Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris
The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris
The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris
Audiobook16 hours

The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris

Written by David McCullough

Narrated by Edward Herrmann

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

The #1 bestseller that tells the remarkable story of the generations of American artists, writers, and doctors who traveled to Paris, fell in love with the city and its people, and changed America through what they learned, told by America’s master historian, David McCullough.

Not all pioneers went west.

In The Greater Journey, David McCullough tells the enthralling, inspiring—and until now, untold—story of the adventurous American artists, writers, doctors, politicians, and others who set off for Paris in the years between 1830 and 1900, hungry to learn and to excel in their work. What they achieved would profoundly alter American history.

Elizabeth Blackwell, the first female doctor in America, was one of this intrepid band. Another was Charles Sumner, whose encounters with black students at the Sorbonne inspired him to become the most powerful voice for abolition in the US Senate. Friends James Fenimore Cooper and Samuel F. B. Morse worked unrelentingly every day in Paris, Morse not only painting what would be his masterpiece, but also bringing home his momentous idea for the telegraph. Harriet Beecher Stowe traveled to Paris to escape the controversy generated by her book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Three of the greatest American artists ever—sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, painters Mary Cassatt and John Singer Sargent—flourished in Paris, inspired by French masters.

Almost forgotten today, the heroic American ambassador Elihu Washburne bravely remained at his post through the Franco-Prussian War, the long Siege of Paris, and the nightmare of the Commune. His vivid diary account of the starvation and suffering endured by the people of Paris is published here for the first time.

Telling their stories with power and intimacy, McCullough brings us into the lives of remarkable men and women who, in Saint-Gaudens’ phrase, longed “to soar into the blue.”
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 24, 2011
ISBN9781442344198
Author

David McCullough

David McCullough (1933–2022) twice received the Pulitzer Prize, for Truman and John Adams, and twice received the National Book Award, for The Path Between the Seas and Mornings on Horseback. His other acclaimed books include The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, Brave Companions, 1776, The Greater Journey, The American Spirit, The Wright Brothers, and The Pioneers. He was the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award. Visit DavidMcCullough.com.

More audiobooks from David Mc Cullough

Related to The Greater Journey

Related audiobooks

United States History For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Greater Journey

Rating: 4.213333333333333 out of 5 stars
4/5

75 ratings45 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love David McCullough. You can feel his passion for history when reading his works. This book looks at the American presence in Paris during the 19th century. It focuses on the artists, writers, and a cast characters from inventors, to musicians, to politicians. As background, the history of Paris throughout the 19th century is discussed, but the focus always returned to the Americans living there. I think the reason this book is not rated higher by most people (myself included) is that it looks at too many people over too great a time span. It is difficult to follow at times as many of the people discussed are not well known. Another issue is that for someone not used to reading about art history, is it not easy to follow the discussions on art technique and why some art was more appreciated than others. I feel like I learned a lot and would recommend it to people who either love McCullough or this type of history.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A fine history, but unfortunately not up to McCullough's (extremely) high standards.

    McCullough is an excellent biographer, and an excellent narrative historian. However, this book, trying to cover such a broad topic as Americans in Paris in the 19th century, he seems to almost flounder. Many of the chapters are excellent, and his usual skill shines here.

    Unfortunately, some of the order and presentation of all this information seems erratic. There are lots of interesting narrative stories, and background information, and you really get a narrative feel for Paris. But again, things just seem almost thrown together.

