'History Matters,' a posthumous essay collection by David McCullough, will be published this fall

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NEW YORK (AP) — A collection of essays by the late David McCullough, including some never published before, will be released this fall.

“History Matters” is scheduled for Sept. 16, Simon & Schuster announced Tuesday. McCullough's daughter, Dorie McCullough Lawson, and longtime researcher Michael Hill co-edited the book. Fellow historian Jon Meacham contributed a foreword.

“It has been an honor to work with my father’s writings in the years since his death," Lawson said in a statement. "My mother, Rosalee, always said that his work was built to last, and it has been reassuring to see how right she was. What comes through most clearly in this collection are the themes of his optimism, integrity, careful study, independence, creativity, hard work, and love of country.”

McCullough, who died in 2022 at age 89, was a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and among the most beloved and influential historians of his time. His books include biographies of President Harry Truman and President John Adams, “1776" and an acclaimed work on the Brooklyn Bridge, “The Great Bridge.”

“Over the course of his distinguished storytelling career, David McCullough emphatically showed the public why history matters,” Simon & Schuster’s announcement reads in part.

“Now, at a time of self-reflection in America following an election that has left the country divided, his essays explore core American values to which we all subscribe, regardless of which region we live in, which political party we identify with, or how our backgrounds differ — values like optimism, determination, and character. The book also shares McCullough’s advice about writing along with his own early influences and inspirations.”