"Historical fact meets fantasy in this exciting tale of the Wright Brothers' first flight. Join Petey, the wild Corolla pony, and his friend Tazz as they visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Journey back into time and witness the birth of aviation through the eyes of three delightful characters, Great Grandpappy Razz, Ozzie Osprey, and Mr. Mockingbird. Based on fact, and using an artist's renderings of the Wright Brothers' photographs, this book will educate as well as entertain."--Cover

The #1 New York Times bestseller from David McCullough, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize—the dramatic story-behind-the-story about the courageous brothers who taught the world how to fly—Wilbur and Orville Wright. On a winter day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, two brothers—bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio—changed history. But it would take the world some time to believe that the age of flight had begun, with the first powered machine carrying a pilot. Orville and Wilbur Wright were men of exceptional courage and determination, and of far-ranging intellectual interests and ceaseless curiosity. When they worked together, no problem seemed to be insurmountable. Wilbur was unquestionably a genius. Orville had such mechanical ingenuity as few had ever seen. That they had no more than a public high school education and little money never stopped them in their mission to take to the air. Nothing did, not even the self-evident reality that every time they took off, they risked being killed. In this “enjoyable, fast-paced tale” (The Economist), master historian David McCullough “shows as never before how two Ohio boys from a remarkable family taught the world to fly” (The Washington Post) and “captures the marvel of what the Wrights accomplished” (The Wall Street Journal). He draws on the extensive Wright family papers to profile not only the brothers but their sister, Katharine, without whom things might well have gone differently for them. Essential reading, this is “a story of timeless importance, told with uncommon empathy and fluency…about what might be the most astonishing feat mankind has ever accomplished…The Wright Brothers soars” (The New York Times Book Review).

An aviation expert uncovers the brilliance behind the first successful flight of an engine-powered plane In the centennial year of the Wright Brothers' first successful flight, acclaimed aviation writer T. A. Heppenheimer reexamines what Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved. In First Flight, he debunks the popular assumption that the Wrights were simple mechanics who succeeded by trial and error, demonstrating instead that they were true engineering geniuses. Heppenheimer presents the background that made possible the work of the Wrights and examines the work of Samuel P. Langley, a serious rival. He places their work within a broad historical context, emphasizing their contributions after 1903 and their convergence with ongoing aeronautical work in France. T. A. Heppenheimer (Fountain Valley, CA) has written extensively on aerospace, business, and the history of technology. His many books include Turbulent Skies: The History of Commercial Aviation (0-471-10961-4), Countdown: A History of Space Flight (0-471-14439-8), and A Brief History of Flight: From Balloons to Mach 3 and Beyond (0-471-34637-3), all from Wiley.

A biography of the Wright brothers, who became famous as the inventors of the airplane.

The story of the Wright brothers' first historic flight at Kitty Hawk, told through the eyes of a local boy, includes a script for readers' theater.

How they Invented the Airplane includes facts about these brothers and their invention, plus projects.

Based on extraordinary research in the rich archives of American aviation, and written by one of the nation's most gifted narrative historians, "To Conquer the Air" brings to life one of history's most exciting contests.

In December 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made history by embarking on the first controlled airplane flight among the dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, thus opening up an era of aviation throughout the world. This title is part of the "Milestones in American History" series.

When your students watch commercial airliners flying high in the sky, do they realize how much it took for that common sight to become a reality? When they see military jets blasting through the clouds, do they know how far flight has come in the last 100 years? Creative activities, games, action rhymes, songs, a skit and more involve students in discovering for themselves how the Wright Brothers dreamed of man in flight and worked diligently to bring their dreams to life. They'll learn about the almost ridiculous fragility of the first airplanes, the crazed and driven men who risked their lives trying to be the first to successfully fly and the success of two brothers who refused to give up.