    I'd give it 3.5 or 4 stars if possible, but I'm forced to round down. If it was any other author, it would be a guaranteed 4. Don't take it too hard, David, I still love you.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    David McCullough is the Thomas Kinkade of non-fiction, a masterful inspirational storyteller. This time, McCullough offers his American readers an introduction to 19th century French history, made enjoyable by presenting it through Yankee eyes. The growing disconnect between Europe and the US is certainly a result of the diminishing impact of New England on the United States. McCullough's men and women who establish and keep up their European connection come mostly from New England. Seeking education and culture, they reverse the journey of their ancestors, traveling from the New World back to the Old one. McCullough's description of the journey from the ships to the gates of Paris (in oversized coaches) is simply a joy to read.Amidst a huge cast of characters, it is the life of three men that stood out for me. Firstly, Samuel Morse who turned from failed painter to successful inventor. Then, minister/ambassador Elihu Washburne whose discovery of and trust in US Grant might have saved the country acted splendidly during the Franco-Prussian War and the dreadful days of the Paris Commune. Finally, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, sculptor of the Robert G. Shaw memorial in Boston, the Sherman statue in New York and the Adams Memorial in Washington, DC. Through their eyes and lives, the reader is supplied with the essentials of the turbulent French history from the 1830s to 1900. Sometimes, McCullough misses obvious connections - scolding Napoleon III for not having achieved the rank of colonel without mentioning that he attended the Swiss military academy and served as a major. (higher than US Grant's rank of captain) An obvious connection would have been his input to the so called Napoleon gun, the workhorse of the US Civil War. Overall, a worthy addition to McCullough's stable of wonderful books.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book tells the story of the ex-patriot community in Paris from 1830-1900. In the process, it also gives a pretty good picture of Parisian history, of the Louvre and its aspiring artists, of the medical community and its practices, even a bit of its political history with the Second Empire and Napoleon III. Betcha didn't know that the Empress was smuggled out of France safely by an American! There are lots of interesting tidbits of well-known people-- and lesser known people. Fascinating.The only negative I would really throw at it is that there are so many characters especially in the first few chapters. I thought there would be more American history, but McCullough mostly recounted the time each character spent in Paris. Once someone went back to the US, then the narrative picked up with the next wave of ex-patriots. Recommended.Each third of the book grows better and better! I'd probably give the first part of the book a 4 star rating, but the end was definitely a 5 star rating. The amazing story of the American ambassador during the Siege of Paris, the horrors of the Paris Commune, the remarkable genius of Saint-Gaudens, Mary Cassatt and John Singer Sargent top the rest of the book.So apparently, the American ambassador, Elihu Washburne, kept a diary during the siege, but the diary was split up at the Library of Congress, copied, and interspersed with his other correspondence. Then a researcher for McCullough discovered the diary pieces and found out the family had a bound copy of the entire diary! The story of Ambassador Wasburne is fascinating, and according to the blurb on the back of the book, his diary account is published for the first time.Pretty cool. You have to be a history geek to really get excited about a dense book, but I found this book to have a refreshingly different angle. It's not often that an author wants to tell the history of an expatriot community.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The story of American artists, writes and doctors who traveled to Paris, the intellectual and artistic capital of the western world and fell in love with the city and it's people, between the years 1830 and 1900. What they learned profoundly affected American history.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Not an easy read, but full of history!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great to listen to on walks. Beginning in the early mid-1800's, many American artists, authors, and physicians went to Paris to study. Famous names included: James Fennimore Cooper, Samuel Morse, John Sargent, Mary Cassett, Oliver Wendall Holmes among others. One interesting person was the ambassador to France, Elihu Washburn.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Without promoting France as a country, this book does detail the impact of Paris on American architecture, medicine, literature, and art, not to mention technology and communications.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fascinating stories of both famous and less famous Americans who went to Paris to study. Many of these Americans who we know by name become fleshed out with their personal stories and idiosyncrasies are told so well by the author. Most interesting were the colonists who made the trip which was both a hardship financially and in physical comfort. The book ended abruptly with Mary Cassette.