Sometimes, I need a breath of fresh air. Back in February, I discovered that one of my favorite writers, the late David McCullough, was coming out with a new book, edited by his daughter, Dorie McCullough Lawson. The book, History Matters, came out today and I began listening to it with delight on my morning walk.

The book is a collection of unpublished essays, speeches, and miscellany from McCullough’s paper. His words are a breath of fresh air in these trying times. I’ll have more to say about the book when I finish it, but I wanted to alert readers who happen to be fans of McCullough that this book was now available.

And bonus: if you get the audiobook edition, there is at least one speech which was recorded and you can hear McCullough’s voice (the voice that narrated Ken Burns’ The Civil War) once more.

McCulloughs words put me in a good mood. They are, as he was, both realistic about the short-term future, but optimistic about the long-term. It is a refreshing tone, and one that I greatly admire.