The Wright Brothers
Written by David McCullough
Narrated by David McCullough
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
On a winter day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, two brothers—bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio—changed history. But it would take the world some time to believe that the age of flight had begun, with the first powered machine carrying a pilot.
Orville and Wilbur Wright were men of exceptional courage and determination, and of far-ranging intellectual interests and ceaseless curiosity. When they worked together, no problem seemed to be insurmountable. Wilbur was unquestionably a genius. Orville had such mechanical ingenuity as few had ever seen. That they had no more than a public high school education and little money never stopped them in their mission to take to the air. Nothing did, not even the self-evident reality that every time they took off, they risked being killed.
In this “enjoyable, fast-paced tale” (The Economist), master historian David McCullough “shows as never before how two Ohio boys from a remarkable family taught the world to fly” (The Washington Post) and “captures the marvel of what the Wrights accomplished” (The Wall Street Journal). He draws on the extensive Wright family papers to profile not only the brothers but their sister, Katharine, without whom things might well have gone differently for them. Essential reading, this is “a story of timeless importance, told with uncommon empathy and fluency…about what might be the most astonishing feat mankind has ever accomplished…The Wright Brothers soars” (The New York Times Book Review).
David McCullough
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.
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Reviews for The Wright Brothers
445 ratings34 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be an excellent and engaging historical account of the Wright brothers' journey in aviation. The book is well-researched and presents a detailed story of their accomplishments. It is inspiring and provides great insight into the people and events surrounding their invention. The author's narration adds to the enjoyment of the book. Overall, this book is captivating, thrilling, and a joy to read. It is highly recommended for anyone interested in the fascinating adventure of flight and the remarkable contribution of these two men.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great narrator and loved the book! Felt in my opinion like watching a discovery channel documentary.
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I really liked that most of the book related to the adult Wrights, their invention and its evolution in that brief part of history. Read by author which was a pleasant surprise as I don't usually give authors high grade for narration.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Once you get over his drone the content is fascinating.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5David Mccullough reading his own work is a priceless joy.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A compelling story of a family whose focused genius changed the world. The author/narrator is terrific. An inspiring tale for a cynical age.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent book, very detailed which may have been laborious reading but good for a audiobook. Inspiring and historical a excellent listen.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Very well done. A tremendously good story and one that every American should certainly hear.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Very informative to their lives surrounding their accomplishment. Highly recommend.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Written in a clear, spare style that suits the subject, this book was incredibly interesting and moving. I recommend it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It was very well written, read and learned a lot.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A brilliant and emotive rendition of the most fascinating adventure of all time. A great incite into the minds of the brothers and that period only just over 100 years ago. Hard to believe how far we have come in that last century. This book transports you to the beginning of flight with all the doubters and intrigue that surrounded the subject back then .
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5As always, McCullough delivers a fantastic and engaging historical account from one of the most important moments in history.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I loved the detail of this book. I first was interested in reading it to know the depth of their scientific process in developing the first airplanes, but I also loved learning about the details of the personalities of the whole Wright family, personal events they experienced, and what life was like for them after the creation of the airplane. The whole book was done very well, from beginning to the end.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I thought it would be very technical… But no, it’s about the passion of two brothers that did amazing things. Very successful. Eventually society started chasing them… Kind of like a paparazzi. But they’re steady at the helm, truly details the great people they were. Totally beat my expectations… So much more that is in there to that I had no idea about…remarkable.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I loved everything about this book, the story, the characters, the audio etc just excellent!!!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A captivating read. The events leading up to the invention of the Wright Flyer was amazing. Most surprising was their lives after their first flight, in which they became world renowned. Well worth the time.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Simply an awesome book. I learned so much that I never knew.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5inspirational, credible, well written and performed. one takeaway: "generally accepted data" does not mean it's correct
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A very interesting and factual history of the Wright Brothers. A fun read and an interesting peek into the family dynamics.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What a great book! So many things I never thought or heard about the Wright brothers. Their struggle , perseverance , and blatant lack of gaining scientific recognition for so long was noteworthy . I never realized the Smithsonian shameful behaviors towards them . Thoughtful,well written,and well narrated. I will buy the hard copy and give it to my brother.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A great read! The story is thrilling and inspiring.. the author does well with the details.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5To be honest, I wasn't sure, after chapter 1, if I was going to finish this one. I very much enjoyed McCullough's biography of John Adams a couple of years ago, so this attracted me to this book. In the end, it's a very good book covering mainly the first decade of the 1900s, which saw the Wright brothers overcome many barriers to become champions of motorized flight.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Just, some of David Mcculloughs best work here. You can tell he loved Wilbur and Orville .
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An absolutely extraordinary adventure of the daring genius the awesome accomplishments in aviation from the Wright brothers. Undoubtedly one of the most imaginative innovative discoveries in science and technology in the human history
I enjoyed so much this delightful biography that came out from the keen eye and bright talent of David McCullough
thanks once again to Scribd that brought us this remarkable story and work of literary art - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Captivating, clear and well written, a joy to listen from the author’s own voice.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Enjoyed listening to the amazing story of the Wright brothers.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This was a touching story of resilience and family cooperation and above all world-changing achievement beyond all odds.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The author made an awesome work on this book. I liked the level of ddetails. For anyone on the fence about reading this book. Go for it, you will not regret it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great detail about the people and events. Enjoyed it. Excellent
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Incredible story. Well researched and presented by author. 10 out of 10