You might be surprised to hear how inspired, empowered, enraged, or even educated your friends are from a single reading experience. What do you think motivated the author to share his or her story?
Did the book spook you, or get under your skin, in any way? When the conversation starts to lull, these questions can bring it back to life. Its success shows how big the gap between critical history and the ‘popular history’ that makes it to best-seller lists, Costco, and Target remains … McCullough is only interested in finding the good in these men. I read both reviews and found them both biased.
David McCullough is back with another of his interesting tomes on American history, this time turning to some of the early settlers. Some critics, like Associated Press‘ Jeff Ayers, have dubbed McCullough “a master of research.” Others, like Rebecca Onion of Slate, took issue with his narrative slant, arguing that “McCullough is approvingly repeating one of the founding myths that justified stealing land from Native tribes—and it doesn’t seem like he even knows it.”. His many other highly-acclaimed works of historical non-fiction include The Greater Journey, 1776, Brave Companions, The Great Bridge, The Wright Brothers, and The Johnstown Flood. They both basically accuse McCullough of ignoring the "correct" version of history. 29. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published Why did the author tell the story this way? Pulitzer Prize–winning historian David McCullough rediscovers an important and dramatic chapter in the American story—the settling of the Northwest Territory by dauntless pioneers who overcame incredible hardships to build a community based on ideals that would come to define … Your options are limitless. We may earn commission from the links on this page. Are there any characters you'd like to deliver a lecture to?
From the start, I was immediately struck by its excessive quantity of detail, the multitude of individuals referred to and that the prose did not flow well.
They do have an excellent teacher, but what they study in grammar school barely scratches the surface of Ohio history. The most recent titles are first on the list. In this piece, McCullough explores those who ventured outside the original thirteen states to explore the newly opened and vast territories of the Midwest. As someone born and raised in Ohio, and whose ancestors were among the first European settlers in these early days, I was interested in reading these stories as told by a master historian.
Do you think you'll remember it in a few months or years? What I learned in high school and college back in the 70's and 80's, is to a large extent irrelevant, so completely has the revision been, and continues to be. The book is completely based off the real letters and diaries from 5 people who were actual pion…more Id argue that these answers are not entirely correct. Or were they ‘the enemy’ who had to be eliminated?
“The Northwest Ordinance was designed to guarantee what would one day be known as the American way of life.”. The book is completely based off the real letters and diaries from 5 people who were actual pioneers that settled in Ohio and the midwest. As anybody found the cd version really boring? You’re safe here, @niecynash1. There were so ma. A simple opinion-based question, asking how people feel about the ending is a great way to start healthy debates within your book club. "Adversities Aplenty" then proceeds to outline the myriad challenges facing Marietta's residents as the settlement grew into a large town. Of all the information presented in the book, what has stayed you the most? #ReadWithUs, A post shared by Oprah’s Book Club (@oprahsbookclub) on Jan 19, 2020 at 5:00pm PST. The WP piece does point out some of the deficiencies of the book. The WP review is a bit better but focuses too much on the writer's politically correct version of history. The reviews/ratings for this book will surely reflect that, since revisiting well known early Americans and their roles in Native American treatment and slavery are hot topics today. What questions do you still have? Welcome back. But at least one person thought it was too short and wished for more detail. I read both reviews and found them both biased. lol I just got through an hour of the book (almost to the end of chapter 1) & I just don't know if I can finish. Since it did disappoint me I should be giving it two stars instead of three but my disappointment might be somewhat unfair and subjective so I give it three in recognition of my failings and not the author's. 6 Groups That May Convince You to Join a Book Club, Kickstart Your Book Club with These Picks. When you commit yourself to celebrating a group of people—to repeating platitudes they wrote about each other and not looking at outlying evidence too carefully—things get boring quickly … Even when McCullough does include interesting evidence, the kind that contradicts his hagiography a little, he seems utterly resistant to analyzing it.”, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), on pregnancy, tenure, and wading through the politics of academia. Did you find the author's story compelling? I've long been a fan of David McCullough, having read and enjoyed four of his earlier books. So the Native Americans are regarded as "savages" and the Ohio frontier as a "wilderness." Luckily, I do. It’s hard to strike a balance between questions that are open-ended and inclusive, but not so broad that certain members (ahem! Armed with the passion to explore, these men sought to develop a way of life not seen on these lands before, encountering much in the wilderness, from well-established Indian settlements to countless animals who had made the future states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin their home. Did McCullough address the impact that the settlers had on the Native Americans? Also interesting was learning about the settling of Ohio as opposed to the Kentucky and Tennessee clichés. The best king of stories feature dynamic characters who change throughout the book.
