People Books & Book People

by David Willis McCullough

The best of the decade's literary talents, as well as photographers, politicians, chefs, artists and actors, talk about themselves and their work in this collection of provocative interviews illuminating the personalities and their special visions

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books

182 pages, Hardcover

First published April 11, 1981

Reviews

[Adam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I get it, what did I expect to find in a book that was published the year I was born, or the fact that most of the interview vignettes were written BEFORE I was born? but this book was not worth it.
Hear me out though, a David W McCullough book! What? Wait? David W is not the famous historian? No, no he is not. Just some guy with an annoyingly similar name.
Still, the book is a who’s who of authors: John Cheever, Harlan Ellison!!, Allen Ginsberg, Seamus Heaney, Larry McMurtry, John Updike, Tennessee Williams!!! And dozens I’ve never heard of. So what was the problem? None of them came across as very interesting. Harlan Ellison sounded like a jerk. The interviews were so short there wasn’t enough context for me to even understand what their “new” book was about.
I will say this, the one star was earned. There were a slim few interviews that were interesting and some books that I would be interested in adding to my TBR list.
But is this a book for the bibliophile fan? No. I’m wondering if it was worth the $2 I paid at the used book store.
Ah well, maybe next time.

[Nancy L Owens]

read it in 1983
i remember that i enjoyed it.

now i wonder: is the author THE David McCullough?

[Kendra Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this at a sweet little used bookshop in Friday Harbor, Washington. It's always fascinating to read about authors and their influences.

[Curt Bobbitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

McCullough’s profiles introduce readers to authors and artists we might not otherwise know: Romare Bearden, Cynthia Propper Seton, Yigael Yadin, Hisako Matsubara, and others. Each short essay quotes the interviewee and references a recent book, exhibit, or work.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I requested this through interlibrary loan because I thought the author was the same David McCullough who wrote John Adams, Truman, and Mornings on Horseback. I was intrigued about what he might have to say about book people. Unfortunately, it turns out that the author is not the same McCullough. This McCullough appears to ne a literary critic who has compiled notes from his interviews with numerous authors. These are brief 1-3 page entries. I found some of them interesting, and others not so much. I didn't read them all...I lost interest after awhile, and set the book aside in favor of others that are more to my liking. It wasn't a bad book, just not my cup of hot chocolate.