Master historian David McCulloughs classic book about some of historys most daring and accomplished figures from Alexander von Humboldt to Charles and Anne Lindbergh.
Pulitzer Prizewinning author David McCullough has written profiles of exceptional men and women who shaped the course of history and changed how we see the world. Their remarkable stories express much that is timeless about the human condition.
Here are Alexander von Humboldt, whose epic explorations of South America surpassed in scope the Lewis and Clark expedition; Harriet Beecher Stowe, the little woman who made the big war; Western artist Frederic Remington; the extraordinary Louis Agassiz of Harvard; Charles and Anne Lindbergh, and their fellow long-distance pilots Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Beryl Markham; Harry Caudill, the Kentucky lawyer who awakened the nation to the tragedy of Appalachia; and David Plowden, a contemporary photographer of vanishing America.
Different as they are from each other, McCulloughs subjects have in common a rare vitality and sense of purpose. These are brave companions: to each other, to David McCullough, and to the reader, for with rare storytelling ability McCullough brings us into the times they knew and their very uncommon lives.
Arvustused
[ McCullough] is one of the great historical storytellers of his generation." -- Robert W. Merry * The Wall Street Journal * "If you enjoy good stories well told about interesting people and places, you should read this book. You will learn something about history -- and also about good historical writing." * Cleveland Plain Dealer * "McCullough's portrayals ... are models of compression, perspective, and the discriminating use of detail, and of what the author calls 'the possibilities for self-expression in writing narrative history.'" * The New York Times Book Review * "It will come as no surprise to the reader to learn that Mr. McCullough's first ambition was to be a portrait painter. He has supplied us with admirable portraits....All his subjects come alive." * Dallas Morning News * For more than 40 years, David McCullough has brought the past to life in books distinguished by vigorous storytelling and vivid characterizations." -- Wendy Smith * Los Angeles Times * McCullough is among the most thoughtful and thorough historians of the past two generations. . . . [ A] great American mind. -- John S. Gardner * The Guardian *
| Introduction |
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ix | |
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Chapter One Journey to the Top of the World |
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3 | (17) |
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Chapter Two The American Adventure of Louis Agassiz |
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20 | (17) |
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Chapter Three The Unexpected Mrs. Stowe |
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37 | (18) |
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Chapter Four Glory Days in Medora |
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55 | (14) |
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69 | (20) |
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Chapter Six Steam Road to El Dorado |
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89 | (16) |
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Chapter Seven The Builders |
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105 | (13) |
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Chapter Eight The Treasure from the Carpentry Shop |
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118 | (7) |
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Chapter Nine Long-Distance Vision |
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125 | (12) |
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IV Figures in a Landscape |
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Chapter Ten Cross the Blue Mountain |
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137 | (8) |
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Chapter Eleven The Lonely War of a Good Angry Man |
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145 | (21) |
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Chapter Twelve Miriam Rothschild |
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166 | (9) |
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Chapter Thirteen South of Kankakee: A Day with David Plowden |
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175 | (20) |
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Chapter Fourteen Washington on the Potomac |
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195 | (15) |
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Chapter Fifteen Extraordinary Times |
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210 | (10) |
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Chapter Sixteen Recommended Itinerary |
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220 | (6) |
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Chapter Seventeen Simon Willard's Clock |
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226 | (7) |
| Index |
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233 | |
David McCullough (19332022) twice received the Pulitzer Prize, for Truman and John Adams, and twice received the National Book Award, for The Path Between the Seas and Mornings on Horseback. His other acclaimed books include The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, Brave Companions, 1776, The Greater Journey, The American Spirit, The Wright Brothers, and The Pioneers. He was the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian award. Visit DavidMcCullough.com.
