I have not read much in genres of either history or biographies and I don\’t know anything about aviation. So my reason for picking up this book was pure curiosity about what went behind one of the most significant inventions of last century that changed the world- an aeroplane. But I am so glad I picked up this book because in addition to that insight I liked the book at so many levels. I will list them one by one.
First and foremost it is a remarkable story of triumph of human spirit; of courage and determination and tireless striving and remarkable intelligence and skill. For most of us the name Wright Brothers registers as just inventors of first aeroplane and I personally regret their story is almost lost in pages of history. In an era where mechanical flight was deemed impossible by humans and anyone attempting it was dismissed as imbecile the brothers relentlessly worked towards achieving their childhood dream, step by step, in logical and calculated fashion with \” precision of watchmakers\” ( to borrow from the book) completely unaffected by the risks involved ( they could be seriously injured or killed in the process- a fact that they were aware of)and working in almost hostile environment given indifference shown to them especially by their own country.
Which gets me to second point- this book was an eye-opener in so many ways. To my utter surprise I learnt that even when they were conducting successful flights in their own country and encouraging people to come and witness it, the media, army and government of America failed to recognize them or their achievement. It was in France they got their due finally and their own country woke up very late to their brilliance. Another fact that equally surprised me was for men who didn\’t have a college degree or any training in the field of Aeronautics, they self taught themselves and built a working flying machine in about $1000!! That too when army was funding more than ten times on experiments in this field. Also they were very wise to record and document every single step through photographs, journal entries and personal letters( some of which are presented in the book in their original form) and also very protective about their patents and invention.
Another thing that I really liked about the book apart from story is the way in which it is presented by the author. For a historical biography, it reads more like fiction in tone and technique of narration. David McCullough has recreated the world of Wright Brothers with meticulous detailing and characterization so much that people come alive and setting almost feels lived in. The Brothers credit much of their success to parents and their upbringing and the reader can almost sense as to why. After this book I want to read more biographies written by this Pulitzer Prize winning author.
Last but a very significant point to make, especially in this group is the role of books in their life!! The author highlights the fact that in a modest house where they lived with no electricity or plumbing, the only thing far from modest was the family\’s book collection. Everyone in the family was a voracious reader and the brothers have gone on record to say that it created an atmosphere of intellectual curiosity which was the foundation of their invention. As I read their story I found out that books also played a very important part in igniting their passion to invent a flying machine and their subsequent research process.
After reading this book I went ahead and saw some videos of modern pilots trying to simulate their machine and trying to fly it, just to fail. They admit that the technical prowess of the brothers is unparalleled and the machine which they successfully flew can\’t be reproduced with all our technical advancements, such was their craft!!
I would highly recommend this book, especially to young adults with fire in their bellies to achieve something to know what it takes to get there… I would repeat myself and say this is a story that needs to be rediscovered from pages of history for innumerable reasons…Go ahead and discover it and get inspired in the process..
P.S.: My favorite part of the book as a parent was how their father was not too particular about their schooling and thought it was alright if they missed school for few days to engage in an intellectual pursuit or a pet project. How many of us are willing to give our kids that kind of freedom?