The Greater Journey

Americans in Paris

By: David McCullough

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann

Length: 16 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

The Greater Journey is the enthralling, inspiring - and until now, untold - story of the adventurous American artists, writers, doctors, politicians, architects, and others of high aspiration who set off for Paris in the years between 1830 and 1900, ambitious to excel in their work.

After risking the hazardous journey across the Atlantic, these Americans embarked on a greater journey in the City of Light. Most had never left home, never experienced a different culture. None had any guarantee of success. That they achieved so much for themselves and their country profoundly altered American history.

As David McCullough writes, “Not all pioneers went west.”

Nearly all of the Americans profiled here - including Elizabeth Blackwell, James Fenimore Cooper, Mark Twain, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Harriet Beecher Stowe - whatever their troubles learning French, their spells of homesickness, and their suffering in the raw cold winters by the Seine, spent many of the happiest days and nights of their lives in Paris. McCullough tells this sweeping, fascinating story with power and intimacy, bringing us into the lives of remarkable men and women who, in Saint-Gaudens’s phrase, longed “to soar into the blue”. The Greater Journey is itself a masterpiece.

©2011 David McCullough (P)2011 Simon & Schuster

Marvelous Stories

We (my wife and I) loved everything about this book. We bought the hard back print edition and then I purchased the Audible version to listen to as I read the hard copy. The narration, by Edward Herrmann, is perfection. Herrmann always had a terrific voice and his pronunciation of the many French terms and names was more than helpful. I highly recommend The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris, especially to anyone interested in the arts, Paris, and France in general. McCullough's research, as always, was exceptionally thorough.

Best Book!!!

This was so fascinating. This book caused me to look up so many people on the computer to learn more about them, look at various art portraits and sculptures and even start planning a trip to Paris. What a wonderful book. Narration was perfect.

Another Great Read/Listen

David McCullough's reputation as a "great" in the history genre is well deserved. After reading David's account of the Wright brothers and 1776, I thought I'd give the Greater Journey a try as an audio book. I was a bit hesitant about the experience of listening to history as opposed to reading it and being able to flip back and revisit previous parts of the book (which I like to do to refresh my memory).

For me, the story started out a bit slow. The people and history seemed to only skim the outer surface. I was shortly presented with more in depth characterizations with multiple views of historic places/areas through the history of different people. The people and places featured were well done.

My concern about being able to flip back and forth was replaced by my ability to pause (or not) and look up people, places, and art on-line.

If you are a McCullough fan you already know he is a primo teller of history. For those wondering if the listen is worth it, I'd say yes. Be patient for the first chapter. You are rewarded with wonderful connections made later. Read this book or listen to it. This is a great choice!

Deep Dive Paris

If you love Paris, like most humans, and you've read all the other shorter reads and still want MORE then this is for you. And who doesn't want MORE out of Paris. You are human right?

Beautiful and Interesting

The works of many American artists were influenced heavily by the French. I loved learning about different individuals and groups who went to Paris to study visual arts and medicine, bringing back to America techniques and ideas that brought America along to more modern thinking. Lots of rich history found here, including detailed and moving individual lives and experiences.

Wonderful!

The backstories this novel presents are amazing! Narrator's flawless French added much to my enjoyment!

A fascinating listen!

McCullough's exceedingly well researched book covers a space in time - Paris in the 19th century and very specifically, the activity of Americans in Paris - which is mostly obscured by fin de siecle events. Edward Herrmann's read of it makes it even that much better - I wish he did reading of more audiobooks that I've gotten. Given the many vignettes interwoven throughout the book, it is easy to listen to the book for short periods of time, and come back to it to re-engage.

Paris here I come.

Loved it. Always looked forward to hearing what was coming next. I am now getting ready to visit Paris.

What you never knew

I always find myself immersed in David McCullough's storytelling. And I always find I learn so much about the history of people I did not know well. This book is filled with those people and their stories. I would definitely recommend it.

McCullough never disappoints!

Ed Herrmann did a wonderful narration and Delighted with his French and his expressive style. Glad I have in my library now, I’ll listen again