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Many books have been written about Americans in Paris in the 20th century, but David McCullough turns his investigative eye on earlier generations of Americans who traveled to. and lived in Paris in the 19th Century. Starting in the 1830's and ending in 1901, the book covers a wide variety of Americans who chose to call the "City of Light Home." The first group includes Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., James Fennimore Cooper, Charles Sumner, Samuel Morse (an artist before inventing the telegraph - who knew?), Elizabeth Blackwell (the first woman doctor in the US) and John Gold Appleton who coined the oft-quoted phrase, "When good Americans die, they go to Paris."Later we see Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthrone, John Singer Sargent, the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and perhaps mot admirably, US Ambassador Elihu Washburne, who alone in the diplomatic community remained in Pris during the siege of the Franco-Prussian was and the brutal Commune that followed France's defeat at the hands of Germany.The reader also gets a capsule history of 19th century France from King Louis-Philippe to Napoleon III, from the grand designs of Baron HAussmann to the building of the Eiffel Tower. During it all, Americans in Paris seem remarkably like they are today. A bit provincial, always a little loud, but continuing to fall under the city's spell.Like all of McCullough's books, this one is eminently readable and very well researched. This is a book for lovers of Paris as well as lovers of history.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A fascinating look at the way Paris shaped American authors and artists. I was amazed at some of the facts contained in the book. A great read!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When I think of American intellectuals in Paris, I think of writers like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein between the world wars. Yet the appeal of Paris to intelligent, creative Americans began long before that, as David McCullough tells us in his 2011 book "The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris." He might have gone back to the likes of Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century, but instead McCullough focuses on the period from the late 1830s to about 1900 when Americans in large numbers flocked to Paris, some remaining for years.These Americans included writers such as James Fenimore Cooper, who wrote some of his best novels in Paris, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Henry James, but they also included many who traveled to Paris to study art (John Singer Sargent, Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Mary Cassatt among them) or medicine (such as Elizabeth Blackwell, America's first female doctor, and Mason Warren). A few went to Paris to study one thing, then became famous for doing something else. Samuel F.B. Morse was there to study art, then invented the telegraph. Oliver Wendell Holmes went to Paris as a medical student but made his reputation in literature.A few notable Americans in Paris didn't quite fit the usual mold. These included such people as P.T. Barnum, Tom Thumb, White Cloud and Buffalo Bill Cody.McCullough's book proves to be something of a who's who of important Americans of the 19th century, yet at the same time it becomes a history of 19th century Paris from the perspective of those American visitors. These were trying times for Parisians, with a siege by a Prussian army, the brutal Paris Commune and Louis Napoleon's coup d'etat. Americans were there to witness it all, as well as the world's fairs and the construction of the Eiffel Tower.McCullough writes readable history, which is why his books become bestsellers. I'm never disappointed with his books, and "The Greater Journey certainly does not disappoint."
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Loving McCullough's writings, loving Paris, The Greater Journey was a natural fit for me to read. Unlike many of his other works, however, because there was such a variety of characters and the span of 100 years, the intensity of the story lacks, which doesn't make it any less worthwhile. Reading about all the famous Americans who made their home in Paris for a short of long while, studying art and medicine, made me delve deeper into their stories and works of art created such as The Farragut by Augustus Saint-Gaudens or the impressionist works of Mary Cassatt. Ah, Paris, truly magnificent always.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book starts out a bit muddy, a torrent of different experiences and personalities coursing through a common place, the city of Paris. Brief glimpses of individual stories come to the surface, and then are pulled back into the flood. Eventually the deluge branches into deeper stories of individuals. When David McCullough spends time on the individuals, slowly meandering through the eddies and backwaters, this becomes a truly remarkable book. The individuals that particularly stood out to me were Ambassador Elihu Washburne, an individual of particular character during a tumultuous time, and sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and the creative processes that he went through. Other's stories are interesting, like Samuel Morse and John Singer Sargent, but they pass all to quickly.I strongly recommend this book, but beware the rapids at the beginning before you reach the greater journey downstream.