MCCULLOUGH
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I once took a cruise and met Pulitzer Prize winner author David McCullough. He gave two lectures that were great. He won me over.

Since then, for some reason when I go on a cruise, I read McCullough. It did take me parts of three cruises to finish Truman, but it was worth it. On our most recent cruise I also read Mornings on Horseback and The Great Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, of course.

I eagerly dug into the TR book, but only read about the bridge because that was the only other McCullough book in the ship's library that I hadn't read. And it didn't disappoint. An amazing story about its construction, but it's also a great historical look at Boss Tweed, St. Louis' Eads Bridge, and a whole lot more American history. It, too, is a long book, but worth the read.

You'll learn a ton when you read McCullough. Just don't wait until you cruise to dig in.