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mommyhale's review
5.0
These are all short essays David McCullough has written and published compiled into one book. I listed to this on tape and loved it. Reminds us of what amazing people have come before us and the things they have done to change our world.
ivantable's review against another edition
3.0
A few gems (esp. in the last section), but — even for a David McCullough fan — the essays seemed overall disjointed and, to me, unappealing.
mightync's review against another edition
4.0
I could read a 15 to 20 page history story from David McCullough every day forever. His love for history is apparent and abundant, which makes his stories a joy and a pleasure to read. Keep them coming, please!
joabroda's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
One of my favorite non-fiction writers, producing a book of short stories on men and women "who have changed the course of history or changed how we see the world."
One of my favorites was not about a person but about a city-Washington, D.C. I enjoyed his take on the city on the Potomac. He had me walking those streets and viewing the monuments late at night while curled up in bed.
A perfect book to carry around as I ran all my errands and visited physician offices this week.
One of my favorites was not about a person but about a city-Washington, D.C. I enjoyed his take on the city on the Potomac. He had me walking those streets and viewing the monuments late at night while curled up in bed.
A perfect book to carry around as I ran all my errands and visited physician offices this week.
ashleysbooknook's review
4.0
This was a very diverse and interesting book of essays, covering a lot of unknown topics and people. A couple were a bit boring (the railroad photographer), but many were 5-Star essays. I enjoyed getting a taste of so many different people and ideas. For some people, an essay was just enough to feel like I met them and could move on. For others, I was inspired to learn more. And they lead to many tangents about similar events or people. I also really enjoyed reading McCullough’s own words about why he became a writer. He wanted to be an artist, but ended up writing. He still sees things like an artist, though, which explains his ability to describe things in such vivid detail. I just love McCullough!
cheriekg's review
4.0
Like any story collection, this had its highs and lows. But McCullough is so in love with American history, and the people who made it, that he sweeps you along and even when I found and essay less interesting I hung in there, knowing it would pay off somehow. I put this down with a reawakened sense of how much I don't know about my country and a reading list meant to correct it. Worth a read.