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Greater Journey by David McCullough is a nonfiction book about Americans who went to Paris in the 1800s. Thus, it starts mainly in the 1830s but then moves along through 1890s with a brief dip into the early 1900s just to wrap up some stories. The book is full of lots of interesting factoids about both the people who emigrated to Paris and the place, as well as a glimpse at the cultural milieu of 1800s in both America and France. To that end, McCullough includes snippets of quotes, first-hand accounts, and other primary documents throughout the book.McCullough explains, of the 1830s crowd in particular, many went to Paris because America was still kind of a "bumpkin" country of only 24 fairly new states, but their reasons were varied and situational. They went to study art, history, literature, languages, science, medicine, etc. or for health concerns. One intrepid New York reporter went for journalistic reasons. It was by no means a mass exodus or political statement, just a bunch of people trying to further themselves in one way or another. For instance, Oliver Wendell Holmes went to study medicine, for which there was no official schooling in the U.S. at the time, and he wanted to be a knowledgeable doctor rather than just a dispenser of pills. (It?s worth noting that the section on the medical students is not for the squeamish with its descriptions of amputations and so forth, but it does have interesting insights on medical advances of the time period.) Amazingly, many of these people didn't know a lick of the French language, and knew little about the culture and politics of France. Despite this, and the long and precarious ship voyage across the Atlantic, they all decided to make the trip anyway, and I envy their courage. Upon arrival in Paris, they noted the city is a contradiction of "mud and gild" everywhere ? I absolutely love this description and think it?s still kind of apt, although less so mud now and just grit (i.e. dirt, litter, etc.). Many Americans were taken in the by the age of everything around them (some view this disparagingly while others are overwhelmed by how buildings could exist that are older than their home country, with one person noting that at home there is no prestige of age so people are less tied to traditions and less tied to buildings. This, as well as many other culture shocks between America and France, still seems true today. Some of these other culture shocks include how the French eat less but take longer to do so, with most meals out in public and how the French seem to enjoy leisurely strolls in public gardens much more so than Americans who are interested only in the utility of space and how much money it can make. There was already even the noted difference between the Puritanism of Americans versus the more relaxed ideas about sexuality of the French, particularly in evidence in the art on display everywhere in France, some of which made Americans prudish and/or bashful because of the "little or no drapery" on the sculptures. On the other hand, the go-to English-language Galignani's Guide to getting around France spoke of the politeness of French, noting that the only rude people to be found in Europe are the English, which was funny to me because it's a very different perspective than the worldwide one now that the French are snooty. As the narrative progresses, it was interesting to hear of the revitalization of Paris conducted by Emperor Louis Napoleon III including some things like building broader boulevards, making the Bois do Bologne a public park, establishing the Opera Garnier and the plaza surrounding it, and setting up tables and chairs outside of cafes --- things that we think of as quintessentially Parisian but indeed are only approximately 250 years old. In a similar vein, hearing about the items introduced at the Exposition Universelle (1861) ? including the saxophone (created by Adolphe Sax, the official musical instrument designer for the French emperor), the soda fountain (an American contribution), and aluminum ? reminded me how it's so easy to forget that these now very common/well-known things were brand new not all that long ago. Indeed, throughout the book, it was interesting to hear about how many technological developments occurred in the timeframe covered. We tend to think that we in the 21st century have a monopoly on rapid changes in ways of life, but this era also saw the invention of the telephone, elevator, automobile, etc. McCullough spends some time talking about important inventions out of Paris in particular, including the telegraph and the daguerreotype.There was also that shaking-my-head experience of hearing about how history repeats itself. McCullough discusses how the siege of Paris by the Germans during the Franco-Prussian war was viewed with utter dismay and astonishment. Victor Hugo had an impassioned plea for sparing Paris: ?There has been an Athens, there has been a Rome, and there is a Paris. Paris is nothing but an immense hospitality.? Of course, we all know that Paris would be threatened again by the Germans during World War II, with again the world being shocked. Likewise, McCullough spends some time talking about how German residents of Paris were more than encouraged to leave during the war, something we have seen in times since (i.e., Japanese-American internment during WWII) and something that McCullough points out had happened before (i.e., Moors in Spain). However, in my opinion, the book lingered a little too long on the Franco-Prussian war and its aftermath with little American context beyond the diplomat Washburn's role during this time period. However, it was interesting to hear about the Venus de Milo being packed up from the Louvre and hidden to avoid destruction, as the same was done for her during World War II.Throughout the book, McCullough writes about both little-known Americans who went to Paris and famous people such as Charles Sumner, James Fenimore Cooper, Samuel