There is no shortage of quality biographies of the Wright brothers (I particularly enjoyed The Bishop's Boys by Tom Crouch), and with the Centenary of their historic powered flight coming up in 2003 (December 17th), there are likely to be a few more added to the shelf.  An author (or authors) would therefore do well to have something about their book that will distinguish it from the others.  In the exquisite new book, On Great White Wings, Fred Culick and Spencer Dunmore have found just the thing to separate them from the crowd; not only do they explain the technical details of the Wright brothers achievement in the most accessible prose you're likely to find, they also provide a plethora of photos and diagrams that give the reader a brand new appreciation for the brothers' feat and for their other, less well known, accomplishments.

The illustrations, over 200 in all, include actual photos of Orville, Wilbur, and the various iterations of their famous Flyer; vintage photos of Kitty Hawk and other locations of importance to the story, and many modern color photos that serve as helpful reminders that these were real places, real men and a real machine.   Meanwhile, the authors rescue the Wright brothers from the mythology that has grown up around them--that they were little more than gifted tinkerers--and shows just how knowledgeable and innovative they truly were.

The book also includes a few pictures and some information about a project that Mr. Culick, a professor of aeronautics at Cal Tech, is involved in, which will seek to duplicate the Wright brothers' feat.  Well, almost duplicate it, that is.  It seems that the original Flyer is so unstable that it is widely considered too dangerous to try and fly an exact replica.

Any reader looking for just one book about the Wright brothers will find this one to be adequate where the text is concerned and quite probably unsurpassed when it comes to illustrations.  But, if you've the time and the inclination, I'd recommend that you read Bishop's Boys for its more comprehensive treatment of the Wrights and then refer back to On Great White Wings when you're trying to visualize their remarkable flights.

(Reviewed:25-Nov-01)

Grade: (A-) Orrin C. Judd

Tweet