David McCullough on Why He Wrote About Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman and John Adams

During an appearance on Book TV's In Depth program in December 2001, author David McCullough was asked about a common theme that united the subjects of three of his books on Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman and John Adams. "A lot of what I write is about courage, and they were three very courageous men...They we're all avid book readers, they were all avid writers, each in his way, They all--each in his way-- had to overcome a serious handicap in life, and I think they were all men of exceptional integrity and true patriotism," he said of the three men. close