Brave Companions

Title: Brave Companions: Portraits in History

Author: David McCullough

Pages: 240

Genre: Non-Fiction, History

Grade: A

Synopsis: Each chapter of this book focuses on an exceptional man of woman who has helped to shape the course of history. The book is composed of short essays about Alexander von Humboldt, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederic Remington, Louis Agassiz, Charles & Anne Lindbergh and others. Each of these persons profiled has done something exceptional.

My Review: If you've ever looked at McCullough's 7-800 page books and thought that they looked too overwhelming, then this is the book for you.  It gives you a taste of the storytelling abilities of David McCullough and you may find yourself wanting to read one of his longer books to learn more.  It seems like these essays are a sort of preview to the longer books about some of these same individuals that McCullough has written since this book was published.

On a side note, this book brings McCullough's reviewed books on this blog to 8, which breaks a tie with Brandon Mull and John Grisham (and with J. K. Rowling and Dan Brown right behind).