The Wright Brothers

David McCullough

Book cover for The Wright Brothers
Book cover for The Wright Brothers

The Wright Brothers

The Wright Brothers

David McCullough

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Description

The #1 New York Times bestseller from David McCullough, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize--the dramatic story-behind-the-story about the courageous brothers who taught the world how to fly--Wilbur and Orville Wright.

On a winter day in 1903

About the Author

David McCullough (1933-2022) twice received the Pulitzer Prize, for Truman and John Adams, and twice received the National Book Award, for The Path Between the Seas and Mornings on Horseback. His other acclaimed books include The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, Brave Companions, 1776, The Greater Journey, The American Spirit, The Wright Brothers, and The Pioneers. He was the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award. Visit DavidMcCullough.com.

Critical Reviews

"A story of timeless importance, told with uncommon empathy and fluency. . . . A story, well told, about what might be the most astonishing feat mankind has ever accomplished. . . . The Wright Brothers soars."--Daniel Okrent "The New York Times Book Review"

"David McCullough has etched a brisk, admiring portrait of the modest, hardworking Ohioans who designed an airplane in their bicycle shop and solved the mystery of flight on the sands of Kitty Hawk, N.C. He captures the marvel of what the Wrights accomplished and, just as important, the wonder felt by their contemporaries. . . . Mr. McCullough is in his element writing about seemingly ordinary folk steeped in the cardinal American virtues--self-reliance and can-do resourcefulness."--Roger Lowenstein "The Wall Street Journal"

"[McCullough] takes the Wrights' story aloft. . . . Concise, exciting, and fact-packed. . . . Mr. McCullough presents all this with dignified panache, and with detail so granular you may wonder how it was all collected."--Janet Maslin "The New York Times"

"David McCullough's The Wright Brothers is a story about two brothers and one incredible moment in American history. But it's also a story that resonates with anyone who believes deeply in the power of technology to change lives - and the resistance some have to new innovations."--Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google

"[An] enjoyable, fast-paced tale. . . . A fun, fast ride."-- "The Economist"

"McCullough's magical account of [the Wright Brothers'] early adventures -- enhanced by volumes of family correspondence, written records, and his own deep understanding of the country and the era -- shows as never before how two Ohio boys from a remarkable family taught the world to fly."--Reeve Lindbergh "The Washington Post"

"An outstanding saga of the lives of two men who left such a giant footprint on our modern age."-- "Booklist (starred review)"

"[A] fluently rendered, skillfully focused study. . . . An educational and inspiring biography of seminal American innovators."-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"McCullough's usual warm, evocative prose makes for an absorbing narrative; he conveys both the drama of the birth of flight and the homespun genius of America's golden age of innovation."-- "Publishers Weekly"

Publishing Information

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pub date: 2016-05-03
Length: 336 pages

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