Book Club Questions for Nonfiction. When it was time for college, I had to choose between, among others, Ohio University and Marietta College (the latter won out). Would you want to read another book by this author? So as you can see, a very mixed read for me. How does the book's title work in relation to the book's contents? Today we’re taking a look at Pulitzer-Prize winning historian David McCullough’s The Pioneers, which tells the story of five men who settled the Northwest Territory. "The Ohio Country" introduces the Reverend Mannaseh Cutler and General Rufus Putnam, whose lobbying efforts and strategizing led to the establishment of the Northwest Ordinance which allowed for the creation of a state west of the Ohio River. What are some other great books that feature a character you can’t help but love/hate?
Which is strange for a McCullough book. Is it a narrator who you can trust and rely on, or do they have ulterior motives in the way they tell it? Some members may be shy, others might have a hard time openly disagreeing, and you just might not know where to begin.
This article was originally published on June 22, 2016. "Havoc" then recounts the war between the natives and the settlers which occupied the settlers' attention beginning in 1791. However, McCullough is not only a great historian, but such a talented educator and gifted storyteller that I found this to be one of my favorites of his works. Another question like the ones you used to dread in English class, talking about the actual structure of a book â the timeline, the viewpoints, the syntax â can be more revealing than you think. Unfortunately, especially in this day and age, people want their beliefs and their political messages/rhetoric justified in every book they read (or don't read for that matter). The book is completely based off the real letters and diaries from 5 people who were actual pioneers that settled in Ohio and the midwest. Dealing with the opening of the West, starting essentially with Ohio, I would say McCullough does better when he focuses on an individual such as a president. Did the quality of the writing match the story? everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Pioneers.
It’s always a treat to have a new David McCullough book! Use this question to explore what made the setting of your reading selection so important, and how it affected the events of the story. I know many of the people that McCullough mentions in his acknowledgments of those at 'Etta who helped him. I have been to Marietta, many times. I read both reviews and found them both biased. In honor of the holiday, we want to know, which book has had the biggest impact on your life? Book Club Questions Book Club Discussion Questions. What would you say? In The Pioneers, he tells the story of the early settlers of the Ohio River Valley, from those who first moved to the frontier and broke land to those who created communities and governing bodies.
Skip this and read Susan Sleeper-Smith's book, The summer is heating up; school is finally out, and for me that means reading a variety of books about Americana and what makes the country a great place to live. Was the couple's connection believable? Very quickly, the male settlers put down roots. Did you race to the end, or was it more of a slow burn? The book is completely based off the real letters and diaries from 5 people who were actual pion. They're like your high school English class, only this time, you read and actually liked the book you're talking about, which makes the whole thing much more fun. It is a history that unfamiliar to most, and brushes with the famous and infamous add to the surprises. Now, all at once, almost unimaginably, it had acquired some 265,878 square miles of unbroken wilderness, thus doubling the size of the United States. Have a discussion with your book club about the ways your reading selection has changed each of you. What were your impressions on the author's style? He also includes the viewpoint of Native Americans, and does not gloss over the uncomfortable reality that westward expansion had devastating consequences for existing populations … Lovers of history told well know that McCullough is one of the best writers of our past, and his latest will only add to his acclaim.”, “When it comes to representing ‘pioneers’ as isolated and hardworking idealists fighting off ‘threats’ from residents of the land they are taking, this book is a true throwback. It's really hard for me not to compare everything McCullough writes to.
They both basically accuse McCullough of ignoring the "correct" version of history. The book (imo) fails as a purely historical record, as the other 3 state it is. "I put sticky notes on pages that really move me or get me thinking so we can revisit and discuss during book club," Rickard says. David McCullough's "The Pioneers" is simply wonderful. I spent the first 24 years of my life in the 50 or so miles between Marietta, where the first Americans looking to establish a permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory, came ashore and Athens, the site of the first public university in the Territory. David McCullough is one of my favorite historians. 2.5 There were parts I enjoyed, but parts that were flitting all over the place. Dear R.A., Oh, the quest for the right book club questions!