"The American Spirit"

This last week we attended our Chinese daughter-in-law's US citizenship ceremony. I wanted to give her something to honor this auspicious (really big deal) occasion and I thought I would give her a little pocket-size copy of the Declaration and Constitution. When I went looking for that (which I got for her), I discovered David McCullough's "The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For".

I love McCullough's writing and have read a number of his books including 1776 and John Adams. This book is a compilation of his speeches from 1994 through the present at college graduations, anniversaries of important American institutions, and times when history was important to relate. His words speak to us today as surely as they did when he spoke. He is pithy, humorous and eloquent. He doesn't use long words. He simply puts words together in articulate and impressive ways that bring alive the players from the past so that we can understand ourselves better today.

He writes so well that once I started reading, I decided my 11-year-old granddaughter could read it too. Her mother had expressed and interest and so they received a copy. My best friend teaches government so I sent her a copy. I think a number of other people will receive copies because today we all need the hope for the future that the past can offer.

It is available on Kindle, in hard copy, and probably at your local library. I strongly suggest your reading it. Speeches are short and easy to read and they come with wonderful old pictures. David McCullough is the premiere historian of our times and his words are a blessing today.