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The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For (Thorndike Press large print popular and narrative nonfiction), by David McCullough

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Product details

Series: Thorndike Press large print popular and narrative nonfiction

Hardcover: 347 pages

Publisher: Thorndike Press Large Print; Large Print edition (August 16, 2017)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1432841955

ISBN-13: 978-1432841959

Product Dimensions:

6 x 1 x 9 inches

Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review:

4.7 out of 5 stars

372 customer reviews

Amazon Best Sellers Rank:

#1,257,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

This book is a short collection of speeches by David McCullough, one of America's foremost historians. The speeches span about twenty-five years and were delivered in a variety of locations and to mark a variety of occasions. Most of them are college commencement addresses - in Boston, Ohio, Missouri and Pittsburgh - and a few mark the anniversary of important monuments (the White House) or events (the Kennedy assassination).Some of the speeches are inspiring, some of them are informative, and many are both. McCullough's thrust in all of them is to stress the importance of history as a guide to American character and values. He fears that many Americans, and young Americans in particular, are ignorant of the kind of history that can enrich and guide their views of the present and future; his fears are realized by a meeting with a bright young college student who did not know that the original thirteen states were all on the East Coast. He is convinced that not only can history inform people's understanding of contemporary events, but that it can remind people of the values and men and women that made this country what it is. In an interview, McCullough mentioned that he put together this collection specifically for these politically troubled times. At the very least they should reassure people that their concerns and fears have been felt - and overcome - by many others in the past.In most of his speeches McCullough focuses on one or more great Americans. He is not bashful about taking this 'Great Man' view of history, since many of the characters he picks exemplify well the essential qualities of this country. He recognizes their flaws, but also sees their greatness. Famous Americans like John and Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson and JFK make regular appearances, but so do less famous but still important ones like Benjamin Rush, Simon Willard, James Sumner and Margaret Chase Smith. In speeches intended to commemorate buildings, McCullough also lovingly describes the rich history of monuments like the White House and Capitol Hill and cities like Pittsburgh and Boston.Throughout the book, McCullough emphasizes many of the qualities that exemplified this country's history: "the fundamental decency, the tolerance and insistence on truth and the good-heartedness of the American people". Relationships with France and other countries played a critical role, and so did the hard work of immigrants. There is also bravery here, exemplified by the Founding Fathers' decision to defy the King of England under threat of execution, by abolitionists' denunciation of slavery and by the ceaseless optimism of scores of politicians and common Americans who wanted to change the direction of this country for the better. There was Margaret Smith who stood up against Joseph McCarthy and said that she did not want "to see the Republican Party ride to political victory on the four horsemen of calumny - fear, ignorance, bigotry and smear". There was physician Benjamin Rush who emphasized "candor, gentleness, and a disposition to speak with civility and to listen with attention to everybody". And there was Adams who famously said that "facts are stubborn things". All lessons for the present and the future.If there is one common theme that emerges most prominently from all the speeches, it is an emphasis on education and an appreciation of history. McCullough tells us how many of the most important Founding Fathers and presidents put learning and books front and center, not just in their own evolution but in their vision for America. Jefferson once said to Adams that he could not live without books, and Adams himself told his son John Quincy that with a poet in his pocket he will never feel alone. McCullough talks about Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia where Benjamin Franklin established the Library Company that evolved into the country's first public library. As he describes it, the biographies of many famous people tell us that learning is not elitist, it is as American as apple pie. It is what turned this country into a beacon of democracy, science and finance. And for learning it is critical to read: "Read for pleasure. Read to enlarge your lives. Read history, read biography, learn from the lives of others". The same goes for history. McCullough is deeply concerned that younger Americans are losing touch with their history. He urges parents to take their children to historic sites at a young age and Americans of all ages to read and ponder their history. He constantly refers to American presidents who loved to read history; Theodore Roosevelt and JFK even wrote history books themselves. Ultimately, he says, "the pleasure of history consists in an expansion of the experience of being alive". And if nothing else, history should inform Americans of strategies and insights from the past that they can adopt to solve contemporary problems.The overriding message that comes across from many of these speeches is that of optimism, hope and a constant drive in the American people to reinvent themselves. It should be a potent message in today's times and should hopefully further encourage the study of this country's history. As McCullough puts it, "It is a story like no other, our greatest natural resource. It is about people, and they speak to us across the years".

