David McCullough, the Pulitzer Prize winning author whose lovingly crafted narratives on subjects ranging from the Brooklyn Bridge to presidents John Adams and Harry Truman made him among the most popular and influential historians of his time, has died. He was 89. McCullough died Sunday at his Massachusetts home. He had been in failing health and died less than two months after his beloved wife, Rosalee.
McCullough dedicated himself to sharing his own passion for history with the general public. He saw himself as an everyman, blessed with lifelong curiosity, and the chance to take on the subjects he cared about most. His fascination with architecture and construction inspired his early works on the Panama Canal and the Brooklyn Bridge. While his admiration for leaders whom he believed were good men, drew him to John Adams and Harry Truman in the 70s and 80s. He indulged his affection for Paris with the 2011 release of "The Greater Journey" and for aviation with the bestseller on The Wright brothers that came out in 2015.
David McCullough was a frequent guest on this program, as well as The Book Show. I spoke with him in 2017 about a project he worked on examining the American spirit through speeches he'd written and delivered throughout his illustrious career.