To Conquer The Air by James Tobin

Learned men right up to the early 1900's thought that powered flight was an unattainable goal.  That thinking did not stop some men from trying. The Wright brothers' achievement of the first powered flight was one of those groundbreaking events that is all the more remarkable when you understand the Wright brothers modest background and the high esteem of those with whom they competed. James Tobin does an excellent job of blending the people, their backgrounds, and the historical circumstances to present a riveting tale.

Beyond this interesting broad story is the recurring theme in similar stories of other breakthroughs. Men deemed the leaders of their field look back on history and accept the thoughts of those who came before as most of the basis for moving forward.  They invent often at their desks and less in the field.  Those like the Wright brother's achieve by also doing research but moving beyond the accepted truths when testing shows it's necessary. Through hard work, extensive testing and perseverance they made multiple breakthroughs in near obscurity. Even after multiple successful flights, it took years for the world to believe their claims, at least in part due to avoidance of the press and their desire for secrecy.

For those interested in the birth of manned flight and a tutorial on excellent engineering, this book is a must. If you just like an interesting bit of history very well told, you will love this book.