Book Review - The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough

I had heard of David McCullough, and even purchased his books as gifts for others, but I myself never read any of his books until The Wright Brothers. I preordered is a week or so before it came out on a whim, and was not disappointed. I absolutely loved that book and the way the story was told. I couldn't wait to read more. But after reading a half dozen of his books, I could. They were all good, but none of them reached the heights The Wright Brothers had. Until I read this book.

The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough is a nonfiction history of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge (in case the title didn't tip you off). It is available as an eBook, Audiobook, and one of those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Storytelling. I had avoided this book for quite a while, because I couldn't fathom how this story could be at all interesting. Somehow David McCullough found a way. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't wait to hear more.

Subject Matter. I wasn't aware of how amazing building the bridge was, especially for its time. The author did an excellent job picking a subject worth a book.

Extra History. David McCullough includes a lot of extra history in his books to help provide context (and because he lovers history) which I found very fascinating and educational.

The Bad

Ummm.....

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish he had included the story of the plans that had been forgotten about and how impressive they were once they were recently discovered. It's in another work of his, but would have added even more wonder and amazement.

Overall

The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough is an incredible book. I thoroughly enjoyed it from the first page to the last. The bridge itself is an incredible work of engineering, but David McCullough found a way to make the story come alive while still providing the technical details. I give this book 5 out of 5 eReaders.

    

Book Review - Brave Companions: Portraits in History by David McCullough

History is so important. So many people and their contributions have been

Brave Companions: Portraits in History is a collection of short, historical writings by David McCullough. It's available as an eBook, audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Journey to the Top of the World. This tells the story of an early scientist and his journey thru South America. His name and contributions are mostly unknown today, and yet at the time he was one of the greatest living scientists making some of the most remarkable discoveries. This section is heavily science focused, but still interesting.

The American Adventure of Louis Agassiz. This is another mostly unknown scientist and educator today who was a major name in his day. He was a bit essentric, which makes his story a little more interesting.

Glory Days in Medora. This is the story of the creation of the myth of the Old West. It was a bit sad and melancholy but still fascinating.

Remington. This is the story of a western artist. I found it interesting, because I'm an artist and the author focused on the method and progression. But to a nonartist this will probably be seen as boring.

Steam Road to El Dorado. This is the story of the Panama Railroad. If you've read McCullough's Panama Canal book, then it's nearly the same story only shorter. But it is still interesting and worth the read.

The Builders. This was probably the most interesting the essays. It tells the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, and it is a fascinating story filled with drama, twists, and unbelievable events.

The Treasure from the Carpentry Shop. This is the story of the discovery of the plans for the Brooklyn Bridge and the unbelievable treasure of craftsmanship they were. The story itself is pretty mediocre, but it makes an excellent coda to the story of the Bridge itself, and for that I enjoyed it.

Long-Distance Vision. This tells the story of the writings of the early aviators of the 20th Century and makes several interesting observations, such as how no other group had similar literary aspirations or accomplishments. The author postulates that the factors which drove these individuals to fly during the experimental days of aviation are the same factors that causes one to write. I had heard of these pilots, but I had never heard of any of their books, but I plan to check them out.

Extraordinary Times. This was a really interesting look at the history of the world from 1936 to the present focusing on the political events while ignoring the cultural and technological changes. Despite the glaring omissions and prejudices for the best known events, he makes many excellent observations that I found insightful.

The Bad

The Unexpected Mrs. Stowe. This tells the story of the writing of Uncle Tom's Cabin. The name of the book and basic plot is well known, although the author and details of the writing are less so. I found this chapter so boring I actually hit skip halfway thru.

Cross the Blue Mountain. This is the meanderings of an author I've never heard of and have no intention of reading after hearing his story.

The Lonely War of a Good Angry Man. This is a rant against strip mining. Instead of presenting a logical case with facts, it really is little more than an angry rant of an angry man.

Miriam Rothschild. I have heard of this person, but the story was more strange than interesting. I was glad when it finally ended.

South of Kankakee: A Day with David Plowden. I love photography, and I found the ideas interesting, but the way it was told could have been so much better executed.

Washington on the Potomac. I learned a lot of interesting history from this, but it was sure a painful trip to get to it. It could have been more interestingly told.

Recommended Itinerary. The point this chapter made was excellent and one ever American needs to be aware of. I just wish it wasn't so painful to get thru.

Simon Willard's Clock. Like the last chapter, this one made excellent points. But again, I wish it hadn't been so painful to get thru.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the writing had been stronger. This was not up to David McCullough's usual standard, and I was very disappointed.

Overall

Brave Companions: Portraits in History by David McCullough is a mixed bag of essays and speeches he's written over many years. Most featured people I had never heard of, and a few I can see why. But others made significant contributions and should be better known. Some of the essays were very concise and fascinating while others meandered to uninteresting places. Overall, I give it 3.5 out of 5 eReaders.

