David Gaub McCullough has been widely acclaimed as a "master of the art of narrative history." He was a two-time winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. In 2006, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian award.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, McCullough earned a degree in English literature from Yale University. His first book, The Johnstown Flood, was published in 1968. He wrote nine more books on topics such as Harry S. Truman, John Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Panama Canal, and the Wright brothers.

McCullough also narrated numerous documentaries, including The Civil War by Ken Burns, and the 2003 film Seabiscuit. He hosted the PBS television documentary series American Experience for twelve years. His Pulitzer Prize-winning books, Truman and John Adams, were adapted into a TV film and a miniseries by HBO, respectively.