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The Bishop's Boys: A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright
The reissue of this definitive biography heralds the one-hundredth anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight.Brilliant, self-trained engineers, the Wright brothers had a unique blend of native talent, character, and family experience that perfectly suited them to the task of invention but left them ill-prepared to face a world of skeptics, rivals, and officials. Using a treasure trove of Wright family correspondence and diaries, Tom Crouch skillfully weaves the story of the airplane's invention into the drama of a unique and unforgettable family. He shows us exactly how and why these two obscure bachelors from Dayton, Ohio, were able to succeed where so many better-trained, better-financed rivals had failed.
608 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1989
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485 people want to read
About the author
Tom D. Crouch
28 books7 followersTom Day Crouch is curator emeritus of the Smithsonian, where he served both the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of American History in a variety of curatorial and administrative posts. Prior to coming to the Smithsonian he was employed by the Ohio Historical Society as director of education (1969-1973) and as director, Ohio American Revolution Bicentennial Advisory Commission (1973-1974).
Crouch earned a BA in history from Ohio University in 1962, an MA in history from Miami University in 1968, and a PhD in history from the Ohio State University in 1976.
Crouch earned a BA in history from Ohio University in 1962, an MA in history from Miami University in 1968, and a PhD in history from the Ohio State University in 1976.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
October 8, 2014
The Bishop's Boys holds a place of distinction in my collection of biographies and it's unquestionably the best of the Wright Brothers biographies I've read through the years. Author Crouch has the credentials and the resources to back what he writes. There's a lot about their father here and it illuminates their characters significantly. You learn, too, that there's much more to these men than the bicycle shop and the flying machine, most of which is given short shrift or even elbowed aside in other works. The single unaddressed (or under-addressed) controversy is that of Gustav Whitehead's supporters' claim that he preceded the Wrights in powered flight. I don't give much weight to the importance of that argument since this is a biography.
It's exceptionally well done and I recommend it with no hesitation.
It's exceptionally well done and I recommend it with no hesitation.
January 10, 2022
Last summer I visited the Wright Brothers Memorial at Kitty Hawk, NC. Following a presentation from one of the park rangers, I asked him which single book would he recommend on the Wrights. He said that The Wright Brothers by David McCullough and The Bishop's Boys were the two, and he would recommend choosing from between them based on the preferences of the reader.
McCullough is is quite popular as many enjoy his narrative tone, however, the ranger said that he and many of his colleagues, having read extensively on the Wrights, took issue with McCullough's work as being somewhat of an overdramatized representation of the brothers. The opinion is that McCullough took some liberties with his telling of the story. The ranger went on to suggest that if I wanted to read a real history book then I should pick up The Bishop's Boys.
I read this sporadically over the course of 6 months. There were chapters that were quite fascinating, which I felt gave a lot of insight into not just Wilbur & Orville, but their siblings and their father as well. There were also chapters that went into a greater level detail about the physics of flight than what I understand (or care to attempt to learn about), and all without any kind of assistive diagrams. Some skimming may be necessary.
What I really appreciated about this book is that the author went out of his way to really make sure that he wrote a comprehensive biography of the brothers rather than just writing about the events leading up to and culminating with their successful trials at Kitty Hawk.
There's been some friendly competition between Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and Dayton, Ohio, with both claiming to be in some fashion "The Birthplace of Aviation". As a North Carolinian I came into the book with a somewhat biased opinion on which state has the greater claim. Having read this book though and having a more informed opinion now, I believe the scales tip in favor of Dayton. There were great things achieved in the trials at Kitty Hawk, but there's so much more development that went on in Dayton.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but would only recommend it to a real history enthusiast.
McCullough is is quite popular as many enjoy his narrative tone, however, the ranger said that he and many of his colleagues, having read extensively on the Wrights, took issue with McCullough's work as being somewhat of an overdramatized representation of the brothers. The opinion is that McCullough took some liberties with his telling of the story. The ranger went on to suggest that if I wanted to read a real history book then I should pick up The Bishop's Boys.
I read this sporadically over the course of 6 months. There were chapters that were quite fascinating, which I felt gave a lot of insight into not just Wilbur & Orville, but their siblings and their father as well. There were also chapters that went into a greater level detail about the physics of flight than what I understand (or care to attempt to learn about), and all without any kind of assistive diagrams. Some skimming may be necessary.
