McCullough David. The Wright Brothers

Simon & Schuster, 2015. — 336 p.You’ve heard about Wilbur and Orville Wright since you were a kid, but what do you honestly know about them? David McCullough dives behind the mystique of the “pioneers of aviation” to reveal the brothers’ astounding history. It’s the iconic American Dream story: two boys from a poor home (lacking indoor plumbing and electricity) possess just a public high school education yet risk death to fly. But McCullough steers clear of romanticizing their story, highlighting the brothers’ mechanical ingenuity without glossing over their failures. The Wright Brothers delivers an entertaining, well-researched slice of history, proving (yet again) that McCullough is a master of the historic narrative.