When two-time Pulitzer Prize winner David McCullough takes on the life of an historical figure, he transports readers into that figure’s world as if one is reading an excellent novel.
From “Truman” to “John Adams” to the “The Great Bridge,” McCullough’s breezy style is written so a Ph.D. academic or a lay person can equally appreciate it. This makes him a real treasure for anyone who wants to understand the people he features and the times in which they lived.
The Wright Brothers is another excellent read that fits right in with his particular genre. Taking us into the early 20th century as the world begins to see the possibility of human flight, McCullough reveals the brilliance and sheer determination Orville and Wilber Wright displayed, as they beat out more established scientists and engineers to create the first real mechanized airplane.
My only criticism is that this book comes and goes too quickly. He glosses over the brothers’ early childhood, so the book really starts as they begin the process of seeking answers to the solution of human flight. Because the time frame is so much shorter than the Truman and Adams biographies, the book left me wanting more.
Still, it’s a terrific read and a fascinating story of two humble but brilliant men who transformed humanity forever.