Brave Companions: Portraits In History

Strange as it may seem this is the first book I've read by historian David McCullough, and I thought his short works would be a good introduction to his writing style. "Brave Companions" is a collection of essays written over the years for magazine articles or as lectures, so there is no overlaying connection or theme other than that they're all of historical subjects. Each essay was fascinating on its own covering a wide range of subjects from game changing engineering projects, historical research, important places and times. And, of course, people, all kinds of people--some out of the past while others were more contemporary to our times. The author did a lot of traveling and interviewing for these essays and his efforts and writing skills are apparent in each piece. Like all compilations of short works some essays are more interesting than others; depending on the readers personal tastes. Since I like reading about history, whatever the subject, I enjoyed all of the pieces and got exactly what I wanted from this book. I found McCullough's writing to be well researched, interesting and informative, it held my interest from cover to cover. I was already acquainted with some of his subjects like Theodore Roosevelt and Alexander Von Humboldt while others, like Harriet Beecher Stowe (author: "Uncle Tom's Cabin"), were less familiar. In each case the subject was fascinating, and sometimes disturbing, but I often came away with a new appreciation for the places, events and people that make up our human history. In "Brave Companions" you will learn about building a famous bridge from scratch, the early days of flying, the dangers of Caisson's Disease and a little known, Pulitzer Prize winning author of numerous novels. All in all this is a brilliant look at the many facets of World History and the people and places that make the study of the past memorable. There's more, a lot more, in this wonderful collection of historical sketches, but read it for yourself, see if you agree. I had no technical or downloading problems with this Kindle edition. Last Ranger

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.

Start to read this book and instantaneously you hear a voice reading along with you as you eyes focus on the written pages. Other voices emerge as you read what they have written or spoken. There is no one central historical figure as each chapter introduces you to a new individual and their contemporaries ;some you might know and others you wished you had known before in your youth. You quickly find your self in the tropics with Alexander von Humboldt burying yourself in the sand to ward off mosquitoes so you can get some sleep ,or with him at table with Jefferson lost in conversations you are now a part of. You find that you as well as Louis Agassiz's students are holding and smelling a fish without a clue what more you are supposed to learn from it. Who is Agassiz anyway? I didn't know as I didn't know Humboldt ,but now I have a book by Humboldt in the mail. Agassiz, Ah! He was a teacher's teacher and more. I flew with aviators like Lindbergh and looked out his open cockpit with the wind blowing against my face looking at the fields below. However, more than that I have been enticed to read more that he and they wrote .I didn't know before David McCullough clued me in that they were authors as well as fliers. Those of you who read a lot might know Conrad Richter, but I sure didn't, and I was born in Ohio. Now I see him vividly in my mind and hear him speak: the great mother tongue of early American" from the thesaurus he compiled. Got to tell you ,in brief, this is one great book!!!!

I really enjoyed reading this book. David McCullough is such an excellent story teller. I liked this book so much I ordered a second copy to gift my father in law.

This is a collection of articles David McCullough wrote over a span of years. Each has a different topic and a different pace. Some are familiar characters; others were new to me. Some of these articles were very good and inspired me to buy books on the topics and folks mentioned, for example: Dolly Madison, Alexander von Humboldt, and Louis Agassiz, and the early aviators. I also added a few of the books mentioned to my Amazon wish list -- they seem like they will be interesting. I think the book was front-loaded -- the more interesting articles (to me)were at the beginning. As the book progressed, the writing style became so self-conscious, with McCullough's voice coming through all the time. It got old. McCullough kept interjecting himself into the work. "Washington on the Potomac" is especially fraught with self-reference. I thought the worst article in the collection was one written for Life magazine's 50th anniversary edition, called "extraordinary times." It was melodramatic, alarmist, and ignorant all at the same time. Now, I realize we are reading it with the hindsight of 20 years' perspective, but it was written in 1986, and McCullough queries "what might be the most historic things happening right now?" In 1986. A great question. And he posits, maybe world overpopulation. Maybe the ravishing of the rainforests. Maybe the rise of Islam (one for three). But how, in 1986, could a very politically-plugged-in historian, a resident of Washington DC, fail to mention that one of the MOST HISTORICAL THINGS going on at the time was Reagan's challenging of the Communists on *moral grounds*, which eventually led to the collapse of the Soviet Union? I was 16 in 1986... I remember it was kind of a big deal. *How* could McCullough have overlooked it? Granted, the guy lauds democrat administrations, but surely it would not have escaped his notice, even if it was happening in a republican administration? For goodness sake, every Doonesbury cartoon for 5 years focused there. So I give it a mixed review. I added 7 books to my wish list as a result of interesting new information, but found myself shaking my head at some of the book, and finished it with relief, not reluctance.

The first part of the books fell the stories if individuals who few people Have heard of, but made their marks on America. It is a call to go back to history, to see where we came from and how we got here. It should be read by every citizen.

This book collects a number of shorter pieces by McCullough on a variety of fascinating topics - the painter Frederick Remington, John Quincy Adams as a member of the House of Representatives, historical places to see in Washington D.C., and many others. It’s a quick and enjoyable read for anyone interested in American history, and the short chapters make it perfect for picking up and putting down at your leisure.

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.

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