Morse, and Augustus St. Gaudens, amongst others. Oftentimes, he provides a great deal of biographical context for the people he writes about, in addition to offering contextual information about the political situation of France at the time (i.e., the people?s king vs. the republic vs. the emperor) as well as that in America War (mainly the Civil War). With so much information being provided over such a long timeframe including a large cast of characters, the narrative can be a bit jumpy at times with McCullough writing one minute about art students and the next about slavery in America. Still, all in all, this is a fascinating historical book that I would highly recommend. It also includes a fair amount of art history for those who, like me, have an interest in that subject.Finally, here are some technical details on the audio version for those who like to listen to their books. For some inexplicable reason, the publisher decided to only have tracks only every 20 to 30 minutes, which means if your attention wanders at all (which can be frequent when listening while driving and there are other distractions on the road that take precedence), it's not worth it to go back on that track and catch the few seconds or minute you missed. McCullough reads a very little bit of the book in the beginning, and then the narration switches over to actor Edward Hermann. I?m not sure why the audio director chose to go that route, but I was very happy to have the latter do the bulk of the reading; Hermann does a fantastic job, especially with all the French pronunciations.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent work whose only flaw is it begins rather slowly, but it builds momentum especially when it gets to the siege of Paris and the Commune. It could become one of my favorite books on this era and genre next to the account of the history of Americans in Italy in the 19th century.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The theme of this book as stated in the opening chapter states that of the first group of Americans to go overseas to Paris: ?Great as their journey had been by sea, a greater journey had begun . . .and from it they were to learn more, and bring back more, of infinite value to themselves and to their country than they yet knew.?McCullough focuses on the development of American culture, as artists and thinkers such as the painter Mary Cassatt, the future Senator and abolitionist Charles Sumner, who studied at the Sorbonne, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., then a young medical student, and so many others experienced Paris in the 19th century.It was a time and pace of excitement apace in the world of ideas with the expansion of knowledge in medicine, the arts, philosophy, and Paris was a center of this activity. Americans were drawn to this center throughout the century from Samuel F. B. Morse and Nathaniel Willis, painters, to Augustus Saint Gaudens, the sculptor. Writers as diverse as James Fennimore Cooper and Henry James. In fact Henry and his brother William spent some of their youth in Paris while getting a European education. The breadth of those who participated in these journeys was incredible, especially given the dangers of ocean crossing which early in the century before the advent of steamship lines took about a month. "Paris was the medical capital of the world. Our medical training was woefully behind. And this was a chance to perfect their skills and their profession, but also to come back and teach what they had learned, which almost all of them did. And the others were pioneers in launching into careers for which there was no training available here. There were no schools of architecture. There were no schools of art. There were no museums where you could go and look at paintings. It's hard to believe that, but that's how it was. It was the cultural capital of the world." (from an interview with David McCullough on PBS) Harriet Beecher Stowe wondered what was the mysterious allure of Paris. She thought it might be the river Seine, likening it to the Ohio which she knew well. She went beyond to compare art to literature, matching authors with painters. While she questioned the value of French art when she stated ?French life has more pretty pictures and popular lithographs . . . but it produces very little of the deepest and highest style of art.?, the Americans who were beginning an new American tradition learned much from their experiences in Paris.One Frenchman who inspired many of the Americans who journeyed to Paris was the inimitable Marquis de Lafayette. His efforts in the revolutionary war and his return visit to America in 1824 when he received tremendous acclaim led several of the travelers his way on their sojourns in Paris. Primarily this book is a history of lives and ideas. McCullough's book challenges the reader to expand his notion of what education meant and what Americans gained from the French beyond their diplomatic and financial support as the United States grew into a great nation in the nineteenth century.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    DNF - I'm disappointed to report that I have bailed on The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris. I had been looking forward to this book for quite some time. But I gave up after listening to about four hours. I just can't bring myself to listen to any more of this book.I love Edward Herrmann, it's not his narration. He does a stealer job - I loved his French. It's the book. I normally love David McCullough's writing but this book just seemed scattered to me. Maybe it's because most of the histories I've read lately have centered on one person. But it didn't seem like there was a plan. It was like he had all these great stories about all these notable Americans and he just threw them down on the page.So I'm going to take a bit of advice from that old saying, life is too short to read bad books.