David McCullough (1933-2022) was an award-winning American historian. He was well-known for his historical biographies of key American figures such as Truman, Theodore Roosevelt, John Adams, and the Wright Brothers.

McCullough earned a degree in English literature from Yale University in 1955. Prior to writing popular history, he worked in editing and writing for Sports Illustrated, the US Information Agency, and American Heritage. His independent writing career began with such studies as The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870–1914 (1977). McCullough’s other works include Mornings on Horseback (1981), John Adams (2001), The Wright Brothers (2015), and The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West (2019).

McCullough won the Pulitzer Prize in 1993 and 2002 for his biographies of Truman and Adams. He received the National Book Award for his study of the Panama Canal. Some of the author’s books have been adapted to film and television formats. He also worked in television, such as hosting the American Experience TV series on PBS.

Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was a British statesman who served as prime minister from 1940 to 1945 and 1951 to 1955. He was in government during both the First and Second World Wars.