of all the people you learned about, who would you not want to meet because of what you learned about them? i can t think of one. i ll tell you why. this book was different for me in form than anything i ve ever done because if you are writing a biography or writing the history of an event or an accomplishment, there is a certain obvious track, a certain structure that s built into the subject. and you re obligated to respect that and cover it, write about it, in all fairness to your reader. the cast of characters is already ordained. with this book, i could cast the book myself. i would pick the people that i wanted to write about. it probably 12 major characters in this book. probably 20-some people overall who appear, americans. but that s a fraction of the number that went to paris during this 70-year period that i m covering. so in organizing the book, organizing my approach to the subject, i was in many ways like a casting director. they would come in, show me what th
i somehow or other know exactly when i suddenly bought that is the title, the greater journey, because i was trying to think what is this book about. it s about a journey, but a different kind of journey, or a mission, or an adventure, or an odyssey. the word journey kept coming back. then i was thinking about the voyage of these americans who ventured off to france at a time when they all were only able to go across the north atlantic by sailing ship. it was rough and anything but traveling on a cruise liner, and what a journey that was. and then they landed at the same place, almost all of them, and they went by land to paris, which was a two-day trip by a huge, cumbersome stagecoach affair. they would stop at rouen for the first time, and they would see for the first time a european masterpiece, the cathedral. many of them wrote at length and very much from the heart about the impact of this one building, this one experience and that they knew something greater had begun
this week on q&a, historian david mccullough. his latest book will be released this week. it is about the many americans who went to paris from 1830 to 1900 to further their vocation. the book is called the greater journey: americans in paris. david mccullough, where did you get the title for your new book, the greater journey ? it happened on november 15th as a matter of fact. i somehow or other know exactly when i suddenly thought, that is the title, the greater journey, because i was trying to think what is this book about. it s about a journey, but a different kind of journey, or a mission, or an adventure, or an odyssey. i kept working with these words. the word journey kept coming back. then i was thinking about the voyage of these americans who ventured off to france at a time when they all were only able to go across the north atlantic by sailing ship. it was rough and anything but traveling on a cruise liner, and what a journey that was. and then they
i somehow or other know exactly when i suddenly bought that is thought, that is the title, the greater journey, because i was trying to think what is this book about. it s about a journey, but a different kind of journey, or a mission, or an adventure, or an odyssey. i kept working with these words. the word journey kept coming back. then i was thinking about the voyage of these americans who ventured off to france at a time when they all were only able to go across the north atlantic by sailing ship. it was rough and anything but traveling on a cruise liner, and what a journey that was. and then they landed at the same place, almost all of them, and they went by land to paris, which was a two-day trip by a huge, cumbersome stagecoach affair. they would stop at rouen for the first time, and they would see for the first time a european masterpiece, the cathedral. many of them wrote at length and very much from the heart about the impact of this one building, this one exper