David McCullough's 'The Wright Brothers' sells well, gets positive reviews
'The Wright Brothers' looks like another hit for the 'John Adams' and 'Truman' author. The book was released on May 5.
'The Wright Brothers' is by David McCullough.
鈥淛ohn Adams鈥� writer David McCullough has scored another hit with his new book 鈥淭he Wright Brothers.鈥澛�
鈥淭he Wright Brothers鈥� was released on May 5 and, as the title implies, centers on brothers Orville and Wilbur and their fateful accomplishments in the world of flight as well as other components of their lives. Both the Monitor and Amazon selected 鈥淭he Wright Brothers鈥� as one of the best books to be released this month, with Monitor reviewer Danny Heitman calling it 鈥渢ypically engrossing.鈥� Amazon editorial director Sara Nelson said of the title, 鈥淸It] get[s] into the humanity of the story ... who [the Wrights] were and what they were really about.鈥�
Other publications also reviewed the book mostly positively, with John Carver Edwards of the University of Georgia Libraries writing for that the book has 鈥渋mpeccable writing with historical rigor and strong character definition鈥�. Highly recommended for academicians interested in the history of flight, transportation, or turn-of-the-century America; general readers.鈥� Meanwhile, called the book 鈥渇luently rendered [and] skillfully focused鈥�. An educational and inspiring biography of seminal American innovators.鈥�
Heitman, however, noted that "McCullough鈥檚 obvious affection for his subjects, a key part of his charm as an author, makes him less inclined to detail the darker aspects of the Wright family."
's reviewer had a similar complaint, finding that 鈥淸Wright鈥檚] evident admiration for the Wrights leads him to soft-pedal their crasser side, like their epic patent lawsuits, which stymied American aviation for years. Still, McCullough's usual warm, evocative prose makes for an absorbing narrative; he conveys both the drama of the birth of flight and the homespun genius of America's golden age of innovation.鈥�
The book is already selling well and is currently ranked at number four on the bestseller list and at number six on the bestseller list at .