In 1964 , David McCullough began his writing career as an editor and writer for '' American Heritage '' , which he sometimes calls " my graduate school " . McCullough wrote numerous articles for the magazine . He turned his article for the June 1966 issue on the Johnstown Flood , '' Run for Your Lives '' , into a full-length book titled , '' The Johnstown Flood '' . When it became an unexpected bestseller , McCullough left the magazine in 1968 to commit full-time to writing . Later '' American Heritage '' articles by McCullough on the transcontinental railroad and Harry Truman also became bestselling books
Johnstown Flood
Johnstown Flood
American Heritage (magazine)