Program 414: David McCullough on the Wright Brothers; First Impressions of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

David McCullough recounts a big day in aviation history, when the Wright Brothers first demonstrated powered flight to an eager audience ― in France. Then travel writer Tim Neville shares his first impressions of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan ― neighbors along the fabled Silk Road of central Asia, but ones with very different personalities. And listeners share the rewards of their latest exotic travels. 

• Historian David McCullough, author of "The Wright Brothers" (Simon and Schuster)
• Travel writer Tim Neville

• David McCullough's website.   
• David McCullough is celebrating 50 years with his publisher Simon and Schuster, with his latest best-seller, "The Wright Brothers."  The cover photo on the book jacket is the photo taken of the first powered flight in 1903 at Kitty Hawk. 
• David McCullough recommends you visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kitty Hawk, in the North Carolina Outer Banks, and the Greenfield Village location of their Dayton bicycle shop and home, at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. 
• The 1903 Wright Flyer  provided the first powered flight of 12 seconds at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903.  It's on permanent display at the Air and Space Museum in Washington.   The Smithsonian also describes how the Wright Brothers' demonstrations in France ushered in the age of aviation in 1908. 
• Wikipedia and Lonely Planet describe Uzbekistan as one of the top draws for tourism to Central Asia. 
• Tim Neville visited the ancient fortress known as "The Ark" in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.  
• Lonely Planet and Wikipedia also have detailed information about Turkmenistan.