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Book

History matters

Call Number

  • 973 M4772.1 (CEN, OSH)

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Edition

First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.

Publication Information

New York : Simon & Schuster, 2025.

Physical Description

xv, 169 pages : colour illustrations ; 22 cm

Summary

"In this posthumous collection of thought-provoking essays-- many never published before-- Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and bestselling author David McCullough affirms the value of history, how we can be guided by its lessons, and the enduring legacy of American ideals. History Matters brings together selected essays by beloved historian David McCullough, some published here for the first time, written at different points over the course of his long career but all focused on the subject of his lifelong passion: the importance of history in understanding our present and future. Edited by McCullough's daughter, Dorie McCullough Lawson, and his longtime researcher, Michael Hill, History Matters is a tribute to a master historian and offers fresh insights into McCullough's enduring interests and writing life. The book also features a foreword by Jon Meacham. McCullough highlights the importance of character in political leaders, with Harry Truman and George Washington serving as exemplars of American values like optimism and determination. He shares his early influences, from the books he cherished in his youth to the people who mentored him. He also pays homage to those who inspired him, such as writer Paul Horgan and painter Thomas Eakins, illustrating the diverse influences on his writing as well as the influence of art. Rich with McCullough's signature grace, curiosity, and narrative gifts, these essays offer vital lessons in viewing history through the eyes of its participants, a perspective that McCullough believed was crucial to understanding the present as well as the past. History Matters is testament to McCullough's legacy as one of the great storytellers of this nation's history and of the lasting promise of American ideals."--

Notes

Watercolors by the author on the endpapers.

Contents

  • Preface / Foreword / Part 1. Why history? Why history ; American values ; Take luck to heart ; The good work of America ; "The Art of Biography" (The Paris Review interview)
  • Part 2. Figures in a landscape. Thomas Eakins ; Harriet Beecher Stowe in Paris ; A conversation about George ; Harry S. Truman
  • Part 3. Influences. The love of learning ; Tribute to Vincent Scully ; Getting through to Schlesinger ; Tribute to Paul Horgan ; Accuracy and imagination: tribute to Herman Wouk ; Favorite and influential books ; A book on every bed
  • Part 4. On writing. The good, hard work of writing well ; A bit of history about my typewriter ; Reading and writing: a recommended reading list ; History and art.

Subjects