David McCullough Quotes

Source: David McCullough Great Moments in History E-book Box Set: 1776, The Johnstown Flood, Path Between the Seas, The Great Bridge, The Course of Human Events

“Housetops were covered with 'gazers'; all wharves that offered a view were jammed with people ... As British officers happily reminded one another, it was the largest fleet ever seen in American waters. In fact it was the largest expeditionary force of the 18th century, the largest, most powerful force ever sent forth by Britain or any other nation.”

People Facts Force Nations Water Views Powerful History Century British Britain Most Powerful Covered Officers 18th Century

Author:David McCullough

“The truth isn't just the facts. You can have all the facts imaginable and miss the truth, just as you can have facts missing or some wrong, and reach the larger truth.”

Facts Knowledge Missing Truth Is

Book:David McCullough American Presidents E-Book Box Set: John Adams, Mornings on Horseback, Truman, The Course of Human Events

Source: David McCullough American Presidents E-Book Box Set: John Adams, Mornings on Horseback, Truman, The Course of Human Events

“To write is to think, and to write well is to think well.”

Thinking Writing Wells

Author:David McCullough

“May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof.”

Men May Wise Honest Roof Revolution Founding Fathers

Book:David McCullough American Presidents E-Book Box Set: John Adams, Mornings on Horseback, Truman, The Course of Human Events

Source: David McCullough American Presidents E-Book Box Set: John Adams, Mornings on Horseback, Truman, The Course of Human Events

“Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That's why it's so hard.”

Thinking Writing Wells Hard Purpose Clarity

Author:David McCullough

“I'm very aware how many distractions the reader has in life today, how many good reasons there are to put the book down.”

Book Reason Today Reader Madness Distraction

Author:David McCullough

“Read. Read every chance you get. Read to keep growing. Read history. Read poetry. Read for pure enjoyment. Read a book called Life on a Little Known Planet. It's about insects. It will make you feel better.”

Feels Littles Book Reading Chance Known Growing Planets Pure Enjoyment Feel Better Insects Book Reading

Author:David McCullough

“Courage is contagious. If a leader shows courage, others get the idea.”

Ifs Ideas Shows Leader Contagious

Author:David McCullough

“You can't love what you don't know much about. You can't convince, stimulate, hold the attention, teach, if you don't know what you're talking about.”

Ifs Knows Attention Talking Knowledge Teach Convince

Author:David McCullough

“Never assume that people in positions of responsibility are behaving responsibly.”

People Responsibility Position Assuming Never Assume

Author:David McCullough

“When the founders wrote about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, they didn't mean longer vacations and more comfortable hammocks. They meant the pursuit of learning. The pursuit of improvement and excellence. In hard work is happiness.”

Mean Hard Liberty Hard Work Comfortable Excellence Improvement Pursuit Vacation Founders Pursuit Of Happiness Hammocks Life Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness

Author:David McCullough

“People often ask me if I'm working on a book. That's not how I feel. I feel like I work in a book. It's like putting myself under a spell. And this spell, if you will, is so real to me that if I have to leave my work for a few days, I have to work myself back into the spell when I come back. It's almost like hypnosis.”

People Ifs Feels Book Real Asks Ask Me Spells Hypnosis

Author:David McCullough

“Morality only is eternal. All the rest is balloon and bubble from the cradle to the grave.”

Morality Eternal Graves Bubbles Cradle Balloons

Book:David McCullough American History E-book Box Set: John Adams, 1776, Truman, The Course of Human Events

Source: David McCullough American History E-book Box Set: John Adams, 1776, Truman, The Course of Human Events

“I feel that as much as I enjoy loafing, there is something higher for which to live.”

Feels Enjoy Higher Loafing

Book:Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Faimly, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt

Source: Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Faimly, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt

“The more Adams thought about the future of his country, the more convinced he became that it rested on education. Before any great things are accomplished, he wrote to a correspondent, a memorable change must be made in the system of education and knowledge must become so general as to raise the lower ranks of society nearer to the higher. The education of a nation instead of being confined to a few schools and universities for the instruction of the few, must become the national care and expense for the formation of the many.”

Made Country Care School Nations Higher Raises University Convinced Great Things Memorable Accomplished Expenses Instruction Confined Formation Education And Knowledge General Education

Book:David McCullough Library E-book Box Set: 1776, Brave Companions, The Great Bridge, John Adams, The Johnstown Flood, Mornings on Horseback, Path Between the Seas, Truman, The Course of Human Events

Source: David McCullough Library E-book Box Set: 1776, Brave Companions, The Great Bridge, John Adams, The Johnstown Flood, Mornings on Horseback, Path Between the Seas, Truman, The Course of Human Events

“A nation that forgets its past can function no better than an individual with amnesia.”

Past Individual Nations Forget History Function Forget It Amnesia

Author:David McCullough

“I lament the want of a liberal education. I feel the mist of ignorance to surround me - Nathanael Greene”

Want Feels Ignorance Surround Mist Lament Liberal Education

Book:David McCullough Library E-book Box Set: 1776, Brave Companions, The Great Bridge, John Adams, The Johnstown Flood, Mornings on Horseback, Path Between the Seas, Truman, The Course of Human Events

Source: David McCullough Library E-book Box Set: 1776, Brave Companions, The Great Bridge, John Adams, The Johnstown Flood, Mornings on Horseback, Path Between the Seas, Truman, The Course of Human Events

“In time I began to understand that it's when you start writing that you really find out what you don't know and need to know.”

Knows Needs Writing

Author:David McCullough

“The pull, the attraction of history, is in our human nature. What makes us tick? Why do we do what we do? How much is luck the deciding factor?”

Humans Human Nature Luck Attraction Factors Tick

Author:David McCullough

“My shorthand answer is that I try to write the kind of book that I would like to read. If I can make it clear and interesting and compelling to me, then I hope maybe it will be for the reader.”

Ifs Writing Trying Kind I Can Book Answers Interesting Clear Reader Compelling Shorthand

Author:David McCullough

“The title always comes last. What I really work hard on is the beginning. Where do you begin? In what tone do you begin? I almost have to have a scene in my mind.”

Mind Hard Lasts Hard Work Scene Titles Tone

Author:David McCullough