character above all david mccullough on harry s truman

McCullough’s celebrations of the American past also led to the toughest criticism against him – that affection turned too easily to romanticization. Hamilton author Ron Chernow once called McCullough “both the name and the voice of American history”. In his 70s and 80s, he indulged his affection for Paris with the 2011 release The Greater Journey and for aviation with a best-seller on the Wright brothers that came out in 2015.īeyond his books, the distinctive, white-haired McCullough may have had the most recognizable presence of any historian, his fatherly baritone known to fans of PBS’s The American Experience and Ken Burns’s epic Civil War documentary. His fascination with architecture and construction inspired his early works on the Panama Canal and the Brooklyn Bridge, while his admiration for leaders whom he believed were good men drew him to Adams and Truman. He saw himself as an everyman blessed with lifelong curiosity and the chance to take on the subjects he cared most about. Through his biographies, he dramatically illustrated the most ennobling parts of the American character,” Simon & Schuster chief executive Jonathan Karp said in a statement.Ī joyous and tireless student of the past, McCullough dedicated himself to sharing his own passion for history with the general public.

His books brought history to life for millions of readers. “David McCullough was a national treasure.

Character above all david mccullough on harry s truman