Book Review: The Wright Brothers - Highly Recommend

What a fascinating book by David McCullough! I highly recommended this to my son, Sean, who plans to pursue aeronautical engineering. I even read bits aloud to him and shared a story from Wilbur's youth that resounded with an important life lesson. As a teen, looking forward to attending Yale University, Wilbur encountered an accident that altered his life for three years. A neighbor boy (by intent or accident is unknown, although that boy proved in later years to be a serial killer) knocked out Wilbur's upper teeth with a hockey stick. He could not go away to school. Complications and emotional alterations held Wilbur hostage. During that time, he read voraciously, no doubt studying much that he would one day use in his invention. I observed to Sean (and later told Trevor), sometimes the worst things to happen to us can end up being the best thing to happen to us because it turns into something productive we could never have imagined.

Wilbur and Orville Wright, the famous Dayton, Ohio, brothers, dreamed of creating some means of flying. Many scoffed, imagining this an impossibility. It surprised me that the United States seemed disinterested in the brothers' advancements. Although the initial test runs took place in North Carolina, most of the introductory flights occurred in Europe. The French were especially interested in flight and several French aeronautical engineers were also working on making this dream a reality. Equally surprising, I learned Orville suffered an accident that claimed the life of his passenger (the first death associated with flight).

I enjoyed this dip into the history of flight. The dogged pursuit of these mild-mannered brothers was inspiring. Refusing to listen to naysayers, they quietly and persistently worked to understand the mechanics involved. Their invention changed our world. Even if you are not interested in exploring history, this book provides a human interest story full of inspiration and hope. Most of us will live ordinary lives of little to no consequence, but the Wright brothers deserve every accolade for their determination and courage.