connection" of the Wrights, just as I had not. One member who has read more extensively on this topic said that France had been fascinated with flight for years before the occurrences in this book, especially balloon flight. That would be a major reason why the early accomplishments of the Wrights were embraced and celebrated by the French more than in the U.S. at first.
In discussing the rapid and plentiful changes in the world of aeronautics after the 1903 break-through, one member used a popcorn analogy. Discoveries made in science, much like Wilbur's first flights, are like the first kernels of corn that pop slowly. It doesn't take long for the popping to become fast and furious.
We were surprised that the whole Wright family was so supportive, encouraging and proud of Wilbur and Orville. Chapter One begins with this quote from Wilbur: "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."
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