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This is the thread for the discussion of the February Book of the Month - The Wright Brothers by David McCullough.

BOOK OF THE MONTH - FEBRUARY - THE WRIGHT BROTHERS by David McCullough

by David McCullough

#1 New York Times bestseller

Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Award Nominee for History & Biography (2015)

Two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize David McCullough tells the dramatic story-behind-the-story about the courageous brothers who taught the world how to fly: Wilbur and Orville Wright.

On a winter day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, two unknown brothers from Ohio changed history. But it would take the world some time to believe what had happened: the age of flight had begun, with the first heavier-than-air, powered machine carrying a pilot.

Who were these men and how was it that they achieved what they did?

David McCullough, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, tells the surprising, profoundly American story of Wilbur and Orville Wright.

Far more than a couple of unschooled Dayton bicycle mechanics who happened to hit on success, they were men of exceptional courage and determination, and of far-ranging intellectual interests and ceaseless curiosity, much of which they attributed to their upbringing. The house they lived in had no electricity or indoor plumbing, but there were books aplenty, supplied mainly by their preacher father, and they never stopped reading.

When they worked together, no problem seemed to be insurmountable. Wilbur was unquestionably a genius. Orville had such mechanical ingenuity as few had ever seen. That they had no more than a public high school education, little money and no contacts in high places, never stopped them in their mission to take to the air. Nothing did, not even the self-evident reality that every time they took off in one of their contrivances, they risked being killed.

In this thrilling book, master historian David McCullough draws on the immense riches of the Wright Papers, including private diaries, notebooks, scrapbooks, and more than a thousand letters from private family correspondence to tell the human side of the Wright Brothers' story, including the little-known contributions of their sister, Katharine, without whom things might well have gone differently for them.

Editorial Review

“A story of timeless importance, told with uncommon empathy and fluency. . . . A story, well told, about what might be the most astonishing feat mankind has ever accomplished. . . . The Wright Brothers soars.� (Daniel Okrent The New York Times Book Review)

“David McCullough has etched a brisk, admiring portrait of the modest, hardworking Ohioans who designed an airplane in their bicycle shop and solved the mystery of flight on the sands of Kitty Hawk, N.C. He captures the marvel of what the Wrights accomplished and, just as important, the wonder felt by their contemporaries. . . . Mr. McCullough is in his element writing about seemingly ordinary folk steeped in the cardinal American virtues—self-reliance and can-do resourcefulness.� (Roger Lowenstein The Wall Street Journal)

“The nitty-gritty of exactly how [the Wrights] succeeded is told in fascinating detail.� (Buzzy Jackson The Boston Globe)

“Few historians have captured the essence of America � its rise from an agrarian nation to the world's dominant power � like David McCullough. . . . McCullough has defined American icons and revealed new dimensions to stories that long seemed exhausted. . . . An elegant, sweeping look at the two Americans who went where no others had gone before and whose work helped create a national excellence in aviation that continues today." (Ray Locker USA Today)

"McCullough’s magical account of [the Wright Brothers'] early adventures � enhanced by volumes of family correspondence, written records, and his own deep understanding of the country and the era � shows as never before how two Ohio boys from a remarkable family taught the world to fly." (Reeve Lindbergh The Washington Post)

“[McCullough] takes the Wrights� story aloft. . . . Concise, exciting, and fact-packed. . . . Mr. McCullough presents all this with dignified panache, and with detail so granular you may wonder how it was all collected.� (Janet Maslin The New York Times)

“David McCullough’s The Wright Brothers is a story about two brothers and one incredible moment in American history. But it’s also a story that resonates with anyone who believes deeply in the power of technology to change lives � and the resistance some have to new innovations.� (Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google)

"McCullough vividly re-creates the failures and disappointments as the Wright brothers puzzle out the scienceof bird- and insect-wing design. . . . [McCullough] continues to deliverhigh-quality material with familiar facility and grace." (Larry Lebowitz The Miami Herald)