What I really appreciated about this book is that the author went out of his way to really make sure that he wrote a comprehensive biography of the brothers rather than just writing about the events leading up to and culminating with their successful trials at Kitty Hawk.
There's been some friendly competition between Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and Dayton, Ohio, with both claiming to be in some fashion "The Birthplace of Aviation". As a North Carolinian I came into the book with a somewhat biased opinion on which state has the greater claim. Having read this book though and having a more informed opinion now, I believe the scales tip in favor of Dayton. There were great things achieved in the trials at Kitty Hawk, but there's so much more development that went on in Dayton.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, but would only recommend it to a real history enthusiast.
April 22, 2019
A very important biography/history book about Wright brothers and the aviation. The author covers all the bases about Wrights' life from the birth to their death and at the same time how the aviation was at that time in both America and in Europe. Very detailed history about the pioneers in the aviation during the late 19th-20th century and that itself makes this book 4-star. Personal lives of Wilbur, Orville, Katharine and Bishop Milton is weaved in the book without tiring the reader. Lot of aviation terminologies may be a bit confusing in the beginning but once you get the idea, it is really fun to read the details.
If you want to read one book about the Wrights, starting history of the airplanes, this is the one.
If you want to read one book about the Wrights, starting history of the airplanes, this is the one.
September 2, 2012
"The Bishop's Boys" is a meticulously researched and well-written biography of the lives of Wilbur and Orville Wright, the inventors of the world's first heavier-than-air, self-propelled aircraft to fly. Known as the Wright Flyer, it was successfully flown for the first time on December 17, 1903 at Kitty Hawk, NC. Though the Wright brothers developed the aircraft in their hometown of Dayton, Ohio, they chose Kitty Hawk as a place to test the aircraft because of its flat sandy (soft) soil, relative obscurity and the constant, steady winds of from 13 to 30 mph, which were ideal for providing the optimal lift for testing. The Wright brothers were mechanically minded (they supported themselves through the manufacture and repair of bicycles). However, they were first and foremost "inventors". Though they later became businessmen, that was not their forte. They perhaps did not maximize pecuniary gain from their patents as they might have had they applied more effort and savy to commercial exploitation of their invention.
The Wright brothers succeeded where numerous others (on both sides of the Atlantic) had failed because of their ability to identify and solve problems. Of Wilbur and Orville, the author Tom Crouch writes: "[They] had no special training in science or engineering. While both were well educated, neither had completed the formal coursework required for his high school diploma. Before the summer of 1899, they seemed the most ordinary of men. That was part of their fascination. They were the quintessential Americans, whose success seemed compounded of hard work, perseverance, and commen sense, with a liberal dollop of Yankee ingenuity - raised to the level of genius."
As Wilbur's interest in flying was developing, he wrote to the Smithsonian Institute to request available information. His request was almost dismissed and had that occurred he might have given his notion up. However, correspondence ensued resulting in some pamphlets being sent to him touching on the history of aviation thought. That was all he needed. The author writes: "Wilbur spent three months . . . sifting through the chaff of aeronautical history and theory to arrive at a far more accurate understanding of the state of the art than [the aviation notables of the day] who had spend decades in the field and written books on the subject. How did he do it?" The author answers his question: "Wilbur was a man who established a goal with care, then never lost sight of it. He was the perfect engineer-isolating a basic problem, defining it in the most precise terms, and identifying the missing bits of information that would enable him to solve it. Other students of the subject lost themselves in a welter of confusing detail; they were lured into extraneous, if fascinating, blind alleys that led away from the basic problem. Not Wilbur. He had the capacity to recognize and the dogged determination required to cut straight to the heart of any matter . . . Wilbur went to the books in search of answers to the most fundamental issues. What did one have to know to fly? What portions of the flying machine problem were well in hand? What problems remained to be solved? he emerged from his reading with the answers to those questions. Increadible as it may seem, no other major experimenter had taken such a reasonable approach to the work of his predecessors." Wilbur summarized is findings: "The difficulties which obstruct the pathway to success in flying machine construction are of three general classes." Such a machine would require wings that would lift it into the air; a power plant to move it forward with sufficient speed so that the air flowing over the wings would generate that life; and a means of controlling the machine in the air. The airplane was the first vehicle what would require control in three axes of motion. There axes can best be understood as three imaginary lines around which a machine in the air is free to rotate: Pitch (a horizontal line running from wingtimp to wingtip); roll (a horizonal line running through the center of the craft from nose to tail); and yaw (a vertical line running directly through the center of the craft). Wilbur (principally), but together with Orville, tackled this daunting task and engineered the first craft ever flown which solved each question.
