David McCullough (1933-2022) was an American historian, biographer, and narrator celebrated for his accessible, archive-driven popular histories. His major works, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographies Truman (1992) and John Adams (2001), positioned him at the center of a late-20th-century revival of narrative history. As the familiar voice of documentaries like Ken Burns’s The Civil War, he bridged academic scholarship and broad civic audiences, becoming one of America’s most trusted historical storytellers. In History Matters, a posthumous collection of his essays and speeches, McCullough argues for history as a source of lived uncertainty, human character, and civic gratitude. He models a method grounded in archival immersion and writing for the ear, reinforcing his belief that historical literacy is both a civic duty and a source of delight.

McCullough’s distinguished body of work earned him two Pulitzer Prizes, two National Book Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This public recognition solidified his role as a national educator whose work reached millions. 

His authorial perspective is rooted in a fascination with how unpredictability and character drive events. He chooses moments in history where the outcome is uncertain and individuals, through agency and choice, shape the future, portraying history not a predetermined path but a series of human decisions: “History, I really believe, is best understood as an unfolding story” (37).