Brave Companions by David McCullough: book review

Brave Companions: Portraits in History (2007) is a collection of stories, articles, or profiles, of 17 great people in history.

Historian David McCullough divides the book into five sections: (1) Phenomena, (2) The Real West, (3) Pioneers, (4) Figures in a Landscape, and (5) On We Go.

He covers the following people: (1) Alexander von Humboldt, (2) Louis Agassiz, (3) Harriet Beecher Stowe, (4) Antoine de Vallombrosa, Marqis de Mores, (5) Fred Remington, (6) Bedford Clapperton Pim, (7) Washington Roebling, (8) Francis P. Valentine, (9) Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., (10) Conrad Richter, (11) Harry Monroe Caudill, (12) Miriam Rothschild, (13) David Plowden, (14) the city, Washington DC, (15) America 1936-1969, (16) Anna Sadilek, and (17) Simon Willard.

These are all brave companions, ‘the best of companions.’

Not all were as successful as they aimed to be: ‘Humboldt never reached the summit of Chimborazo. Agassiz’s star faded. Washington Roebling endured the painful effects of his work on the Brooklyn Bridge for the rest of his days. Harry Caudill did not live to see an end to strip mining or poverty in Kentucky. Yet … these are all success stories.’

As the author says, history is chiefly about life. And so he tells of the lives of the ‘unfathomable forces’ in history that make great individuals. Are the forces events, single personalities, a person’s character, or the collective activities of a group?

There are interesting facts throughout the book. German explorer and naturalist Alexander von Humboldt put the village Esmeralda in South America on the map, where it often remains to this day, ‘despite the fact that there is no longer a single trace of the place.’

I liked the chapter on British naturalist Miriam Rothschild (1908-2005), whose specialty was fleas, especially bird fleas. But she also contributed knowledge on anatomy, chemistry, entomology, pharmacology, neurophysiology, zoology, marine biology, and botany. She was the first person to install seat belts in a motor car, and tried, unsuccessfully, to have the idea patented. Miriam was also, secretly, involved in the Enigma Project at Bletchley Park trying to decipher German code during the war. For all of that, living to 96 years of age, she describes herself as a farmer.

I also liked the chapter on American Simon Willard (1605-1676), the clockmaker – but before that he was a senator, secretary of state, and president. He established the Smithsonian Institution.

McCullough includes a range of historical people and their impact on the world in diverse fields. What do they have in common? Their common traits include engagement, commitment, enthusiasm, focus, concentrated effort, energy, stamina, and the belief that everything in life is interesting. The key is attitude, McCullough says. This fascinating book proves it.

MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...

Apes go to the movies - and remember the scenes

Apes remember major events in movies, even after a single viewing. That’s the findings of primate research in Japan (New Scientist, September 17, 2015). Researchers at the Kyoto University in Japan conducted experiments with two species of apes – chimpanzees and bonobo primates – to test their memory and recall. Instead of using food to test memory, they used films. The researchers made two short movies to show to the apes. Fumihiro Kano and his colleague, Satoshi Hirata, starred in the films with another person dressed as an ape. They wanted to have strong dramatic scenes to see if the apes remembered them. In the first 30-second movie the character ape bursts through a door on the right hand side (there is also a door on the left hand side) and attacks the two researchers (characters) 18 seconds after the start. After 24 seconds a human character choses one of two weapons next to each other and launched a revenge attack on the ape. In the second 30-second movie t...

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog