Library Journal Review
In the 100 years since the Wright Brothers' flight at Kitty Hawk, aviation in the United States has developed from experimental flying machines created by amateur enthusiasts to a multi-billion-dollar industry. Both of these well-produced documentaries provide a historical background and fascinating overview of what has been called one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century. Introduced by historian David McCullough and narrated by Garrison Keillor, The Wright Stuff tells the story of the two inventive brothers from Dayton who, with their principle of wing-warping, ushered in the age of flight. Archival photographs as well as footage from family films, newsreels, and museum collections are interspersed with interviews with historians, relatives, and curators to create a picture of Orville and Wilbur Wright. Combining basic technical information with interesting biographical details, this segment of the PBS series The American Experience is an excellent starting point for a discussion of how ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things. During the second decade of powered flight, two men-one a businessman and the other an engineer-picked up where the Wright Brothers left off and went on to create the aircraft industry. A compelling study of two corporate giants and the companies each founded, Pioneers in Aviation carries the story of aviation forward to the present. This is a record of the accomplishments of William Boeing and Donald Douglas as well as the story of the first airmail and passenger flights, the first around-the-world flight, wartime production of 50,000 airplanes, and the beginning of the jet age. Following a similar format of narrated archival footage and interviews with aviation historians and curators, the film places Boeing's and Douglas's activities within larger historical contexts to give a broader understanding of events. Both films are highly recommended for their exceptional quality and content.-Linda Frederiksen, Washington State Univ. Vancouver Lib. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.