David McCullough has been widely acclaimed as a "master of the art of narrative
history," "a matchless writer." He is twice winner of the National Book Award,
twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize. In December 2006 he received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award.
His books have been praised for their scholarship, their understanding of
American life, their "vibrant prose," and insight into individual character.
Mr. McCullough's most recent book, 1776, the number one New York Times national
bestseller in both hardcover and paperback, has been called, "brilliant &
powerful," "a classic." There are three million copies in print, while Mr.
McCullough's previous work, John Adams, remains one of the most critically
acclaimed and widely read American biographies of all time. It is presently in
its sixty-third printing. John Adams was turned into an acclaimed seven-part
mini-series on HBO. Produced by Tom Hanks, it starred Paul Giamatti and Laura
Linney.
In the words of the citation accompanying his honorary degree from Yale, "As an
historian, he paints with words, giving us pictures of the American people that
live, breathe, and above all, confront the fundamental issues of courage,
achievement, and moral character."
Mr. McCullough's other books include The Johnstown Flood, The Great
Bridge, The Path between the Seas, Mornings on Horseback, Brave Companions, and
Truman. His work has been published in ten languages and, in all, nearly
9,000,000 copies are in print. As may be said of few writers, none of his
books has ever been out of print.
David McCullough is as well twice winner of the prestigious Francis
Parkman Prize, and for his work overall he has been honored by the National
Book Foundation Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award and the
National Humanities Medal. He has been elected to the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences, as well as the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has
received more than forty honorary degrees.
In a crowded, productive career, he has been an editor, essayist, teacher,
lecturer, and familiar presence on public television -- as host of Smithsonian
World, The American Experience, and narrator of numerous documentaries
including The Civil War. His is also the narrator's voice in the movie
Seabiscuit.
A gifted speaker, Mr. McCullough has lectured in all parts of the country
and abroad, as well as at the White House. He is also one of the few private
citizens to speak before a joint session of Congress.
Born in Pittsburgh, Mr. McCullough was educated there and at Yale, where
he was graduated with honors in English literature. He is an avid reader,
traveler, and has enjoyed a lifelong interest in art and architecture. He is
as well a devoted painter. Mr. McCullough and his wife Rosalee Barnes
McCullough have five children and eighteen grandchildren.
His current project is a book about Americans in Paris, from the 1830's to
1930's.