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    44. The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris (Audio Book) by David G. McCullough, narrated by Edward Herrmann & David G. McCullough (2011, 861 pages in paper format, listened to Sep 13-29)This was coup for audio books for me - an 800 page book I never would have touched in paper form, and yet I listened to the whole thing and I enjoyed it. I'm officially sold.McCullough seems to do everything possible to keep readers away from this book. It's enormous, the topic is not naturally interesting to the average reader, and, if that isn't off-putting, the introduction surely is, quoting a miscellaneous group of secondary persons in America history about a city in a time and place foreign to American readers in so many ways. If the CD player isn't just motoring on by itself, I don't make it past page 10. But the CD kept playing and there was traffic and so I just kept listening and suddenly this got very interesting...and it remained interesting. I don't think I could mention all the key personalities that McCullough brings to life here, but he brings them to life as soon as he focuses in on them - James Fenimore Cooper, Samuel Morse as an artist, and only later the inventor of the Morse code, Oliver Wendell Holmes as a medical student, Charles Sumner the Massachusetts abolitionist senator most famous for getting beaten by a cane on the senate floor....oops, I'm doing what the intro did. Who cares about these guys? But McCullough made them so interesting - and the artists - Augustus St. Gaudens, John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassat, Winslow Homer and then some. A history of Paris through American eyes, what the reader gets is an oblique history of a most entertaining kind of both Paris and the United States. You see everything from 1830 to 1900, but never straight up, only from over in the corner of one person's view of the Louve, or some other artists studio, or whatnot. The accidental highlight is the America medical students. They come to Paris in the 1830's, and, like so many of these Americans, they find inspiration to work and work hard. They pick out and hover around the best French medical teachers, who are not necessary the most famous physicians, and they excelled, inspiring their teachers, and they brought it all back to America. By the 1870's American medical students had stopped coming to Paris, there was no need. This was both an inspiring and moving section. So recommended. And, consider audio.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Fans of McCullough will enjoy this work that covers the better part of the 19th century Paris from the perspectives of American ex-patriot artists, authors, inventors, and politicians who made the city their home during the period.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Not one of his better reads...dragged me through the pages...love the subject..the lost generation is one of my fave eras...
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Americas's love affair with Paris in the nineteenth century. Too many historical persons of note to just mention one or two, covers art, music, politics...a great and detailed read about this great place. We used to like each other, America and France.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    To find the words to describe this book is a real accomplishment. Comprised of stories of education, passion, and drive, it seems that Paris was a hotbed of activity for anyone wanting to become someone. Although the stories are not just about people wishing to become great, the stories of renowned and great people rubbing shoulders are pretty interesting. One of my favorite things that McCullough brought to life in his book are the stories on a more day to day level. His chapter on medicine and the surgery were gut wrenching, and so interesting that I could honestly picture the group of doctors gathered around to watch intricate surgeries, knowing their patient would most likely die. The thought that almost every patient died really struck me. I can't imagine the pain and suffering someone would have to be in to allow themselves to be put that close to death. From these early surgeries, however, our modern medical field gained vast amounts of knowledge on anesthesia and anatomy.The stories really are too many to even retell, but the varieties of people, events, and subjects make this a truly phenomenal read for lovers of history. How McCullough managed to get to the heart of what people were doing in Paris and what drove them there is amazing to consider. I found it to be an overwhelming, yet intriguing piece of history that I would recommend for any reader.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Easy to digest, bland history. No firecrackers tossed. No bombs thrown. Just earnest, unsophisticated Americans in Paris in the 1800s. No dancing. Some fooling around. Medical School. Art School. Just hanging. And the French were friendly back then--so says McCullough.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    David McCullough writes history better than anybody else, doing a remarkable job of bringing to life people from the past. In THE GREATER JOURNEY, McCullough shows the waves of American artists, doctors, authors, architects and future politicians who went to Paris in the 1800's to experience the wonder of this great city.