"An outstanding saga of the lives of two men who left such a giant footprint on our modern age." (Booklist (starred review))

“[An] enjoyable, fast-paced tale. . . . A fun, fast ride.� (The Economist)

"[A] fluently rendered, skillfully focused study. . . . An educational and inspiring biography of seminal American innovators." (Kirkus Reviews)

"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." (Publishers Weekly)

“We all know what they did and where they did it � Kitty Hawk, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. But McCullough digs deeply to find out how they did it, and why they did it, and what happened to them in the years that followed.� (Harry Levins The St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

"A compelling, upbeat story that underscores the importance of industriousness, creative intelligence and indomitable patience.� (Doug Childers Richmond Times-Dispatch)

"Pleasurable to read. . . . McCullough has a gift for finding the best in his subjects without losing perspective on their flaws." (Margaret Quamme The Columbus Dispatch)

“A master storyteller. . . . The brothers� story unfolds and develops with grace and insight in a style at which McCullough is simply the best.� (David Henricks The San Antonio Express-News)

About the Author

David McCullough has twice received the Pulitzer Prize, for Truman and John Adams, and twice received the National Book Award, for The Path Between the Seas and Mornings on Horseback. His other acclaimed books are 1776, Brave Companions, The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, and The Greater Journey. He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.

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Chapter 1, p. 23
(view spoiler)[I know everything now about chapter one and I am going to post it here - oops I better place this in a spoiler alert so I do not ruin the book for others (hide spoiler)]

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<spoiler>Put Text Here</spoiler>

The Wright Brothers

Table of Contents

Prologue - 1

Part I
1 Beginnings - 5
2 The Dream Takes Hold - 27
3 Where the Wind Blows - 43
4 Unyielding Resolve - 65

Part II
5 December 17, 1903 - 85
6 Out at Huffman Prairie - 109
7 A Capital Exhibit A - 131
8 Triumph at Le Mans - 155

Part III
9 The Crash - 181
10 A Time Like No Other - 203
11 Causes for Celebration - 227

Epilogue - 255

Suggested Syllabus

Week One - February 1st - February 7th

Prologue and Part I - Chapters 1 through 3 pp. 1 - 64

Week Two - February 8th - February 14th

Part I and II - Chapters 4 through 6 - pp. 65 - 130

Week Three - February 15th - February 21st

Part II and III - Chapters 7 through 9 - pp. 131 - 202

Week Four - February 22nd - February 28th

Part III and Epilogue - Chapters 10 through 11 - pp. 203 - 262

Those of you who are going to read The Wright Brothers use the spoiler html because this is a single thread discussion.

1. Read message 3 and that message shows you the rules for the buddy read discussion and how to do the spoiler html.

2. Message 4 actually shows you the spoiler html code. Use it on this thread.

3. Where is the Table of Contents and the reading syllabus? - Message 5 and 6.

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Hello everyone! We are kicking off our February Book of the Month with The Wright Brothers by David McCullough. I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am. This has been in my To Be Read list for some time.

Summary and Discussion Questions - Prologue and Part I - Chapters 1 through 3 pp. 1-64

(view spoiler)[The author begins with a background of the Wright family, comparing/contrasting Wilbur (the older by 4 years) and Orville Wright. They come from a family of 7 - their father who is a bishop in the United Brethren Church and travels for his job, their mother who dies young of tuberculosis, two older brothers who have moved away and married, and their younger sister Katherine.

They group up in a modest home in Dayton, Ohio where the two young men eventually started publishing a paper then opened a bicycle shop. At one point, Wilbur contracted typhoid and was bedridden for a time. During his convalescence he read, along with Orville, about aeronautics of the time and the attempts at gliding by Lilienthal. Other men that they studied included Octave Chanute, a man they would later meet and work with.

