The Wright brothers and the conquest of flight

Excerpt

“They had this passion, this mission; they were obsessed to succeed,” said historian David McCullough.

But though their plane is proudly displayed at the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum in Washington, historian David McCullough still believes the Wright Brothers are underappreciated:

“Every time they went up in this motor-driven airplane, they were risking their lives,” he told Braver. “This is something that cannot be overemphasized.”

So, in a new book, “The Wright Brothers” (published by CBS’ Simon and Schuster), McCullough — who has won two Pulitzer Prizes, two National Book Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom — wants to reintroduce Americans to the Wright Brothers … and present someone else.

The Wright sister.

Watch the report from “CBS Sunday Morning.”