Concerning Wilbur's writing to the Smithsonian, the author states (perhaps an understatement), "It was the most important exchange of correspondence in the history of the Smithsonian. The receipt of those pamphlets set in motion a chain of events that would culminate in the invention of the airplane."
When one considers the numerous discoveries and inventions man has achieved through the centuries, many are startling and breathtaking. Few, however, become so revolutionary that they stand apart and alone. The printing press comes to mind - also the airplane. Since thinking man first looked up into the heavens and saw birds in flight, he has been mesmerized by the notion of overcoming the earth's gravity and soaring through the air under his own power. In 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright made that fantasy a reality and changed the world. And it happened in America.
A great read.
The Wright brothers succeeded where numerous others (on both sides of the Atlantic) had failed because of their ability to identify and solve problems. Of Wilbur and Orville, the author Tom Crouch writes: "[They] had no special training in science or engineering. While both were well educated, neither had completed the formal coursework required for his high school diploma. Before the summer of 1899, they seemed the most ordinary of men. That was part of their fascination. They were the quintessential Americans, whose success seemed compounded of hard work, perseverance, and commen sense, with a liberal dollop of Yankee ingenuity - raised to the level of genius."
As Wilbur's interest in flying was developing, he wrote to the Smithsonian Institute to request available information. His request was almost dismissed and had that occurred he might have given his notion up. However, correspondence ensued resulting in some pamphlets being sent to him touching on the history of aviation thought. That was all he needed. The author writes: "Wilbur spent three months . . . sifting through the chaff of aeronautical history and theory to arrive at a far more accurate understanding of the state of the art than [the aviation notables of the day] who had spend decades in the field and written books on the subject. How did he do it?" The author answers his question: "Wilbur was a man who established a goal with care, then never lost sight of it. He was the perfect engineer-isolating a basic problem, defining it in the most precise terms, and identifying the missing bits of information that would enable him to solve it. Other students of the subject lost themselves in a welter of confusing detail; they were lured into extraneous, if fascinating, blind alleys that led away from the basic problem. Not Wilbur. He had the capacity to recognize and the dogged determination required to cut straight to the heart of any matter . . . Wilbur went to the books in search of answers to the most fundamental issues. What did one have to know to fly? What portions of the flying machine problem were well in hand? What problems remained to be solved? he emerged from his reading with the answers to those questions. Increadible as it may seem, no other major experimenter had taken such a reasonable approach to the work of his predecessors." Wilbur summarized is findings: "The difficulties which obstruct the pathway to success in flying machine construction are of three general classes." Such a machine would require wings that would lift it into the air; a power plant to move it forward with sufficient speed so that the air flowing over the wings would generate that life; and a means of controlling the machine in the air. The airplane was the first vehicle what would require control in three axes of motion. There axes can best be understood as three imaginary lines around which a machine in the air is free to rotate: Pitch (a horizontal line running from wingtimp to wingtip); roll (a horizonal line running through the center of the craft from nose to tail); and yaw (a vertical line running directly through the center of the craft). Wilbur (principally), but together with Orville, tackled this daunting task and engineered the first craft ever flown which solved each question.
Concerning Wilbur's writing to the Smithsonian, the author states (perhaps an understatement), "It was the most important exchange of correspondence in the history of the Smithsonian. The receipt of those pamphlets set in motion a chain of events that would culminate in the invention of the airplane."
When one considers the numerous discoveries and inventions man has achieved through the centuries, many are startling and breathtaking. Few, however, become so revolutionary that they stand apart and alone. The printing press comes to mind - also the airplane. Since thinking man first looked up into the heavens and saw birds in flight, he has been mesmerized by the notion of overcoming the earth's gravity and soaring through the air under his own power. In 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright made that fantasy a reality and changed the world. And it happened in America.
A great read.