The more the men read, the more they were interested in trying their hand at gliding, in the hopes of one day learning how to fly. Besides studying the men that had written and tried their hand at gliding, they studied birds constantly, watching how they used their wings to soar and their bodies to establish equilibrium.

The men decided to build a test glider and scouted for an appropriate place to conduct their experiments. After some research, they decided on Kitty Hawk where they went on two test runs over a couple of years. At the end of these two trials, they learned a bit but were not completely successful. They returned home to Dayton after the second visit feeling defeated.


Upon their return to Kitty Hawk in 1901, the Wrights built a hangar to house their new glider. They also sank a well by driving a pipe into the sand � note the pump on the left.
(Source: )

Questions:

1. How much did you know about the Wright brothers and the early years of aeronautics before reading this book?

2. Talk about the Wright family circle—especially Sister Katharine and Bishop Milton Wright—and the influence its members had on Orville and Wilbur and their achievement. This leads, inevitably, to the roles that upbringing and genetics play in individual accomplishment. To what extent are all of us shaped by our family environment? How much of our accomplishments are fully our own?

3. Talk about the differences—and similarities—between the two brothers.

4. What do you think was their biggest success and their biggest challenge during these two tests at Kitty Hawk? (hide spoiler)]

I'm listening to the audiobook narrated by the author.

(view spoiler)[ 1) I knew next to nothing about the Wright brothers and their family, and the first chapter filled in quite a bit about their personalities and family environment. Aeronautics is not a topic I am naturally drawn to, so I know little about it, too. Once again, I appreciate the History Book Club for expanding my reading selections.

2) Perhaps the Wright family hit on a formula for raising innovators by encouraging reading and thinking and hard work. The author credits the mother's innate abilities for contributing to Wilbur and Orville's engineering skills. The brothers were fortunate that the family, while not wealthy, had the resources to give them stability, love, and books.

3) Both brothers valued learning and work. They were aware of and appreciated a family that encouraged them to achieve their potential. Both brothers shunned the spotlight, but Wilbur was an excellent writer and public speaker, so he was the spokesman. Orville was, like his mother, very shy but sported a more dapper appearance than his brother. There were a few other physical and personality differences but the brothers were very close, enabling them to engage in fierce verbal battles without destroying their bond. Neither brother married.

4) What intrigued me about Kitty Hawk was the brothers' ability to pick up from failure and not waver from trying to turn their vision into reality. They did manage powered and controlled flights until the Flyer was damaged beyond repair. The brothers persevered, and used the knowledge they gained at Kitty Hawk as the foundation for continued improvements for subsequent aircraft. (hide spoiler)]

I read the book when it first came out so I will be relying on memory for my comments.

(view spoiler)[Our family visited Kitty Hawk every summer when our kids were young. There was a small museum there so I was familiar with the story, although I didn't realize just how isolated those windswept dunes were when the Wrights first arrived. That really struck me as I read through the first part of the book. (hide spoiler)]

Hi Mary and Donna! Glad you are joining us this month. I really love McCullough's writing and this has been a very enjoyable read for me. My husband is a pilot and I love to fly so I've always wanted to read up on the Wright brothers.

Response to Mary

(view spoiler)[I agree that the brothers had a great upbringing and that the encouragement by their family and the values their parents instilled in them gave them the gumption and thirst for knowledge to make them successful. I love the line in chapter one by Wilbur in a speech he made where he stated that if he had to give advice to a young man on how to get ahead in live that he would say "Pick out a good father and mother, and begin life in Ohio." So I think their parents should get some credit to their success.

Great job on the comparison between the men. I liked the comment the author made in chapter 1 that in a number of ways they were "unidentical twins". They seemed to be each others yin/yang.

Chapter 3 really ends on a cliffhanger. Happy coincidence that the weeks reading ended that way. I applaud them for living through the adversity they had at Kitty Hawk but kept trudging along with their tests and not giving up.

