The Wright Brothers (book)
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founder | David McCullough |
| Parent | Simon & Schuster |
The Wright Brothers is a non-fiction work released in 2015 by historian David McCullough and published through Simon & Schuster. This book details the accomplishments of American aviation innovators Orville and Wilbur Wright. It achieved a position on The New York Times Non-Fiction Best Sellers list for a duration of seven weeks during 2015.
Production
McCullough's fascination with the Wright brothers originated during his research for his earlier publication, The Greater Journey, which explored prominent Americans in 19th-century Paris. In an interview, he mentioned uncovering Wilbur Wright’s regular visits to the Louvre and his strong admiration for French Gothic masterpieces—an aspect frequently neglected in previous narratives. This distinctive perspective served as the impetus for McCullough to compose the book.
Although McCullough has had an enduring interest in aviation, he admitted to having only a basic understanding of the Wright brothers beyond their Ohio upbringing, bicycle repair experience, and airplane invention. Nevertheless, delving into their personal lives and commendable traits motivated him to pursue the project irrespective of their flight achievements.
Reception
The Wright Brothers received acclaim from both literary reviewers and historians. Janet Maslin of The New York Times described it as a "concise, exciting and fact-packed book" that effectively captures the shift from bicycling to powered flight, delivered with "dignified panache" and meticulous scholarship. In The New York Review of Books, novelist James Salter acknowledged McCullough’s status as a bestselling historian and biographer and commended the book’s engaging warmth. Reeve Lindbergh, daughter of aviator Charles Lindbergh, referred to it in The Washington Post as a "superb new book," highlighting McCullough’s thorough use of family letters and archival materials to illustrate how two brothers from Ohio taught humanity to fly. Bruce Watson writing for the San Francisco Chronicle emphasized the narrative’s focus on experimentation and inspiration, noting that McCullough’s storytelling vividly animates historical events.
Conversely, Bob Hoover of the Star Tribune offered a more reserved critique, suggesting the biography lacks compelling character exploration since the Wright brothers were reserved and challenging personalities—qualities McCullough reportedly minimizes in favor of emphasizing their strengths. Similarly, Buzzy Jackson from The Boston Globe characterized it as a "tidy and relatively short history," appreciating its detail while observing McCullough’s somewhat nostalgic portrayal of these iconic American inventors.