book
spotlight
Getting the
truth right
Prolific McCullough
culls modern lessons
from America’s past
By Diana Jordan
DAVID MCCULLOUGH’S sublime diction ways, the darkest passage in the history of history as“a great source of strength and plea-dances with picturesque words, perfectly con- our country,” he tells The Connection. “The sure, the way art and music and literature are
veying the 18th century—even as 21st-cen- prospects for the United States of America a source of pleasure, a way of enlarging the
tury fire engines wail in the background. never looked so bleak as they did in the last human experience.”
This historian delights in writing biogra- months of 1776.” McCullough experienced a gorgeous sur-phies ( Truman, John Adams), but, even more, This is why McCullough is so drawn to prise: that the Founding Fathers were all young
he loves delving into how the personalities of this particular time in history: “Because I men in 1776. McCullough’s voice crescendos
ordinary people played a part in pivotal think it shows that we have come through with passion: “What audacity. What élan and
events, as in his newest book, much more difficult times than nerve it took to do what they did. And none
1776. McCullough has won we know and than we’re experi- of them had had any experience in fighting a
awards, including the Pulitzer encing now. It’s time that we revolution.Washingtonhadneverledanarmy
Prize, for half of his eight books. know more about what all they in his life. None of them had any experience
McCullough, who lives on wentthroughandto what degree in nation-making, but they did it. They
Martha’s Vineyard, is an occasion- we should be eternally grateful to brought it off. And the more you know about
ally reluctant member of the them.” what happened in 1776, the more you come
21st century. He has been work- McCullough says that George away with the conclusion that it’s a miracle it
ing in the 18th century for the Washington was a superb judge ever happened.”
past decade—traveling about, of character, a born leader who There’s the lesson history has for us.
reading more than 70 diaries. He made mistakes and learned from McCullough says, “Don’t lose your nerve.
says, “I have a wonderful line of them. Washington never forgot Don’t lose heart. Remember who you are and
work wherein I get to read other what he was fighting for. But had where you’ve come from, and how you got to
people’s mail and read their David McCullough there been polls in 1776, they where you are, and that other people have
diaries.” He confides that he tells would have shown Washington been through worse and you can go through
his wife, Rosalee, “I like the 18th century so with zero chance of succeeding. “Integrity it, too, and you can keep your head, and you
much, I’m going to stay there!” and character do count in the long run. And can build for the future.”
WILLIAM B. MCCULLOUGH
McCullough is passionately stirred by sometimes they can change history,” says Whateveryourbattleis,McCulloughseems
“the heartfelt letters and diaries of the farmers McCullough. “That’s what happened here.” to be saying, you can win it. Imagine how
and shoemakers and others who believed McCullough sees those qualities as bench- close we came to saluting a Union Jack. C
in the cause and were ready to stay with it, marks for his own contribution as a historian.
[but] not everyone was a hero.” Thousands He wants to get the truth right, so that if the Diana Jordan (
www.dianajordan.net)
of colonists defected, retreated, quit the fight people he’s writing about—Washington, John interviews hundreds of authors for her show
for independence. Adams, Patrick Henry and the others whose Between the Lines, which airs nationally daily
Even in conversation, McCullough has an memoirs, diaries, letters, speeches and other on the Associated Press Radio Network.
exquisite gift of standing inside the hearts of records he’s viewed—were sitting on a jury,
historical characters—suchas General George they would say, “He’s got it right; yes, he
Washington and General Nathanael Greene, understands; he gets it.”
one of the most trusted generals of the McCullough claims, with a smile in his
Revolutionary army—while standing on a voice, that he’s a long-range optimist—and a
soapbox at the same time. short-range pessimist. And, if he could script The Costco Connection
“The heroes are the people who wouldn’t his own legacy, McCullough’s history would 1776 is available in most Costco
give up, who absolutely would not quit, even offer a palpable sense of what life was like in warehouses and at costco.com.
in the darkest of times, and 1776 was, in many earlier times. His readers would experience