I'm glad that these BOM selections are expanding your horizons. There are books I certainly would not have picked up on my own that we have read, but they've left me with an expanded worldview. I think this will be my personal favorite though, so far just because I like McCullough and the subject matter. (hide spoiler)]

Response to Donna

(view spoiler)[I had not thought about there being a museum at Kitty Hawk but now it's on my travel list. I noticed that in the book they talked about how is was just a short time (month or so) in the fall that the winds were steady at 20-30ish mph. Has Kitty Hawk been built up (i.e. not so isolated) now? (hide spoiler)]

I am happy to read the book because I only knew litte about the Wright Brothers.

Annegret wrote: "I am happy to read the book because I only knew litte about the Wright Brothers."

We're glad you're going to join us, Annegret. This is a great book to learn about the Wright brothers and their family. It's very readable.

Donna wrote: "I read the book when it first came out so I will be relying on memory for my comments.

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I visited Kitty Hawk when I was in high school. My friends and I camped out there. It was incredibly windy and a really cool place. I always have wanted to go back and this book is making me really want to take a trip there again. (hide spoiler)]

Teri wrote: "Hi Mary and Donna! Glad you are joining us this month. I really love McCullough's writing and this has been a very enjoyable read for me. My husband is a pilot and I love to fly so I've always want..."

This has also been in my TBR list since it came out and I have held off reading it until this group started. My father was a WWII pilot and loved flying. I grew up hearing about the Wright brothers and Charles Lindbergh as if they were next door neighbors. So I'm looking forward to this. David McCullough's books are always wonderful.

Charles Lindbergh (no photo)

Pamela wrote: "This has also been in my TBR list since it came out and I have held off reading it until this group started. My father was a WWII pilot and loved flying. I grew up hearing about the Wright brothers..."

Great timing then, Pamela. Would love to hear if anything in the book lines up with the things you heard from your dad about the Wright brothers.

One addition to your citation, which is nearly perfect, just add (no photo) when there is none. ;-) Thank you!


Charles Lindbergh (no photo)

Hello. I have read about 100 pages of the book so far and find it engrossing. The brothers are such fascinating characters. I am looking forward to reading the comments of others.

Happy to have you join us Deborah! I think we'll see a lot of participation here.

Hi!

I preordered both the hardback and the Kindle version of the book when this came out last year. However, I've "read" about two thirds of the book from the Audible audiobook which I purchased late last year.

I wanted to comment here so that Teri et. al. would know that there is appreciation for selecting this book for reading; I will endeavor to complete the book according to the schedule.

(view spoiler)[ The thing that surprised me the most was when the brothers made the flight in the book. On the one hand, it seemed to take forever to get to the event that we all know the Wright Brothers for; on the other hand, it didn't seem to come soon enough.

Something that bothered me listing to the first third of the book was how McCullough filled in gaps where there wasn't any evidence. I'm not suggesting that McCullough created a work of fiction, but it is maddening to read a history book and expecting only facts based on evidence when recounting events that took place the author fills in the gaps instead of telling us what happened based on primary sources.

I understand, however, that there were moments for which no primary source exists. And I'm not suggesting that McCullough made up facts or speculated on those gaps in an unbelievable manner. What I'm really reacting to was a biography I once read about Richard Hooker where the author invented an entire sermon because there was no primary documents. The passage was clearly marked as guessing and the reader was reminded several times that the historical record couldn't validate the words the author was putting into Hooker's mouth, but I found this practice to be disagreeable.

The other striking element of the book is that one doesn't think about the fact that the Wrights had a life after their momentous flight. I mean, we know that intuitively (at least those of us who are James May fans know) that Wilbur went to France, Orville outlived Wilber, andOrville lived to see transcontinental flight and even early jet-powered flight. Fans of Horace Dediu's podcast The Critical Path know that there were patent disputes. Despite this knowledge, you just don't think of the Wrights as having much of a life outside of the flight that made them famous. (hide spoiler)]

I wonder if those who are reading The Wright Brothers would also consider reading by Larry Tise and by R. G. Grant.

