Can we all just admit David McCullough is the greatest living historian? His books combine the scholarly work of a brilliant academic with the comfortable style of a story your grandparents would tell. His latest, The Wright Brothers
We all know the Wright Brothers were the first to fly. We all know it was in Kitty Hawk. But there is so much more to their story, and McCullough weaves the tale of family, friendship, diligence, success, fame, and struggle into a personal portrayal of Wilbur and Orville (and their sister Katharine). Without ever minimizing the accomplishment of their deeds, McCullough never loses site of their basic humanity.
This is easily the best history book I’ve read all year. It’s history told the way we can all understand it — focusing on the people who strove to do something world changing. By the end of the book I felt like the Wrights were people I’d known all my life. I was proud of them, amazed by them, and yet knew they had their faults.
McCullough should win a Pulitzer every time he publishes a book. I realize that’s not going to happen, but he’s really that good. Oh, and if you enjoy audio books the way I do, I highly recommend listening to this book because McCullough himself narrates it. He has a deep grandfatherly voice that just glides through the story.
