Friday, May 19, 2017

American Spirit

American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For
By David McCullough
Simon & Schuster, 2017. 176 pgs. Nonfiction

American Spirit is a wonderful collection of 15 speeches written and delivered by David McCullough.  Many are commencement speeches and the others were given to commemorate significant dates, place, or people in American History.  They are all insightful and timely.  As McCullough states in his introduction, he shares them to “help remind us, in this time of uncertainty and contention, of just who we are and what we stand for…”.  Here he provides careful words of advice and admonition that we stand for what is right, that we make a difference in the world, and that we do not ignore the examples and lessons of the past (also that we stop using the works like and actually).

I feel like David McCullough is currently America’s grandfather.  His messages are wise, patient, and slightly exasperated with the current generation and I absolutely love him for it.  Each speech, like each of his books, provides insight and entertainment and leaves you feeling uplifted and enlightened.  And, if you’ve never listened to any of his audiobooks, I highly recommend listening to this one.  He is a wonderful speaker and it is a treat to hear his words in his own patriarchal voice.

CG

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