Conquering the Sky: The Secret Flights of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk
"A must-read book by author and historian Dr. Larry E. Tise. Extraordinarily well-written, Tise has delivered a gift of a unique perspective of the early days of Wilbur and Orville Wright’s experiments in flight while expertly weaving in the details of the local culture of that time. This is not just another “beginning of aviation” offering; it is an historical story that manages to educate, entertain and inspire the imagination." --Your Outer Banks Adventure, 2009"Drawing from a wealth of primary sources, Tise depicts the brothers' distinct personalities, strengths, and foibles fairly, though he's clearly an unabashed partisan. A tightly focused slice of Wright historiography."--Library Journal, starred review"This pivotal 11-day period is chronicled in a new book by East Carolina University professor Larry E. Tise, who is the school’s Wilbur and Orville Wright Distinguished Professor of History." —Dayton Daily News"The first detailed account of those 1908 flights, which brought Orville and Wilbur international fame. . . . . These days, nearly everything written about the Wright brothers is derived from other works, he says. Not this book. It's the result of research from letters and newspapers in the U.S. and Europe. "I'm very, very proud to say this is based on all original stuff," he says. He should be." --The Charlotte Observer“Tise--dogged researcher, mesmerizing storyteller, human encyclopedia on Wilbur and Orville Wright--has dug out the moment-to-moment, nearly secretive, details of seven days in May 1908 when the Wright Brothers changed the world. Anyone who loves airplanes will love vicariously experiencing the very beginnings of powered controlled flight.”--David Hartman, aviation writer, TV documentary producer, and original host ofGood Morning America"Larry Tise takes us back to six weeks in the spring of 1908 when Wilbur and Orville Wright returned to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  It was a critically important period, when the brothers would fly for the first time in over two and one half years, carry the world’s first aircraft passenger aloft, test a new set of controls and prepare to demonstrate their machine to a waiting world. Wilbur and Orville, the local residents of the Outer Banks, and the newsmen who seek to break one of the great new stories of the century come to life in these pages." --Dr. Tom D. Crouch, Senior Curator (Aeronautics), Smithsonian Institution and author ofThe Bishop's Boys: A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright“Conquering the Skyis the most thorough report on the Wright brothers’ 1908 experiments at Kitty Hawk that has been written to my knowledge. It will fill an important gap in the Wright brothers’ history.”--William Harris, former mayor of Kitty Hawk, retired director of the Wright Brothers Memorial, and President of the First Flight Society“Larry Tise has captured the drama of a brief but crucial era in aviation history, when the Wright brothers' flying machines first made history worldwide. Extensively researched and far-reaching, this story provides enduring inspiration.”--Kathleen C. Winters, author ofAnne Morrow Lindbergh: First Lady of the Air"In this sprightly new book, Larry Tise separates facts from the myths and deconstructs the many unreliable newspaper accounts about the events at Kitty Hawk. Full of colorful characters and telling details, Tise's book takes readers aloft during the first turbulent years of powered flight."--Jeffrey J. Crow, Ph.D., State Historian for North Carolina and Deputy Secretary of Archives and History, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources"When the Wright Brothers returned to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, almost four and a half years after their first flight, to test their patented and improved aircraft for public demonstration, a dozen or so correspondents dogged them, hoping for a scoop or a photograph. Larry Tise recounts the stream of misinformation and missed opportunities that issued from Kitty Hawk, leaving the public unprepared for the spectacular performances of Orville Wright in the United States and Wilbur Wright in Europe in the ensuing months. The failure of the fifth estate contrasts comically with the triumph of the Wrights in this lively, fascinating history."--Alex Roland, Professor of History, Duke University"A perceptive examination of a brief but significant episode in the truly amazing story of the two brothers who pioneered practical powered flight. With unique insight, Larry Tise shows how those seeking news of the Wright brothers were misled with fanciful tales and fishermen's yarns, and how easily the truth was distorted and presented as published fact."--Philip Jarrett, specialist historian and author on pioneer aviation"Larry E. Tise has been able to punctually disclose a very important and so far completely unknown period in the life's work of the Wright Brothers. The well-detailed and entertaining book, the result of very intensive spadework and empathy, had me on the edge of my seat." --Gerard J. van Heusden, Historian, The Netherlands "[Tise] chose to dig into the Wrights' character at the moment they moved out of obscurity, and his book shows new detail of the characters that surrounded them."-- Josh Shaffer,The Durham News & Observer "Soars like their revolutionary aircraft. . . Accomplishes that rare goal of being a nonfiction book that reads like a good novel, but not at the expense of factual information or accuracy." --Larry Higgs,New Jersey Ashbury Park Press "Tise's smooth, clear writing and his storytelling talents amdeConquering the Skya special pleasure."  --The Chapel Hill News, NC "Tise tells all, engagingly...He knows his subject."  --Virginian Pilot Review "For anyone fanatical about [the Wright Brothers], the book is a must." --Phil Scott,Air and Space Magazine