Hi Tomas. Glad we could get you to dust off this book (whatever version(s) you choose to use). It seems like a popular book when I look at how many have it on their TBR list.

I had seen the two books you mentioned and had considered them for reading. When citing books, you'll want to use the following format:

by Larry E. Tise (no photo)
by R.G. Grant (no photo)

Response to Tomas
(view spoiler)[I haven't read as far as you to be able to comment much on the Wrights after their flight. I will say that I know little/nothing of what happened to them after and this book has certainly educated me on their life outside of their trials/accomplishments in flying.

Books like McCullough's can sometimes be controversial as I've heard people's concerns about "embellishing the facts". I would say as a reader, it's best to read a few books on a subject to make your own conclusion on whether you trust an author's work and to also peruse the footnotes/endnotes/author notes. McCullough does not usually use in text citations, and lists his citations at the end of his book via Author Notes and Bibliography. If you feel he's embellishing or adding to the primary sources, I would check his Author Notes and if there is not a proper citation, then it's worth trying to read up more on the subject to make a determination on how true the Author is being.

I think a lot of non-fiction authors embellish/put their own voice into their work, otherwise the book tends to be boring/dry and does not reel in the reader. I like McCullough's writing style and I tend to do extra research as I'm reading these types of books and have found McCullough to be worth the read. I think you have offered some great side reading choices with Tise and Grant.

I'm sure that we'll touch on the Wright's later life as we move through the book. (hide spoiler)]

Just a general note to all. When using spoiler tags, as we are with this book and all of the BOM selection, it's very helpful to post outside of the tag the general or specific area you're going to be discussing. Since many of us read at different speeds and for the purpose of discussions that continue beyond the stated group schedule, it is helpful to know the section before opening the spoiler.

The moderators generally read ahead and/or are prepared to discuss the whole book at any time, but members may not, so a subject header outside of the spoiler tag will allow a member to make a choice to open the comment or not, depending on where they are in the book.

Thank you!

I am really engrossed in this book and just love McCulloughs books. I am learning alot about the Wright Brothers. I saw a good exhibit about them at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum last April when I visited DC. This book reinforces the exhibit. I am so glad that HBC has this book on the list to read as I have wanted to read it since it came out.

Helga wrote: "I am really engrossed in this book and just love McCulloughs books. I am learning alot about the Wright Brothers. I saw a good exhibit about them at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum last April ..."

I've been to the Smithsonian A&S Museum, but want to go back again after reading this book. I think some of the exhibits will be even more meaningful.

Thanks for the link. You might want to add it to our glossary thread as well.

Okay, I added it to the glossary.

Helga wrote: "Okay, I added it to the glossary."

Thank you!!

Just got the book from the library interloan system. Will be jumping in when I can.

Michele wrote: "Just got the book from the library interloan system. Will be jumping in when I can."

Excellent! Glad you will be joining us.

Hello, everyone! Decided to join on this one after 3 months break from BOM project.

(view spoiler)[1. I was familiar with the Wright brothers in a sense that they were briefly mentioned in my primary school/high school history textbook in the 20th century timeline. That's about it. We learn about world history (and USA history) extensively in our schools, but he brothers are only fleetingly mentioned. I have no prior knowledge of aeronautics nor am I really interested in the subject.

2. I believe we are born with certain skills, but our upbringing can play an important role in honing those skills to the level that they can be used to achieve something in life. I think that the Wright parents definitely deserve recognition for the how their boys turned out, because, without their unconditional support (shown also in providing reading and learning material, but also important life lessons), the children would lack the positive environment in which to grow.

3. I think the brothers were like jing and jang, completing each other with their characters. Wilbur was open when surrounded by people, while Orville was shy. Wilbur was quiet and serious and Orville just the opposite inside the family circle. Orville like to work with his hands, while Wilbur liked the learn and acquire theoretical knowledge,which he would then test in practice.

