Summary and Analysis of The Wright Brothers: Based on the Book by David McCullough

By Worth Books

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of The Wright Brothers tells you what you need to know—before or after you read David McCullough’s book.

Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. 
This short summary and analysis of The Wright Brothers by David McCullough includes:
 

• Historical context
• Chapter-by-chapter summaries
• Detailed timeline of key events
• Important quotes
• Fascinating trivia
• Glossary of terms
• Supporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work

 
About David McCullough’s The Wright Brothers:
 
Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough’s biography is a fresh, personal account of Wilbur and Orville Wright: two young men from the American Midwest who, armed with dedication, ingenuity, and the skills they acquired as bicycle mechanics, invented the first practical airplane in history.
 
Based on extensive research—including the brothers’ personal correspondence and diaries—The Wright Brothers brings these two iconic American heroes to life as never before. More than the chronicle of an invention, The Wright Brothers is the story of an American family whose belief in the values of hard work and perseverance made all things seem possible—even the conquest of the skies.
 
The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction. 
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Dec 13, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504043335

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Book preview

Contents

Context

Overview

Summary

Timeline

Cast of Characters

Direct Quotes and Analysis

Trivia

What’s That Word?

Critical Response

About David McCullough

For Your Information

Photo Gallery

Bibliography

Copyright

Context

David McCullough’s The Wright Brothers was published more than a decade after the 100th anniversary of the historic flight at Kitty Hawk that marked the beginning of the era of aviation. The book came at a time when advances in technology are making changes in our daily lives—witness the growing use of drones for business and personal use—and the possibility of commercial space travel looms ever closer.

Although many books about the Wrights have appeared over the years, many of them have focused on the mechanical aspects of manned flight and the ongoing controversy about whether the Wrights were the first to achieve it. In contrast, McCullough’s work focuses on the brothers themselves, their personalities, and the family dynamic that shaped their characters, citing many first-person accounts of the trials and tribulations of their lives.

Of particular interest is the portrait of their sister Katharine, who played a pivotal role in the Wrights’ success. Following the death of their mother, Susan, Katharine was the only female presence in the Wright household. The first college graduate in the family and a committed feminist, she was both a confidant and an unwavering source of support for the brothers throughout their many successes and failures.

Overview

The Wright Brothers tells the extraordinary story of two young bicycle mechanics from Ohio who, with no formal engineering skills or financial support, built the world’s first practical aircraft, turning mankind’s age-old dream of flight into a reality.

David McCullough, the two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning historian, chronicles Orville and Wilbur Wright’s odyssey, from their bicycle shop in Dayton