List of David McCullough Quotes

Housetops Were Covered With 'gazers'; All Wharves That Offered A View Were Jammed With People ... As British Officers Happily Reminded One Another, It Was The Largest Fleet Ever Seen In American Waters. In Fact It Was The Largest Expeditionary Force Of The 18th Century, The Largest, Most Powerful Force Ever Sent Forth By Britain Or Any Other Nation.

...had Proven Himself A Leader Of Remarkable Ability, A Man Not Only Of Enterprising Ideas, But With The Staying Power To Carry Them Out.

They Must Be Cool But Determined...he Threatened Instant Death To Any Man Who Showed Cowardice.

Once I Discovered The Endless Fascination Of Doing The Research And Of Doing The Writing, I Knew I Had Found What I Wanted To Do In My Life. Every Book Is A New Journey. I Never Felt I Was An Expert On A Subject As I Embarked On A Project.

My Love Is To Tell A Story But I Like Stories That Evolve From Character, From The Nature Of The Individuals Involved.

Washington Had Performed His Role To Perfection. It Was No Enough That A Leader Look The Part; By Washington's Rules, He Must Know How To Act It With Self-command And Precision.

You Have To Get Inside The People You Are Writing About. You Have To Go Below The Surface. And That's To A Very Large Degree What All Writers Are Doing - They're Trying To Get Below The Surface. Whether It's In Fiction Or Poetry Or Writing History And Biography. Some People Make That Possible Because They Write Wonderful Letters And Diaries. And You Have To Sort Of Go Where The Material Is.

I'm Drawn Particularly To Stories That Evolve Out Of The Character Of The Protagonist.

Read. Read. Read. Read. Read Great Books. Read Poetry, History, Biography. Read The Novels That Have Stood The Test Of Time. And Read Closely.

Napoleon Could Never Imagine That Some People Loved Their Country As Much As He Loved His Own.

When You Start To Write, Things Begin To Come Into Focus In A Way They Don't When You're Not Writing. It's A Very Good Way To Find Out How Much You Don't Know Because You Learn Specifically What You Need To Know That You Don't Know At The Moment By Writing.

I Write On The Typewriter. I Like It Because I Like The Feeling Of Making Something With My Hands. I Like Pressing The Key And A Letter Comes Up And Is Printed On A Piece Of Paper. I Can Understand That.