Brave Companions: Portraits In History

David McCullough is one of my favorite biographer-historians. His works include the great "John Adams", "Mornings on Horseback", "1776", and other great works of artful American history. I was pleasantly surprised to find the relatively short "Brave Companions", which is composed of various essays, speeches, articles, etc. written by McCullough throughout his career, each edited and compiled into this small volume. As with most of McCullough’s work, this book was a great read throughout. He had me hooked with chapters on some of the great movers-and-shakers of yesteryear, including several about whom I had previously read little to nothing: Alexander von Humboldt, Louis Agassiz, even Harriet Beecher Stowe; and of course, my dear old pal Theodore Roosevelt. But then, as I read on, I found myself committing the oft repeated sin of judging a book by its cover, so to speak. There were multiple instances of looking at the title of the next chapter, deciding I would likely not find the subject interesting, then proceeding immediately to be proven wrong on each occasion. McCullough has a talent for thorough, dedicated research and is a superb storyteller. I’ve found that he has a knack for taking the various minutiae of a subject and turning it into something of which even the most disinterested reader couldn’t help but take notice. He knows what details are pertinent and what details he can afford to pass on by. And he does so without spin or manipulation of the subject matter toward an ulterior motive. "Brave Companions" can be added to the list of McCullough’s entertaining and informative prose that I can heartily recommend. He’s one of America’s greatest biographers and every student of history should take notice of his work.

Over the past year I have read 5 McCullough books: Johnstown Flood, 1776, Mornings on Horseback, The Wright Brothers, and The Great Bridge. When I started Brave Companions I thought to myself, "Why am I reading this? It is not a typical McCullough? Just who are these people? Humboldt, Agassiz, Rothschild, Willard and etc." Of course some of these names rang a bell but what bell? I stuck with it and by the time I reached Willard I was thoroughly delighted. Why? Because I now know something about some very interesting souls. In 1991 my wife challenged me to a reading contest. She didn't think I knew how to read anything but Civil War books because I'm a native son of the South and I was raised at the foot of a Grandmother who was the daughter of a Confederate and she was born in 1873. She heard all the horror stories from her father and uncle. Her family were sharecroppers which was a long way from being plantation owners. She was more normal than most because the non-plantation people far out numbered the plantation folk. I think this spurred me on to a lifetime of history reading. This book was my 1,045th book read since my wife's challenge of 1991. And, yes, Mr. McCullough, I have stood in the sunken road at Amtietam, on the heights of Cemetery Ridge, at Pittsburgh Landing, in Ft. Sumter, and at the grave of the unknown soldier in Arlington and the grave of the Hunley victims in Charleston. However, as a native of the South most books like this one makes reference to the post Civil War period and how difficult life was for the freed slaves and the bankrupted South generally takes the blame. I have to take exception to this position taken by most authors of Northern heritage. First, the South was totally destroyed and most of our large cities were burned to the ground. Second, the US government sent agents down to solved the problem. Not a smart idea. These carpetbaggers further raped the South and all peoples of the South: Blacks and Whites. The South had to be rebuilt. It was 100 years later that the victors passed the Civil Rights Act. They allowed the racial divide to fester for a century. Instead of providing true aid to the freed slaves most Union soldiers of foreign origin (Irish, Germans and etc.) went home to the mills and factories of the North. The last thing they wanted were to be challenged in their work environment by 3.5 million freed men and women who were much harder workers than the white immigrant. Here is where the US Government failed miserably. Our Government failed the African-American at the worst possible time. Again, thank you for your wonderful books and I think I will take on your Path to the Seas next.

Reading David McCullough is a great fascinating opportunity to learn. His love of country is evident in all his writing. Thank you.

McCullough is a master at teaching us ourselves. One of the greatest historians and authors of our time. Enjoy it!

David McCullough is a terrific author who has a wonderful feel for history. His subjects are always interesting and well researched!

My husband loved this book. He shared some of the stories with me. I liked them too. It was written by the famous David McCullough, a great author.

Some of the biographies in this book are interesting. However, there is a preachy tone particularly at the end of the book which I do not like and is rather boring. Not one of the author's best efforts.

Wonderful book, you will learn about so many important people in our history that you had never heard of until reading this book.

A great read! As is to be expected from David McCullough.

If you have enjoyed David McCullough’s other books you will enjoy this one as well. Great details in each story.

The writing shows little cohesiveness - this is not his best, sadly.

Another good book by David McCullough