Although I usually order for my Kindle, I prefer hardbacks when it comes to David McCullough, considering his books as valuable gems adorning my library; The American Spirit is the seventh I have read. This latest one is another McCullough treasure which revisits fifteen of his speeches given to mark uniquely American occasions, from a naturalization ceremony held at Monticello to the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination. He convincingly argues that knowledge of our country's history is a necessary and vital foundation for progress. What individual on the national stage would I most like to chat with over a cup of tea? David McCullough! American history is his lifeblood, and he delivers it knowledgeably, lovingly and accessibly in print, so I assume that the nation's demand, over the past half-century, for his spoken word to validate their patriotic celebrations proves he is equally effective verbally. What a teacher! What a patriot!

David McCullough is a master historian. The speeches in this book, like the storytelling of his last ten books is flawlessly factual, detailed and entertaining. The American Spirit is an excellent read.

This is a book which should be offered to many young students helping them understand our history and appreciate those who have helped to give us the country we have.

What a fantastic collection of speeches. I am going to the graduation of my granddaughter and doubt. I shall hear any speech like the ones in this book. I really enjoyed this reading and recommend it highly. Jack Kushner

David McCullough has spent his professional lifetime exploring the people and events that form a goodly part of what we call American history. He’s fascinated by the history of the United States, but it’s a fascination that doesn’t preclude understanding of or excuse things that need to be criticized. His reach and interest are as broad as they is deep.McCullough – editor, teacher, lecturer, television host – is the author of numerous works of history and biography, including “The Path Between the Seas” (1978); “Mornings on Horseback” (1982); “The Johnstown Flood” (1987); “Brave Companions: Portraits in History” (1992);” Truman” (1993); “John Adams” (2002); “1776” (2005); and “The Wright Brothers” (2015); among several others. He’s won two National Book Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes, and two Francis Parkman Awards.In other words, he’s an eminence in American historical letters.He gives speeches, and when he does, it’s worthwhile to listen and ponder. He’s assembled 15 of those speeches, stretching from 1989 to 2016, in “The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For.” The volume is a gem of understanding, and of American history, the words and insights spoken by one of our pre-eminent American historians.He’s a master of the telling detail, such as that of Simon Willard’s clock, which sits within a statue in Congress and has been there since 1837. “Its inner workings ticked off the minutes and hours through debate on the Gag Rule, the annexation of Texas, the Mexican War, tariffs, postal service, the establishment of the Naval Academy, statehood for Arkansas, Michigan, Wisconsin, matters related to immigration, the Gold Rush, Statehood for California, the fateful Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the final hours of John Quincy Adams,” he writes. These were events and actions not only important for the United States but indeed the world.And we read the story of John Quincy Adams, who returned as a congressman from Massachusetts after he served as our 6th President. Adams, the educated and experienced son of John Adams, would die in Congress, stricken while in the House of Representatives and carried to the speaker’s office, where he died two days later. Henry Clay held his hand as he died.In these speeches, McCullough talks of buildings and commemorations, historical figures known and not-so-known, and events that we’ve heard so often they seem trite but in his hands become living things.One of the common themes is education – why it’s important and why it needs to be a lifelong pursuit; it’s not a monopoly of the institutional classroom. Here his speeches show a shift, however. From 2005 on, McCullough begins to note what he sees happening in the classroom – that we are not teaching American history as it has been taught or even at all. And citizens, and the country, are both poorer for it.During a time like now, when divisiveness, rage, and outrage are the political order (or disorder) of the day, “The American Spirit” is a potent reminder of what we've had, what we’re risking, and what we might need to do to recover.

A book that everyone who is interested in our history and heritage should read! David McCullough is a superb writer and a knowledgeable historian who reveals numerous little-known facts!

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