4. I am not familiar with the technical terms, but if I'm not mistaken, they solved the problem their predecessors faced regarding the keeping of the glider in the air. Even though they were not entirely successful, and it made them doubt themselves, they learned what to do and what not to do and it gave them more learning material. (hide spoiler)]

Hello Samanta!

Response to Samanta on Chapters 1-3

(view spoiler)[I have wondered how much other countries teach American history. I know that here in the states we get a broad overview of world history, unless you take a specialty course in college. I am not surprised that your exposure to the Wright brothers is low. I would say it is here in the states as well. Do you fly much?

I think you make some great points about their upbringing. Their parents were a great support system to the boys/men and seemed to encourage them in whatever they did. I would be curious how other authors portray their family life. A positive environment can greatly help foster ones drive to succeed.

The brothers did seem to be like twins, almost, yet they were two different people that seemed to make one whole being, the ying/yang, as you mentioned. It begs the question, would either of them have succeed without the other?

They definitely had gumption to keep going in the face of adversity. They learned from their own mistakes and of others. They certainly had a strong will to continue on.

Thanks for your comments. (hide spoiler)]

Response to Teri

I have flown 4 times in my life so far; the first one I don't remember as I was a baby, so I have to believe what my parents say. :D

(view spoiler)[would either of them have succeed without the other?

The book is well written, but no one here, and that includes the author, knows the brothers in depth (nor will we ever be able to obviously), so we can't really know what made them tick and strive to succeed (individually). I do think that being together might have made them conquer any insecurities and try (you know that: "Oh goody, I'm not the only one here, who might be crazy. Let's do this!" :D :D) (hide spoiler)]

Hi Teri,
the schedule of reading is excellent. I am from Germany and I can't read English as fast as German. But your schedule gives me enough time for reading.

Thank you.

Annegret

Teri wrote: "Just a general note to all. When using spoiler tags, as we are with this book and all of the BOM selection, it's very helpful to post outside of the tag the general or specific area you're going to..."

My sentiments exactly. ;-)

Annegret wrote: "Hi Teri,
the schedule of reading is excellent. I am from Germany and I can't read English as fast as German. But your schedule gives me enough time for reading.

Thank you.

Annegret"

Wonderful! We try to make the schedule accommodate most people, but also know that our discussion can extend beyond the dates posted. We're always watching these threads.

Nita wrote: "Teri wrote: "Just a general note to all. When using spoiler tags, as we are with this book and all of the BOM selection, it's very helpful to post outside of the tag the general or specific area yo..."

It's easy to forget, but so very helpful! ;-)

Hello to all of you. Seems like there are a lot of us interested in this book.

Response to Tomas

(view spoiler)[ The Wright brothers life after the event is primarily why I wanted to read this one, Tomas. Everyone seems to know the equation Wright Brothers=powered flight but then what? Back to the bicycle making? Live a life of leisure? I am looking forward to finding out. (hide spoiler)]

Response to Samanta, Chap. 1-3

(view spoiler)[ The way they were raised struck me also, Samanta. Not only the books, but the freedom they were apparently given as children. At one point, McCullough says the senior Mr. Wright didn't mind if they skipped school so long as they were doing something worthwhile. Imagine what would happen if two boys decided to skip today so they could work on something they loved! Or contrast this with the "helicopter" parenting that goes on now, esp. in the U.S. I don't know if skipping school is a good idea, but I do think children mature better when they are left to their own devices occasionally. That freedom gives them the opportunity to fail unobserved. (hide spoiler)]

Pamela wrote: "Hello to all of you. Seems like there are a lot of us interested in this book.

Response to Tomas

[spoilers removed]Response to Samanta, Chap. 1-3

[spoilers removed]"

Great comments, Pamela. I have to agree with you.

Helga wrote: "I am really engrossed in this book and just love McCulloughs books. I am learning alot about the Wright Brothers. I saw a good exhibit about them at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum last April ..."

