  We develop a direct method of solution for finding the bright $N$-soliton
solution of the Fokas-Lenells derivative nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation. The
construction of the solution is performed by means of a purely algebraic
procedure using an elementary theory of determinants and does not rely on the
inverse scattering transform method. We present two different expressions of
the solution both of which are expressed as a ratio of determinants. We then
investigate the properties of the solutions and find several new features.
Specifically, we derive the formula for the phase shift caused by the
collisions of bright solitons.
