In an interview with the Santa Barbara Independent, he remarked, "I loved to make model airplanes when I was a young boy and I took flying lessons later on; I would have continued if they weren’t so expensive.

Janet Maslin of The New York Times described it as a "concise, exciting and fact-packed book [that] sees the easy segue between bicycling and aerial locomotion, which at that point was mostly a topic for bird fanciers and dreamers."

"[8] Bob Hoover of the Star Tribune was slightly more critical of the work, remarking, "Although this new biography, The Wright Brothers, refreshes their often-told story in McCullough's upbeat, minutely researched manner, something's lacking — interesting characters.

He concluded, "Despite their old-fashioned manners and plain style, the Wright brothers were reticent and difficult people, traits that McCullough seemed unwilling to explore in his search for the virtues and strengths he values so much in American life.

"[9] Buzzy Jackson of The Boston Globe similarly described it as "a tidy and relatively short history" of the Wright brothers and praised the author's attention to detail, despite noting, "While there is much to like here, McCullough's gee-whiz attitude toward America's favorite flying Boy Scouts does feel a bit retro.