February 20, 2021
First, this is a well written book. If you are out for the facts of first flight, then you will find it here. The other side is that it contains a tremendous amount of material about the Wright family that certainly adds to the narrative, but is far less enticing. The simple fact is that the Wright's in general were an incredibly bland and boring bunch which at least for me , left me wallowing through these sections. Their father, the Bishop, certainly played a strong part in creating the people they were and the strange lives that they chose to live, but his endless battles to control his church were, never the less, completely uninteresting! 4 stars for the parts related to flight - 2 stars for the endless family traumas. 3 star book .
December 20, 2013
I liked the book. If anything, I am disappointed with Wilbur and Orville. I have to wonder what more they may have accomplished if they weren't spending their time defending patents and getting paid. However, I think the same could be said of most of us, myself included.
February 5, 2024
If you are looking for the most comprehensive work on the Wright brothers, this is the book. It provided much more in-depth information than any book that I have read on the Wright Brothers. The information was presented in a writing style that was easy to follow and understand.
This is the story of two brothers who figured out-essentially on their own- how to consistently fly and improve upon their powered airplane. They knew little about flight when they started, but they eventually figured it out. Even though we are all acquainted with the story of the Wright brothers, this book gives amazing insight to their character and determination to succeed where others had failed.
Much of first half of the book was about their father Milton who was a minister. This part of the book was spent poring over the extraordinarily boring details of Milton Wright's life. This part of the book was boring and dry, and I was confused as to why it was so important. The book took off when the author focuses the reader on the years leading up to the inaugural 1903 flight at Kitty Hawk. Also, the years immediately thereafter, when the brothers steadily advanced the art and science of flying, shed anonymity and doubt about their achievement, and realized worldwide fame and wealth.
All in all, this is solid history, presenting us a portrait of real people working hard to achieve their dreams, succeeding via their own ingenuity, and realizing their own rewards, financial and otherwise. A real American tale, not the usual mythical exaggeration. Indeed, a true tale that bests the simple myth that remains in many history texts.
This is the story of two brothers who figured out-essentially on their own- how to consistently fly and improve upon their powered airplane. They knew little about flight when they started, but they eventually figured it out. Even though we are all acquainted with the story of the Wright brothers, this book gives amazing insight to their character and determination to succeed where others had failed.
Much of first half of the book was about their father Milton who was a minister. This part of the book was spent poring over the extraordinarily boring details of Milton Wright's life. This part of the book was boring and dry, and I was confused as to why it was so important. The book took off when the author focuses the reader on the years leading up to the inaugural 1903 flight at Kitty Hawk. Also, the years immediately thereafter, when the brothers steadily advanced the art and science of flying, shed anonymity and doubt about their achievement, and realized worldwide fame and wealth.
All in all, this is solid history, presenting us a portrait of real people working hard to achieve their dreams, succeeding via their own ingenuity, and realizing their own rewards, financial and otherwise. A real American tale, not the usual mythical exaggeration. Indeed, a true tale that bests the simple myth that remains in many history texts.
January 5, 2025
I stumbled across this book during a vacation in North Carolina. My wife and I were in the Outer Banks, and we paid a visit to the Wright Brothers National Memorial.
The history of the Wright Brothers was fascinating. Charting their the story of their parents, it’s easy to see where they learned early lessons of grit, determination, and the ability to withstand the naysayers and progress anyway. The book provides an easy to follow narrative both leading up to the first successful flight at Kitty Hawk and the fallout that would come (both positive and negative) in the years that would follow. Crouch does an amazing job at telling a triumphant tale of two flawed human beings who knew how to doggedly pursue their dreams and see every failure as nothing more than an opportunity to learn rather than something to be feared.
There are moments in the narrative that drag as Crouch dives deep into some technical details that are hard for the reader to imagine without some kind of visual aids. As there are quite a few historical photographs shared throughout the book, a few diagrams should have been fairly easy to add to help the less technically inclined (such as myself) better follow. Nevertheless, the book as a whole is a fascinating biography on these two mysterious men and their invention.
The history of the Wright Brothers was fascinating. Charting their the story of their parents, it’s easy to see where they learned early lessons of grit, determination, and the ability to withstand the naysayers and progress anyway. The book provides an easy to follow narrative both leading up to the first successful flight at Kitty Hawk and the fallout that would come (both positive and negative) in the years that would follow. Crouch does an amazing job at telling a triumphant tale of two flawed human beings who knew how to doggedly pursue their dreams and see every failure as nothing more than an opportunity to learn rather than something to be feared.
