From Crouch (A Dream of Wings, 1981), a hefty, accomplished, and
laudatory biography of the Wright brothers. Crouch paints a deep
portrait here, devoting much space to the Wrights' roots,
especially to daddy Bishop Milton Wright, the most controversial
figure in the history of the Church of the United Brethren of
Christ - and the man from whom the brothers, according to Crouch,
inherited strength of character, firmness of purpose, absolute
confidence in their own abilities, and a contentious and litigous
nature ("I love to scrap with Orv," Wilbur once said). Crouch
places heavy emphasis on the isolated nature of Wilbur and
Orville's family life (neither ever married), showing how that very
penchant for solitude suited perfectly their vocation as inventors.
The author also spends considerable time - expanding his arguments
in A Dream of Wings - debunking those who claim that others solved
the problem of human flight prior to December 17, 1903, in Kitty
Hawk. Told well and with much affection ("Orville's interest in
technological problem solving was that of a small boy with
insatiable curiosity and childlike enthusiasm for all things
mechanical"), this eighth extant account of the Wright boys works
as both history and biography. (Kirkus Reviews)
The reissue of this definitive biography heralds the one-hundredth anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight. Brilliant, self-trained engineers, the Wright brothers had a unique blend of native talent, character, and family experience that perfectly suited them to the task of invention but left them ill-prepared to face a world of skeptics, rivals, and officials. Using a treasure trove of Wright family correspondence and diaries, Tom Crouch skillfully weaves the story of the airplane's invention into the drama of a unique and unforgettable family. He shows us exactly how and why these two obscure bachelors from Dayton, Ohio, were able to succeed where so many better-trained, better-financed rivals had failed. 50 b/w photographs.
"A pleasure...turns the magnifying lens on the clan and cultural roots of two unusual individuals.... [Crouch] movingly—even beautifully—unfolds their story."—Washington Post Book World
"[A] superb biography."—Los Angeles Times
"Crouch interweaves family drama with the history of aviation in a riveting saga of ingenuity, competing claims, public adulation and technical innovation."—Publishers Weekly
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