David McCullough was a celebrated historian whose work brought American history to life for countless readers. Educated at Yale, his deeply researched narratives focused on pivotal figures and transformative moments in the nation's past. McCullough possessed a unique gift for crafting compelling stories that illuminated the human element within grand historical events, making the past feel immediate and relevant.
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough rediscovers an important chapter in the American story: the settling of the Northwest Territory by courageous pioneers who overcame incredible hardships to build a community based on ideals that would define the country.
The first ever collection of the letters between Churchill and his mother sheds revelatory light on the future wartime premier.
A profound expansion of David McCullough, Jr.'s popular commencement speech—a call to arms against a prevailing, narrow, conception of success viewed by millions on YouTube—You Are (Not) Special is a love letter to students and parents as well as a guide to a truly fulfilling, happy life. Children today, says David McCullough—high school English teacher, father of four, and son and namesake of the famous historian—are being encouraged to sacrifice passionate engagement with life for specious notions of success. The intense pressure to excel discourages kids from taking chances, failing, and learning empathy and self-confidence from those failures. In You Are (Not) Special, McCullough elaborates on his now-famous speech exploring how, for what purpose, and for whose sake, we're raising our kids. With wry, affectionate humor, McCullough takes on hovering parents, ineffectual schools, professional college prep, electronic distractions, club sports, and generally the manifestations, and the applications and consequences of privilege. By acknowledging that the world is indifferent to them, McCullough takes pressure off of students to be extraordinary achievers and instead exhorts them to roll up their sleeves and do something useful with their advantages.
A New York Times BestsellerAuthor is the winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, two National Book Awards, and the Presidential Medal of FreedomAt a time of self-reflection in a divided America, historian David McCullough has collected some of his most important speeches in a volume designed to identify core American values to which we all subscribe -- regardless of region, political party, or ethnic background -- and help to guide us as we find our way forward.
A New York Times Bestseller A timely collection of speeches by David McCullough, the most honored historian in the United States—winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, two National Book Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among many others—that reminds us of fundamental American principles. “Insightful and inspirational, The American Spirit summons a vexed and divided nation to remember—and cherish—our unifying ideas and ideals” (Richmond Times-Dispatch). Over the course of his distinguished career, McCullough has spoken before Congress, the White House, colleges and universities, historical societies, and other esteemed institutions. Now, at a time of self-reflection in America following the bitter 2016 election campaign that has left the country divided, McCullough has collected some of his most important speeches in a brief volume that celebrates the important principles and characteristics that are particularly American. “The American Spirit is as inspirational as it is brilliant, as simple as it is sophisticated” (Buffalo News). McCullough reminds us of the core American values that define us, regardless of which region we live in, which political party we identify with, or our ethnic background. This is a book about America for all Americans that reminds us who we are and helps to guide us as we find our way forward.
The incredible true story of the origin of human flight, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough. On a winter day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, two unknown brothers from Ohio changed history. But it would take the world some time to believe what had happened: the age of flight had begun, with the first heavier-than-air, powered machine carrying a pilot. Who were these men and how was it that they achieved what they did? David McCullough, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, tells the surprising, profoundly human story of Wilbur and Orville Wright. Far more than a couple of unschooled Dayton bicycle mechanics who happened to hit on success, they were men of exceptional courage and determination, and of far-ranging intellectual interests and ceaseless curiosity, much of which they attributed to their upbringing. In this thrilling book, McCullough draws on the immense riches of the Wright Papers, including private diaries, notebooks, scrapbooks and more than a thousand letters from private family correspondence to tell the human side of the Wright Brothers' story, including the little-known contributions of their sister, Katharine, without whom things might well have gone differently for them.
The untold story of Winston Churchill's precarious finances.
This book, first published in 1972 and later reprinted with a new preface by the author, offers insights into its themes and context. The updated preface provides a fresh perspective, enhancing the reader's understanding of the original content. The work reflects the author's evolution in thought and intention since its initial release, making it a valuable read for both new and returning audiences.
The narrative explores the experiences of American artists, writers, sculptors, and doctors who traveled to Paris from 1830 to 1900, highlighting their significant influence on American culture and history. Through their artistic and intellectual exchanges in Paris, these individuals helped shape a new American identity, blending European inspiration with their own unique perspectives. The book delves into the transformative impact of this cultural cross-pollination on both the artists and the nation.
McCullough mixes famous and obscure names and delivers capsule biographies of everyone to produce a colorful parade of educated, Victorian-era American travelers and their life-changing experiences in Paris.