There are moments in the narrative that drag as Crouch dives deep into some technical details that are hard for the reader to imagine without some kind of visual aids. As there are quite a few historical photographs shared throughout the book, a few diagrams should have been fairly easy to add to help the less technically inclined (such as myself) better follow. Nevertheless, the book as a whole is a fascinating biography on these two mysterious men and their invention.
January 29, 2023
I picked up this book after reading the last book about Wilbur and finding it quoted often. It does a really good job of giving the early history of the Wright family and the psychological profile that helps explain their social reticence. I thought the last 3rd part of the book would be a boring discussion of legal fights, but Crouch does a really good job of keeping it interesting and moving forward. He also explains different aspects of the Smithsonian fight so that was unexpectedly interesting to read.
July 23, 2022
I really enjoyed this book and learning more details of Wilbur & Orville Wright’s lives. I had listened to the David McCullough book on tape as I drove to the Outer Banks in late April to visit the Wright Brothers Memorial. I enjoyed it, but I enjoyed this book even more as it gave even more details of their lives. I grew up near Dayton, Ohio so I had of course heard of them, but after reading this book I realized I only knew the bare minimum. A very fun read!
July 28, 2019
This is a very informative book on the Wright Brothers and their family. The author goes into great detail about the brothers and their work and their dealings with others in the US and Europe as they try and get the airplane business going while keeping the ever growing competition at bay.
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July 29, 2019Absolutely inspiring to know all that the Wright Brothers went through to achieve their dream. Great quotes as well.
May 30, 2020
This book deserves 25 stars!!! EXCELLENT!!!!
November 18, 2020
Boring and not a single drawing to explain the different parts of the plane ... Just for aerospace engineers ...
May 13, 2023
Excellent biography of the Wright Brothers
February 16, 2025
An inspiring story about the Wright brothers. These were true American pioneers in every sense of the term. A must read for history buffs and those into aeronautics
September 22, 2025
(no 59 of 2025)
September 27, 2015
For the Boys
This story is an excellent read by Tim Crouch. It’s obvious from the very beginning that the author thoroughly researched the source materials on the Wright brothers. What drew my attention was the masterful amount of detail he was able to discover on the place and time of the discovery of manned flight. The author’s coverage of all of the work done by the contemporaries of the Wright brothers both here and abroad serves the reader well in adding an extra amount of detail to the story. The complicated family dynamic between the brothers and the father, the depth of the relationship with the sister all added another level of interest to the story. My only complaint with author was the amount of detail on the family dynamic and especially all of the detail on the father. At times this story got bogged down and got lost in the weeds. There were times I had to skip whole passages to keep up with the story flow on the accomplishments of the brothers. The first three chapters of the book could use some good well placed editing. An accomplished editor would have tightened up the manuscript without diminishing the story that we have here or the accomplishment of the author.
This story is an excellent read by Tim Crouch. It’s obvious from the very beginning that the author thoroughly researched the source materials on the Wright brothers. What drew my attention was the masterful amount of detail he was able to discover on the place and time of the discovery of manned flight. The author’s coverage of all of the work done by the contemporaries of the Wright brothers both here and abroad serves the reader well in adding an extra amount of detail to the story. The complicated family dynamic between the brothers and the father, the depth of the relationship with the sister all added another level of interest to the story. My only complaint with author was the amount of detail on the family dynamic and especially all of the detail on the father. At times this story got bogged down and got lost in the weeds. There were times I had to skip whole passages to keep up with the story flow on the accomplishments of the brothers. The first three chapters of the book could use some good well placed editing. An accomplished editor would have tightened up the manuscript without diminishing the story that we have here or the accomplishment of the author.
April 26, 2018
For those people interested in the history of the Wright Brothers, this book is a must read. I've read several books about the Wright brothers this summer and I consider this a very thorough book in providing insight into not only the events leading up to flight and what happened afterwards, but also a very good look into the lives of the family members.You find out WAY more about the Wright's and their familial background than you ever will in your standard biography. Who knew that the Wright's father was a domineering bishop of an obscure Christian denomination, and that his lifelong violent battles within his group had a powerful effect on the invention of human powered flight. For many years, the Wright's story was doubted, and it became Orville's quest to at least set the historical record straight. The Smithsonian has the original Wright 1903 flyer on display ONLY because they finally conceded that the Wright Brothers were indeed the inventors of the airplane, (which they had been holding out on in favor of their colleague Langley for years.)
