David McCullough’s posthumous collection, HISTORY MATTERS, is drawing wide acclaim ahead of its publication next week. Publishers Weekly praises it as “an enjoyable and warmhearted valedictory hymn to the American spirit,” while the Associated Press calls it “an enjoyable complement to McCullough’s canon” and a reminder of why he was “one of the greatest historians of our time.” The Boston Globe writes: “In his previous books, McCullough is delivering a classroom lecture… In this collection, he is at your dinner table, talking over a plate of asparagus and passing the butter.” National Review emphasizes McCullough’s belief that “knowledge of history was foundational for citizenship and patriotism,” and the Washington Examiner deems it “a delightful primer” for those anticipating America’s 250th anniversary. LitHub featured the book among its “Most Anticipated of 2025,” while Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan commended its “seriousness and simplicity” that “make for beauty.” Lastly, a warm review from Kirkus reads: “McCullough made a fine career of storytelling his way through past events and the great men (and occasional woman) of long-ago American history. In that regard, to say nothing of his eschewing modern technology in favor of the typewriter (‘I love the way the bell rings every time I swing the carriage lever’), he might be thought of as belonging to a past age himself. In this set of occasional pieces, including various speeches and genial essays on what to read and how to write, he strikes a strong tone as an old-fashioned moralist…At his best here, McCullough uses history as a way to orient thinking about the present, and with luck to good ends: ‘I am a short-range pessimist and a long-range optimist. I sincerely believe that we may be on the way to a very different and far better time.’ A pleasure for fans of old-school historical narratives.” HISTORY MATTERS will be published by Simon & Schuster on September 16, 2025.
David McCullough’s posthumous collection, HISTORY MATTERS, is drawing wide acclaim ahead of its publication next week. Publishers Weekly praises it as “an enjoyable and warmhearted valedictory hymn to the American spirit,” while the Associated Press calls it “an enjoyable complement to McCullough’s canon” and a reminder of why he was “one of the greatest historians of our time.” The Boston Globe writes: “In his previous books, McCullough is delivering a classroom lecture… In this collection, he is at your dinner table, talking over a plate of asparagus and passing the butter.” National Review emphasizes McCullough’s belief that “knowledge of history was foundational for citizenship and patriotism,” and the Washington Examiner deems it “a delightful primer” for those anticipating America’s 250th anniversary. LitHub featured the book among its “Most Anticipated of 2025,” while Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan commended its “seriousness and simplicity” that “make for beauty.” Lastly, a warm review from Kirkus reads: “McCullough made a fine career of storytelling his way through past events and the great men (and occasional woman) of long-ago American history. In that regard, to say nothing of his eschewing modern technology in favor of the typewriter (‘I love the way the bell rings every time I swing the carriage lever’), he might be thought of as belonging to a past age himself. In this set of occasional pieces, including various speeches and genial essays on what to read and how to write, he strikes a strong tone as an old-fashioned moralist…At his best here, McCullough uses history as a way to orient thinking about the present, and with luck to good ends: ‘I am a short-range pessimist and a long-range optimist. I sincerely believe that we may be on the way to a very different and far better time.’ A pleasure for fans of old-school historical narratives.” HISTORY MATTERS will be published by Simon & Schuster on September 16, 2025.
