The Flyers

Much has been written about the Wright brothers, the Dayton, Ohio, bicycle mechanics who steered twentieth-century history with their airplane and the first successful motorized flight. But Noah Adams takes listeners on a journey through place and time and explores, not just the inventors and their era, but also people today whose lives still touch the famous pair. For instance, at the Ohio prairie where the Wrights did a lot of testing, Adams talks to a biologist who is preserving native prairie plants inside a large Air Force base. He also drops all manner of interesting historical tidbits. For instance, a wind tunnel used to test a modern version of the Wright Flyer plane is used most often to test racing stock car designs. Adams's delivery is smooth and effective. His voice and manner carry the story along. It's the kind of performance that will make commuters take the long way home just to finish a chapter. And a tip of the hat to the producers for ending each disc with the close of a chapter. R.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

July 14, 2003
Adams, cohost of NPR's All Things Considered
and author of Piano Lessons, sets out to learn about the Wright Brothers, their family and why they loved to fly so much. Adams visits all the spots important to the brothers, from the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where they flew gliders, to France; Dayton, Ohio; and New York. The most appealing part of the book is the look at the close relationship between Orville, Wilbur and their sister Katherine. Following the death of their mother, the three were devoted to one another and planned on living together. In fact, after Wilbur's death, when Katherine announced her plans to marry, at age 50, Orville was devastated and ended up not seeing his sister until she was on her deathbed a few years later. Adams uses letters and diaries to describe the lives of the Wrights; some of these details are not widely included in other books that focus on their inventions and accomplishments. Adams intersperses his personal musings as he re-creates the travels of the Wrights: "Wilbur's Arlington Hotel is gone, replaced by a three-story condominium, the La Casita. I put up at the Comfort Inn, out at the bypass. I had plans for my own boat trip, leaving at first light." In the end, he's a personable guide into the Wright Brothers' world, offering a refreshing look at these aviation pioneers. (Oct.)Forecast:Timed to the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' flight at Kitty Hawk, along with national appearances, sales should be strong, particularly in such regions as North Carolina and Ohio.