Very good book. Very comprehensive and fairly definitive. A very well rounded and complete biography.
Very good book. Very comprehensive and fairly definitive. A very well rounded and complete biography.
August 6, 2014
A finely honed biography of the brothers. They are most decidedly modern and dispassionately analytical in their laboratory work, making important advances in airfoil and propeller design and making careful use of a wind tunnel, leading up to their most important contributions in three-axis airplane control. But they are most decidedly nineteenth century archetypes in their business and personal interactions with other researchers. They are the quintessential American garage tinker/inventors.
The contrast is stark with Octave Chanute, who failed to win the same kind of lasting fame the boys did, but arguably had a far more modern view of research and development. His actions read much like a modern research "rainmaker", always trying to connect people and get them to share data, work and credit.
The book is a good read, well written and researched. Now I want to go read more about Chanute, Lilienthal and Langley.
The contrast is stark with Octave Chanute, who failed to win the same kind of lasting fame the boys did, but arguably had a far more modern view of research and development. His actions read much like a modern research "rainmaker", always trying to connect people and get them to share data, work and credit.
The book is a good read, well written and researched. Now I want to go read more about Chanute, Lilienthal and Langley.
August 21, 2007
An excellent, well rounded overview of the Wright brothers' lives. Crouch gives a very detailed history of their family and home life, which gives great insight into the motivations of the two men that brought us powered, heavier-than-air flight. I was especially impressed at how detailed Crouch got in the engineering and experimentation details of the invention of the airplane. I have no engineering background and haven't learned anything from a science class since high school, but I was able to keep up and understood everything that Crouch explained. The only thing that kept me from giving this book five stars was the section on the contract and patent battles. After the excitement of the invention process and the first flight, this section really dragged--right up until the Wrights formed their own exhibition team with crack pilots.
June 30, 2008
This was an impulse buy after seeing the exhibit at the Smithsonian, and it didn't disappoint. While it started out slow, it really captured the excitement during the Wright brothers' exploratory and inventive days. The author did an excellent job of grounding their achievements in a through explanation of their personalities and upbringings as well as in the global scale of the growing science of aviation.
October 27, 2024
I had to read this book for work but I am very impressed with the authors work. They were able to retell the Wright’s story in a very detailed way, I feel not a single detail was left out. You’d think a book like that would be boring but I was motivated to keep reading and learning more as the book felt like a novel about the invention of the airplane. For anyone wanting to learn about the fathers of aviation I would highly recommend this book.
March 4, 2010
This was a good summary of the lives and times of the wright brothers. It was a little bit like reading a textbook at times and also spent more time than necessary on others that were very superficially related to them by also doing flight experiments at the same time. Overall, well worth the time to read.
June 2, 2011
The Bishop's Boys covers all the bases in the story of the Wright Brothers. It brought to life the excitement of the times when human flight was new. And there was plenty of technical and family background information to round out the story. Reading this book was a great way to enhance the experience my kids and I had of visiting Kill Devil Hills and the Wright Memorial last August.
January 8, 2013
This is a fantastic biography of the Wright brothers - containing a nice blend of family, culture, aeronautical enginneering & history. The first 150 pages are a bit slow, but provide a comprehensive understanding of the Wright family dynamics and, perhaps, motivation for the way the Wright brothers handled their immense success. In spite of it being a long book, I highly recommend it.
February 18, 2013
This book was recommended to us by the curator of the Wright Museum in Dayton, Ohio. It is a thorough history of the Wright family and the science and politics of developing the first airplane. Although it was long, it was a fascinating read that covered both the scientific aspects of developing a flying machine as well as the personal quirkiness of two highly driven and creative men.
June 1, 2013
This is a truly amazing biography of an even more amazing subject. I should have read this one years ago, but I am glad that I finally did. The Wrights are fascinating characters and their discovery of how to control powered flight is so much fun to read about. Having just recently vacationed on the Outer Banks, my curiosity was piqued and I had to read more.
August 10, 2009
Very lengthy! Informative. I enjoyed the first and last sections the most. Family history was very interesting. I was a little lost with the technical information (Wilbur would have loved it!) I learned a lot I didn't know.
August 29, 2011
A very technical biography, written without much passion or insight into personality. The chapter about the first successful flight was written in the same flavor and with the same level of intensity as the chapter about the Lilienthal Equations and their testing.
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