In Memoriam

David McCullough died yesterday at age 89.

A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which he received from President George W. Bush in 2006, McCullough was a 1955 graduate of Yale, where he received a Bachelors degree in English literature.  He went on to work for Sports Illustrated, but was fascinated with the Johnstown Flood and worked on a book on it in his spare time.  That led him on to a career as a historian.

A master storyteller, he was sometimes criticized for not being an academic historian.  Nonetheless, his works are highly regarded.  Of his thirteen books, I've read three, all of which were excellent.  Also possessed of a calm, reassuring voice, he narrated a number of documentaries and even one feature movie, the same being Seabiscuit.