274 Quotes by 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.

In fact, it was the largest expeditionary force of the 18th century. The largest, most powerful force ever set forth from Britain or any nation.

The great thing about the arts is that you can only learn to do it by doing it.

I would pay to do what I do if I had to.

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?

It was a day and age that saw no reason why one could not learn whatever was required - learn vitally anything - by the close study of books.

History isn't just what happened, but what happened to whom and why and what would have been different if the cast of characters had been different.

First of all, you can make the argument that there's no such thing as the past. Nobody lived in the past.

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