Brave Companions - by David McCullough

About the Book

For more than two decades, McCullough has fascinated readers with portraits of exceptional men and women who not only have shaped the course of history but whose stories express much that is timeless about the human condition. From Harriet Beecher Stowe to a young Theodore Roosevelt, the subjects possess a sense of purpose that make for unforgettable reading.

Book Synopsis

Master historian David McCullough's classic book about some of history's most daring and accomplished figures from Alexander von Humboldt to Charles and Anne Lindbergh.

Pulitzer Prize-winning 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, McCullough's 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.

Review Quotes

"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"

"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"

"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"

"[McCullough] is one of the great historical storytellers of his generation."
--Robert W. Merry "The Wall Street Journal"

"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"

About the Author

David McCullough (1933-2022) 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 nation's highest civilian award. Visit DavidMcCullough.com.