   

Book Review - The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 by David McCullough

I knew the Panama Canal and been built and it was a boon to shipping because of how much time it saved sailing from ocean to ocean, but other than that I was clueless as to its history or the challenges and sacrifice associated with its construction, nor did I really care. But I love this period of history, so I was curious.

The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914 is a nonfiction history of the creation of the Panama Canal (hence the title) written by David McCullough. It's available in all formats: eBooks, Audiobooks, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

The Good

Information. This book is chuck full of information and answered questions I never thought to ask. Every aspect of the construction from the initial idea to the discussions to the financing and planning to the fundraising to the political challenges to the completion was explored thoroughly. I had no idea that it was the largest, most expensive venture undertaken by modern man outside of war.

Complete and Thorough. The author really did his homework. He covered all angles and answered all questions that could be answered given what information is still available. Ancillary events that affected the construction in one way or another were also explored to give the reader a clear view of what was happening in the world at the same time and what effect it had.

The Bad

Storytelling. This book reads more like a scholarly documentary or a list of facts than a story. Some people may appreciate that, but I found it boring. The author took the identical methodical approach to every last detail making the narrative feel very repetitive. After reading Wright Brothers, I know the author is capable of conveying history in a much more interesting fashion. Considering the subject matter and all the drama and intrigue that went on during the entire process, he certainly had plenty of material to work with.

Pacing. This book is very long and feels very long. I felt like I was in the trench digging the path between the seas. 

Treatment. The small, seemingly insignificant details are given the same treatment as the intense drama, unbelievable intrigue, and heart-wrenching sacrifice of human life. This had the effect of downplaying the really important and moving events and exaggerating the importance and role of lesser matters.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wish the author had written this as more of a thrilling novel than a dry recitation of facts like in a press conference or a question and answer session. The potential was there with all the drama, intrigue, triumph, and tragedy.

Overall

As a scholarly account of history, The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal is excellent in its thoroughness telling you everything that is known or can be deduced about the entire process. As a story, it doesn't work as well downplaying all the drama and intrigue as mere matters of fact. It's a very long book that feels like a very long book. The information is worth 5 eReaders, but the poor conveyance of it forces me to give the book 4 out of 5 eReaders.

     

Book Review: The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

I had heard a lot about David McCullough, and had even purchased one of his books for my brother, but I had never read anything by him myself when Audible listed The Wright Brothers for preorder. I had a few dollars in credit to spend, and for whatever reason I clicked on preorder without thinking. I never preorder audiobooks. I also never order books I've never previewed or read reviews for unless it is by an author I love. In fourth grade I had read a biography about the Wright Brothers and figured I knew everything there was to know (because books for fourth graders are so complete and go so in depth). But something drew me to this title.

The Wright Brothers is a biography written by David McCullough covering the life of Wilbur and Orville Wright, their early life, the lives of their immediate family members, their venture into the bicycle business, and their work on inventing the first airplane and bringing it to market. It covers their personal lives as much as their public contributions. It's available in all formats: eBook, Audiobook, and those old-fashioned paper book things.

The Good

The History. The thing that surprised me most about the Wright Brothers is how normal and average they were. They seemed like normal people that might be living next door. I was also surprised that they didn't have some great stroke of genius or luck leading to their great invention. It was a lot of hard work, trial and error, and perseverance. Nothing happened to them that couldn't or hasn't happened to anyone else--they just happened to work on a project that had far reaching impacts. And it was that ordinariness, that common experience, that really drew me in.

The Storytelling. The Wright Brothers' invention was monumental to the development of so much in the Twentieth Century, and yet the Wright Brothers' story itself was pretty commonplace and similar to the stories of a thousand people both successful and unsuccessful. And yet somehow David McCullough made it sound like the most intriguing story of the last century. Every event he chose to include, every time he paused to add description or other details, held my attention. I never found myself bored or feeling like the story dragged. And yet there was nothing dishonest, hyperbolic, or overdramatic in his telling. It was very straightforward.

Complete. When I read John Adams by the same author, I was disappointed how little was included outside of Adams' political life and events that directly tied to the destiny of the United States. I wanted to find out more about the man and his family. The Wright Brothers does not suffer from the same shortcomings. I felt I understood the brothers as people just as much as political figures. I also felt I knew the town they came from and the family and friends that were important parts of their lives. I felt this biography was complete with every germane fact included. I wasn't left with any questions or wondering about something that wasn't covered. I really appreciate that.

The Bad

The only thing bad I can say about this book is it was so good and so interesting, everything I've read by David McCullough since has been disappointing in comparison. I shouldn't have started with the best, because there's only one way to go when you're on top.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I've got nothing.

Overall

The Wright Brothers was such a well-written and engaging story, I couldn't put it down. Even though the events weren't the most momentous or exciting in history, somehow David McCullough brought them alive in a way that was as entertaining as it was informative. I appreciate how equal attention was paid to their personal lives as their public contribution with an objective eye. I highly recommend it for all readers and give it a solid 5 out of 5 eReaders.