Reading David McCullough
Historian and prolific author David McCullough has died. His books were bestsellers and won numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize (twice) and the National Book Award. McCullough was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and was named a Literary Lion by The New York Public Library. Over the course of his career, he tackled large-scale biographies like John Adams and Truman, group portraits such as the pioneers settling the American West and nineteenth-century Americans living in France, as well as documenting feats of engineering like the construction of the Panama Canal and the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Wright Brothers' building of the first successful motor-operated airplane.
McCullough's books are detailed and often lengthy, but also page-turners that bring history to life with vivid storytelling. Below is a selection of his books which you can borrow in print, e-book, or audiobook format. You can explore more titles by David McCullough in our catalog.
John Adams
Chronicles the life of America's second president, including his youth, his career as a Massachusetts farmer and lawyer, his marriage to Abigail, his rivalry with Thomas Jefferson, and his influence on the birth of the United States.
Truman
A biography of the U.S. president explores Truman's brutal frontier childhood, his education, his dogged optimism, and his rise through the ranks of the Pendergast machine that controlled Missouri politics.
The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914
Describes all the events and personalities involved in the monumental undertaking which precipitated revolution, scandal, economic crisis, and a new Central American republic.
The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West
Recounts the story of the settlers who began America's migration west, overcoming almost-unimaginable hardships to build in the Ohio wilderness a town and a government that incorporated America's highest ideals.
1776
Tells the intensely human story of those who marched with General George Washington in the year of the Declaration of Independence when the whole American cause was riding on their success, without which all hope for independence would have been dashed and the noble ideals of the Declaration would have amounted to little more than words on paper.
Mornings On Horseback
Tells the story of how young Teddy Roosevelt transformed himself from a sickly boy into the vigorous man who would become a war hero and ultimately president of the United States.
The Wright Brothers
The dramatic story-behind-the-story about the courageous brothers who taught the world how to fly—Wilbur and Orville Wright.
The Johnstown Flood
The stunning story of one of America's great disasters—the collapse of a poorly constructed dam and the resulting flood which killed 2,000 people and caused a nationwide scandal.
The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris
Relates the story of the American artists, writers, and doctors who traveled to Paris in the nineteenth century, fell in love with the city and its people, and changed America through what they learned there.
The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge
The dramatic and enthralling story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, the world’s longest suspension bridge at the time, a tale of greed, corruption, and obstruction but also of optimism, heroism, and determination.
Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.