From the Bookshelf of Lewiston Public Library…

The Wright Brothers

David McCullough

Start date: September 1, 2015

Finish date: September 30, 2015

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Apr 02, 2018 Joani rated it it was amazing

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This was my first McCullough book, but rest assured it won't be my last. I greatly enjoyed this delightful story and found myself laughing out loud at some of the interesting anecdotes the author shared. While I half expected a biography of this type to be somewhat dry and technical in nature, it was a well written, interesting, poignant and sometimes funny story about two brothers whose sole ambition was to make history by creating a machine that would enable them to fly. While coming from humb This was my first McCullough book, but rest assured it won't be my last. I greatly enjoyed this delightful story and found myself laughing out loud at some of the interesting anecdotes the author shared. While I half expected a biography of this type to be somewhat dry and technical in nature, it was a well written, interesting, poignant and sometimes funny story about two brothers whose sole ambition was to make history by creating a machine that would enable them to fly. While coming from humble beginnings with no schooling beyond high school, the Wright brothers were remarkably resourceful and creative, never losing sight of their goal. Initially, the brothers embarked on a newspaper career, publishing a weekly newspaper for their West Dayton neighborhood in Ohio. Some years later, the brothers became caught up in the bicycle craze and began fixing and manufacturing bicycles. Later, the profits derived from the bicycle company would help finance their venture into creating airplanes.
The Wright brothers were not only close to each other but also to their younger sister, Katherine. Just shy of her 15th birthday, Katherine lost her mother to tuberculosis. She took charge of the household and taking care of her father, Bishop Milton Wright, who was essentially a traveling preacher. She also entertained church elders. Eventually, Katherine's father sent her to college to become a teacher, one of the few careers available to women at that time. Katherine was the only member of the Wright family to earn a college degree. After her younger brother Orville's unfortunate flying accident, Katherine left her teaching career to become his caretaker while he convalesced for several weeks in the hospital. Later, when her oldest brother Wilbur achieved success in France, she was invited to join him along with Orville. Being more outgoing and charming than her notoriously shy brothers, Katherine became her brothers' social manager and somewhat of an international celebrity. Eventually she took on business responsibilities for the Wright Company. ...more

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Jan 15, 2017 Linda marked it as to-read

Jun 12, 2019 Tim Thompson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: history, great-endings, audio-book, favorites-2019, great-narration, great-listen, library-book

Aug 25, 2015 Beth rated it really liked it

Shelves: biographies

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