This past year has been a busy one for me and I have not had much time for reading but this is one book that I finished and I was very happy that I did.
Do you see that quote I gave you at the beginning of my post? It is from the very first person who wrote about the Wright Brothers, a Mr. Amos Root, who wrote about them in his beekeeping magazine, "Gleanings In Bee Culture" in January of 1905. (Of course, you know I had to read more about Mr. Root and his relationship with the Wrights, you may do so just here.)
Bees? Yes, you see the Wright Brothers studied the flight of insects and birds...they observed them very carefully and applied what they learned to keep their airplanes in the air!
The Wright brothers- Orville and Wilbur Wright- were the sons of a minister, Milton Wright. (Aside here, their father was fascinating in his own right I urge you to read more about him!) Their mother died early but apparently, she was a big influence on them both- she designed and built small appliances for herself and toys for her children. Were they wealthy college educated young men? No, they were not...they were hard working and intelligent and had great determination in their work. When you read this book and learn of everything that they both endured, you will shake your head in wonder. Did they have great respect from all who heard of their experimental airplane? No, they did not and to think that they rose above the ridicule and disbelief and went about their work...you will be filled with admiration for them. (France plays a large role in their success...read the book!)
This past Sunday, the power went out at the Atlanta airport due to a fire. Thousands were stranded and flights were cancelled for the entire day. Many were left stranded on the planes that were on the runways. I wonder how many who saw this news on TV thought about the significance of the date on Sunday, which was Dec. 17th?
Orville and Wilbur Wright had their first successful flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on Dec. 17, 1903!
(By the way, from all accounts, the people who were stranded showed remarkable patience. Good for them , I say! I really liked the video where they show a man singing "Lean On Me" from one of the airplanes stuck on the tarmac!)
Goodness me! I have not told you that much about the marvelous book by David McCullough, but I hope you will read it! It is one of the books that I will treasure for always. I hope that you will read it too.
Just in case you don't read it...I simply must tell you the last little bit of information that the author shares with us...it is one of those kind of things that might not mean a thing to anyone else but to me, is just perfect...
On July 20, 1969 ,when Neil Armstrong, another American born and raised in Western Ohio, stepped onto the moon, he carried with him, in tribute to the Wright brothers. a small swatch of the muslin from a wing of their 1903 Flyer.
It does sound like a great book, Kay! And I didn't know that bit about Neil Armstrong, even though I have read countless books about human space travel and the "Space Race" of the 1960s.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nightmare, to be stuck on an airplane on the ground without knowing when or how things will move on... I think I would have gone nuts and demanded they let me out!
It is a great book, I think it is one of the best!
DeleteApparently, the people were very patient. Good for them, I say, not much they could do!
I never realised the Wright brothers observed flying creatures so closely. It sounds like a great book. I was stranded in a plane once when it had to make an emergency landing in the wilds of Canada. It was no fun at all!
ReplyDeleteNot only does that not sound like fun, but it also sounds scary!
DeleteThese inventors are deeply committed people and i admire them tremendously. Every December 16, the Man Will Never Fly Memorial Society has a meeting to toast those who mistakenly believed that heavier than air flight was impossible.
ReplyDeleteOver the holidays i want to go to the library and i will look for this book!
You should read this book! You wouldn't believe what they had to go through. Their Dad had all kinds of legal problems with his church and Orville or Wilbur (sorry, I get them mixed up) had to act as his attorney and it took a GREAT deal of his time, time he should have been working on his plane!
DeletePlease do read it, and let me know if you love it as much as I do!
We owe a lot of thanks to inventors like the Wright brothers. When others thought them odd, they didn't give up! A lesson for all!
ReplyDeleteI know, I love inventors! Even more when it is someone who is not college educated, no one thinks much can come from them.
DeleteThat last factoid about Neil Armstrong on the moon -- WOW!
ReplyDeleteI know, I love that little bit, he chose to end the book on that note, and I loved that he did.
DeleteYou always come up with the best historical tidbits. You are a wonder.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Emma. Ha, ha - I am Wonder Woman! :-)
DeleteHi Kay - interesting facts about the Wright Brothers - they certainly were inspirational. Love the header - it's warmer there than here!! Did Richard know there was an air company in Eastbourne ...? early 1900s ... enjoy the build up for Christmas - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteAn air company? What kind of air company? Let us know!
DeleteHope you will enjoy your Christmas!
Pathfinders they were...brave and adventurous.
ReplyDeleteThey were so very INTERESTING! Honestly, they fascinate me, I felt as if I knew them after reading this book!
DeleteI love David McCullough's work and will really try to read this soon. Of course, they were from Ohio! And Root's is just down the road from me in Medina. Fascinating company.
ReplyDeleteYes! I had to read more about Mr. Root and saw that his company is still I business, what a fascinating man HE was too!
DeleteI am so glad you saw this post, I hoped you would!
Let me know if you read this book now!
That's quite a story - and the book sounds fascinating. So many enjoyable posts, Kay; here's to many more in 2018 - a Merry Christmas to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mike! I appreciate your kind comment and I hope to many posts from YOU in 2018! Merry Christmas!
DeleteI was fascinated about how the Wright brothers studied the flight of birds and insects in their quest for flight for mankind!
ReplyDeleteYou should read the book! They noticed how the birds wings would tip up at the ends, and if you observe planes, you will see how they duplicated this on airplanes!
DeleteHave a happy Christmas, Paul!
Do you notice the first plane I have on this post, I took it in London, it is a plane from New Zealand!
I think many great inventions came from observing the natural world. The Yellowhammer(bird) has eggs that look as if a ballpoint pen has been used to scribble on them. If you actually did that with a plain white egg and a black pen it would match up exactly. Inspiration behind writing actual letters perhaps seeing similar eggs? Watching Damsel flies = fairy books and myths? Would not surprise me. Countless other coincidences of human inventions closely resembling the natural world that obviously came first. Hexagonal panels in certain hives being another. Loads of strength in engineering/architecture designs lifted straight from nature/ hollow bird bones/insects etc.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas when it comes.
You should read this book, Bob! They observed what was in nature and put it into scientific terms to make their airplanes stay aloft. Others had been working on planes, they just couldn't keep them in the air!
DeleteI am fascinated by people who look at the world in such a way that they are able to invent helpful and useful objects. I won't be able to do such things, but maybe I could inspire someone else to do so! (God knows I talk enough. HA!)
By the way, I love birds. I have had years of observations myself, so the discussion of the wings of birds in the book are a very personal thing for me.
Happy Christmas to y'all also!