Some interesting stories. Would not recommend the audio book version.

Brave Companions: Portraits in History is a collection of essays of various people in history. One of the things I admire about David McCullough is the passion he has for his craft. I can tell that he enjoys what he does, and there's a lot to be said about that.

This was partly autobiographical as well - in some of these essays, McCullough comments he was in the process of writing some of his books, so readers get a bit of "behind the scenes" of how David McCullough works. He is very hands on and present - he personally researches his subjects.

This collection was pretty wide ranging, with David McCullough's slant toward engineering feats and human ingenuity which I've seen throughout much of his work. In the preface, he says (I am paraphrasing) that like an artist, he wants to paint a picture of the person or people he is writing about. I'd say he's one of the best at doing that.

With this, I have completed my Classic BINGO challenge (nonfiction square). The rest of the year reading for me is now completely wide open. Along with the BINGO board, I finished a re-read of my favorite book series, Shannara, and completed my GR Reading Challenge.

I love McCullough. This collection of interesting, less conspicuous people, places, things, and events truly excites one to read more and more! My To-read list just grew.

Inspiring and brilliantly written. A great collection of writings from David McCullough from over the years.

I recently finished reading "Brave Companions" by David McCullough, and I must say it was a fascinating read. McCullough's talent for storytelling shines through as he brings to life the remarkable individuals who have shaped American history. From the fearless aviators who took to the skies to the daring explorers who ventured into uncharted territories, each chapter is filled with captivating narratives and rich historical details. McCullough's meticulous research and engaging prose make this book a true delight for history enthusiasts. Whether you're already familiar with American history or just starting to explore it, "Brave Companions" offers a fresh perspective and a deeper understanding of the remarkable people who have shaped the nation.

When comparing "Brave Companions" to another book, I find similarities in its ability to humanize historical figures and bring their stories to life. Just like McCullough's work, Erik Larson's "The Devil in the White City" stands out as a riveting historical non-fiction book. Larson skillfully intertwines the tale of the Chicago World's Fair with the chilling story of serial killer H.H. Holmes, creating a narrative that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Both books succeed in blending meticulous research with compelling storytelling, making them engaging reads that transport you to a different time and place.

These books not only provide historical insights but also offer a profound appreciation for the incredible individuals who have shaped our world.

The start of this book was very strong. I enjoyed the things I learned about remarkable individuals. Closer to the end, there were some accounts I admit I found rather dry and uninteresting, though I think that’s just because of my interests and not the fault of McCullough himself.

McCullough might just be the most inspiring historian/biographer I've read. His writing is a model of well-chosen details and sweeping narrative. It is stirring, passionate, careful storytelling built on incredible scholarship and a love of people.

This was a fun collection. One or two didn't interest me so much, but most had me captivated.

Loved it. And the author has a great second name!

This was so interesting. It was twelve discs, but so very fascinating to listen to. If you enjoy history, you will enjoy this book.

Book Court - Where I'm the Judge and Jury

CHARGE (What was the author trying to say?): To show how history is made up of background stories.

FACTS: Though I am not a fan of short stories or essays, I found these very compelling. The essays explain how courage played a role in the lives of great figures of the 19th Century and how courage allowed them to accomplish extraordinary things. From Harriet Beecher Stow to Simon Willard, figures known and unknown, we have an opportunity to go behind the pages of history and get a glimpse into fear, desire, motivations, and moral resolve. There is a common thread running though each of these vignettes. They all led lives of active discovery and their work was truly inspiring. Success was achieved through their attitudes - something worth pondering.

VERDICT (Was the author successful?): Guilty, as charged.

I'm sure some readers today would say this book doesn't have enough diversity, but it was written in the mid-80s and remains fascinating and inspiring nonetheless. And there's nothing awkward or dismissive about the greater, more diverse America. It's just not what David McCullough spent decades studying.

This book is a series of short (8-10 pages) portraits of people who were hugely influential in America in their day. Some are remembered, and some are forgotten. Some are remembered for one thing and forgotten for other things. It's sort of like McCullough said that if you really want to have a wide range of understanding of the country's history, here's how to go beyond the standard textbook and here's how to (mostly) feel good about things that have been done.

Stories range from how Teddy Roosevelt got his toughness in the West, through a look at the mostly ghost town where he had his cattle, to the amazing engineering effort that went into the Brooklyn Bridge, to the mostly forgotten stories of Owen Wister. Some tales are pretty familiar these days, such as the modest accomplishments of US Grant until he became the great Civil War General, or the horrors of strip mining in Kentucky (though it gets a great treatment here through the personage of the man most responsible for bringing the practices to scrutiny). Frederick Remington is well known, too, but the extraordinary energy he put into painting, writing and then sculpture is humbling for any of us who think we ever did anything hard. It's all great.

McCullough has the insatiable interests of the people he profiles. He finds everything to be interesting, and it's fortunate that he takes us along for a ride. In these dark Trump times, it's good to be reminded that there is greatness in America and a freedom to make a difference that will have positive impact for decades and generations. I'm looking forward 50 years from now to reading about the leaders of The Resistance who are surely strategizing, organizing and litigating right now. They will have their own biographer.

Enjoyed David McCullough's conversational tone, as always. He paints interesting portrait of all his subjects.

Building the 47-mile Panama Railroad (the world's first intercontinental railroad) cost the lives of probably 6000 men, who succumbed to malaria, or depression from the utter hell it was to build something of that sort through a jungle without surveying equipment, or machines of any kind.

David McCullough is taken with these kinds of endeavors in this great book of stories about achievement in history, mostly American history.

He also writes about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, another achievement with a heavy human toll. One of his best chapters is about the engineer who in the 1970s or so discovered the drawings of each part of the bridge, each tool, each.

The book is a series of vignettes of this kind, but McCullough is also aware that, as heroic as these kinds of endeavors were in their time, in our era they can be equally toxic. He writes, for example, about Harry Caudill, from eastern Kentucky, a gadfly against the strip mining that has mangled and taken away so much of that country.

This is my kind of history - the kind that finds the stories, the epic adventure and tells it with the drama and personal detail that it needs.