    If one wanted an education in art, medicine, architecture or most anything else in the 1800's, Paris was the place to be. Not only did many Americans go there, but also many to-be famous British, Italian and German scholars.

    McCullough brings 19th century Paris to life in a way that thrilled me, page after page, story after story, character after character, location after location. McCullough's book is so inspiring that part of me wishes that I could have been part of that American wave to Paris back in a day when it ws perhaps easier to focus on one's primary ambition.

    If you love history, do yourself a favor and read this book
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I held off listening to The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris by David McCullough because is 16 CD long. Last night, I played the last one. I think that the theme was too broad a subject. There were definitely parts that I enjoyed but there were others that seemed too long for my attention span. I already knew about the Americans going abroad in the 19th century. My great grandfather traveled to Great Britain and Paris in the 1890s with a group of artist friends. The author starts with the travelers in the 1820s, why they went to Paris, what they found and their reactions to it.I loved the parts about medicine, especially about Elizabeth Blackwell but felt that there was too much detail about Samuel Morse. Also I appreciated learning what happened to Paris after Napoleon's demise. Those details make me want to read more about the history of that period. However there seems to be too many little stories about people and sometimes it seems that he got stuck on a subject. I am glad that I listened to it but found it a little disappointing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The author describes how 19th century Americans went to Paris to seek culture and an education. As usual anything he writes is easy to read. This was an interesting cast of characters from Oliver Wendell Homes to the artist Sargent.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another hit from the pen of David McCullough. In this current book you are transported back to the 19th century (~1830-1900) to a time when adventurous Americans saw Paris as the center of learning in the arts and science. America was struggling with its provincial heritage and had yet to become a world leader. France on the other hand was at its height of creativity in the arts and science.For example, in 1833 the twelve Paris hospitals treated over 65,000 patients in contrast to the two Boston hospitals that treated fewer than 800. But beyond the volume of patients and thus variety of ailments, Parisian physicians were at the forefront of medical knowledge and warmly welcome the American physicians as students.When it came to the arts, painters and writers found Paris an invigorating and life changing experience. Over and over again, McCullough provides examples of writers and painters that came to Paris to recharge their creative batteries through their career.In summary, David McCullough provides an enjoyable spotlight into the lives of some of our most important Americans and the influence Paris had on their lives. He also illuminates our enduring relationship with the French and Paris in particular.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    TBC 1/13 read. Ho-hum. To me, it reads like a college textbook. Here's the dates, here's the players - oh look, here's a quote to interrupt the writing pattern, settle in - oh look, another quote. Couldn't finish it. The Devil in the White City - also a history book - was hugely better written. Off to another bookcrosser, who may have an easier time reading this than I.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I read this on my Kindle. When I finished the book, the display showed I was at 56% of the total book. The rest consists of footnotes and source material, which makes this feel more like a dissertation than a light non-fiction book.And yet the content is light - often too light. The author is too often led astray by insignificant details that have little or nothing to do with "Americans in Paris". It was hard work getting through the first 100-150 pages, as was the last bit. Only the central piece stands out, when the description of the Americans in Paris during the reign of Napoleon III, the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 and the Paris Commune provides a vivid and riveting grander narrative, upon which the embroidery on the Americans in Paris becomes more than peripheral or self-absorbed. Read just that part if you must read this book; skip the rest.