I was not at the Smithsonian during a special exhibit but they do have displays of the Wright Brothers efforts on normal display as well. They did when I was there anyway. Visits to exhibits such as the Smithsonian help to bring our reading to life. Thanks for this post Helga.

Hello Everyone, I love to read everything aviation so this was a natural for me and the local library had it. I do not have a lot to add to what people have said to the initial questions. I would add the following re: the brothers procedures.

(view spoiler)[ I was struck by the comment I believe made about their first trip to Kitty Hawk that they did not take notes on their experimental flights. There are pictures in the book of notebooks with comments. I am sure we will discover when they began to do this but, for me, it makes their achievements even more amazing because they had to trust memory to correct problems. (hide spoiler)]

This is my first BOM read as well so this comment is made mostly to practice the posting procedure.

Michael wrote: "Hello Everyone, I love to read everything aviation so this was a natural for me and the local library had it. I do not have a lot to add to what people have said to the initial questions. I would a..."

Stellar job on the spoiler tag.

Response to Michael / chapters 1-3

(view spoiler)[You make a very good point. It's easy to forget that they didn't have modern technology to utilize and would have had to write down or rely on memory and thing they needed to note while building and experimenting. I think we're too quick to rely on videos, voice recordings, and talk to text these days. (hide spoiler)]

Just finished the first 3 chapters, and I'm really enjoying the book. I learned a couple of cool facts about the Wright brothers: they were publishers first and Wilbur was a hockey player. McCullough is doing a great job of handling the science of flight.

Glad you are enjoying it. I think McCullough's books are very readable.

Chapter 3. Where the Wind Blows

(view spoiler)[I am amazed that Wilbur didn't record or write home in his letters anything about his first experience of flying during the experiments in 1900. That seems so strange to me. I had my first flight at 9 in 1956 and couldn't stop talking about it for weeks. Also surprising is the fact that Wilbur does all the flying (protective older brother?). Hopefully Orville will take to the air eventually. I can't imagine putting in all that work and then never flying. (hide spoiler)]

It is fantastic to see how much energy the two brother put into their projects.

You are right, Teri. The book is easy to read!

Pamela wrote: "Chapter 3. Where the Wind Blows

[spoilers removed]"

Response to Pamela - Chapter 3

(view spoiler)[I've been think about how much the men have recorded/discussed versus how much they didn't. I am wondering if early on they didn't want to get to excited or didn't think that they were really going to do something historical. Perhaps they were a type of "genius" that just didn't take time to note everything because it was so well ingrained in their heads. Perhaps their family back home were not as initially excited. Would love to know what others think/surmise.

I would love to read their letters and journals. I wonder if the correspondence gets more detail and the overall tone changes from year to year.

As for whether Orville gets to fly, read on. That will be a topic for discussion this coming week. (hide spoiler)]

Annegret wrote: "It is fantastic to see how much energy the two brother put into their projects.

You are right, Teri. The book is easy to read!"

Do you have a favorite part or surprising moment yet?

Teri wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Chapter 3. Where the Wind Blows

[spoilers removed]"

Response to Pamela - Chapter 3

I've been think about how much the men have recorded/discussed versus how much they didn't. I am..."

Response to Teri - Chaps. 1-3

(view spoiler)[ I think you are probably right about the brothers not noting every step of the way, Teri. Especially in the beginning. I think they were just too caught up with what they were doing and didn't think too much about its effect on history. Then later, I imagine that they did realize what they had done and started to consider its commercial aspects. So they still didn't say too much or seek publicity. Plus they appear to have been reticent by nature. This really is a fascinating story. (hide spoiler)]

Pamela wrote: "Teri wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Chapter 3. Where the Wind Blows."

Response to Pamela - Chapter 3

(view spoiler)[You'll start seeing more information from them as we move along in the book. (hide spoiler)]

I think I want to visit Kitty Hawk and Dayton, Ohio now.