bucks, too. there is a book and read years ago called. [inaudible] i loved that book. the killing my vacation in august. cut that book open. the ottoman empire, which i also want to read. those are not yet being read, but i will. >> tell us what you are reading this summer. >> here is a could lead to some of the upcoming book fairs and festivals around the country over the next few months. on september 7th decatur, georgia host the decatur book festival. the but mark's book festival comes in winston-salem, north carolina, hosting several other events in the or writing workshops. starting september 15th. visiting authors include kurt

andersen, paul berman, and walter mosley. the 15th annual baltimore books festival begins september september 23rd. please let us know about book fares and festivals in your area and he will happily add them to our list. e-mail us book tv at c-span.org. >> from the 2011 los angeles times festival books larry flynt and david eisenbach, authors of "one nation under sex: how the private lives of presidents, first ladies and their lovers changed the course of american history" to stress their book and check phone calls. >> how does this partnershipome come together?ther? and sure everyone wants another two of you collaborate. >> well, i wanted to find out the history, founding fathers. they have the same kind of sex

scandals that they have today, the political landscape.ec hig once i decided that wanted to do the book. my friend david. so his at columbia. a lot of the subject matter and very bright.t as co-author, he has been fantastic. i think we have a greathistor partnership. limited so unusual that no othee book in history has ever been read like this. publishers of history books tend to be conservative. they are only interested in politics and policy. they're not interested in six debates, speak. reno that is an interest which has pretty much occupied america forever. but we have done this we do a

great deal of research. it follow the lives of various presidents and first ladies. seeing not just there sex lives, ab but to seeou how the relationshp actually affected domestic and foreign policy. a number of cases where a wife would come in. we all just sat. >> and interactive part of our we day, so we would very much like to have your questions by phone, or you can send us at tweet att book tv. our phone number, 202-585-3886 teeeight 202-585-386. what is the scope as covered in this book?clton, >> we'll all the way up to billk

clinton. the monica lansky scandal. we like to think about, it was just recently that the political parties started to throw dirt at each other and review each other's sex scandals. that turns out not to be true.o the founding fathers were doing that at the beginning of thelu republic practice but to be included, the course of the nation's history. >> that's right. we are not out to dig up dirt>> and tar the president of first lady. we were up to show that the portant in the granraditionally consider personal were actually important in the grand scheme of the american political story.or we showed how these had impact on policy. >> i want to jump to the conclusion. you have a political message for today's society which i listow which has led as grow. can you tell me what you're a

trying to say to americans. >> well, survival. effe obviously it has a huge effect on our lives. we use it to communicate more than any other media. lighten up. to your defense, much different reaction than we do. we have a very knee-jerk reaction about sex in general. i like to as some politiciansias have less. i don't mean to sound facetious. but it's true. centuries to learn how to deal with them we have.

careers destroyed over sex. i don't think that should always happen. we have found no evidence in this book that would indicate that the president was good or bad because he had an active libido or not. don't get me wrong, i'm the or first to defend the president. fight the war in bounce the budget the same time, you can speak to do what you want to.yoo a certain amount of discretion is in order.wo >> in the last 20 years or so, would it be fair to say there has been some level of more acceptance when you look at recent scandals? and correct me if my thesis is wrong, but is the ones that ares not just with personal lives ore sexual scandals, but some of thu and gdoing that eventually takes people on ofpo office.

>> politicians can survive sexi- scandals.m free good thing that d.c. madam senator from louisiana. the last in a landslide victory. something that they have gotlicn more and more used to. ultimately that's a good thing. they will enable us to stop obsessing about the sex lives. sough focusing on what really matters.si >> the pauses in borland's. you would miss their absence in the senate. when you have somebody that hypocritical getting caught up in a sexual accept -- estimated makes it even worse.

>> instead of talking about thin conceptually, let's get give onr for instance. survivors story?d kl >> the eleanor roosevelt and franklin roosevelt. it was complicated.a bedro he had his go friend living in r better next to him. he had heard girlfriend living next to her in the white house together.gether the american public to know any of this. the fascinating thing about the story is frank thomas girlfriend, turned out to be essential to helping these two figures become the great heroesh of american history that led usr to the great depression and the world wars. it is an essential piece of the stories, extramaritale relationships, and it is an important piece which has been t long ignored.our >> let me take a caller to. he will hear character three a c chapters story. let's hear from my collar in alaban, alabama. one nation under sex.

go ahead. >> this is bobby more in auburn onabama. one of your buddies, woody harrelson to put you in that movie. i know that online born plays a big part in his life. how much as a play in yours? >> guest: use the online. >> host: that was his question. that was his question. q >> guest: we have a website,sit but i never go on it. i don't have much of a role in my life at all.t it's true that much more material is available nowse o because of the internet that was never available before that technology came into use. quite pervasive. >> host: d'agata or bad thing for society? >> guest: i think it is a good thing. free-speech, java line. i don't think it should be

available to children. gue we can limit. alice-in-wonderland among the red riding head. parents up to police the children. we can't restrict the habits. it is a strong. >> host: this book covers a and sweep of benjamin franklin tod bill clinton and beyond as it pt looks at the sex lives of politicians and americans reactions to it. let's hear next from providence star ryland. >> caller: can you tell me, how is the book so far and how are you doing with his great reception? >> guest: so far we have had great reviews.ad everybody has rated, when it pit seems, has had something positive sake. not to say there are people whoe resent that we are telling these stories about heroes of america, but the important thing, neither of us are trying to tear downn heroes or make them seem like

they weren't important figures and get figures.s were more we're just trying to show their lives are a lot more complicated than what you were taught in high school and college. >> host: you are a member ofdem the academy, a professor at columbia. what is the reaction of colleagues to back. >> host: support to. >> guest: support. i teach at columbia and have a b long history of beieing very supportive. they understand that this was ae huge and opportunity to work with somebody here natalie has a different perspective of history , but also made history of self and is actually an important figure.ed >> host: we appreciate it. did your relationship predate the but? >> guest: we had known each? other before, but working on this book we became friends. >> host: what was it like with a phone call can't? >> guest: in my office doing a

little work in all of a sudden i get a phone call from larry flint saying i have a business proposition. that was hit.en when he beat l.a.? all be on the next flight. i've about not knowing what he had in mind. when he proposed the collaboration and said, i got to do with.ot >> host: why have you had your hie on him? >> guest: i have become more aware of some programs that give it produced for the history channel on the same subject matter. i was intrigued by the show, so i knew he was quite familiar with the subject matter and it would be sensitive. i think he is very bright. the right person to do the book with. >> host: your favorite chapter a story? bo

>> guest: i love the whole book. i love what we do out there. woodrow wilson. having a stroke. i just felt it was fascinating. the one that really, that really, really i think ripped ma more than any thing else was the one parting. i could not believe thati somebody that was such a do this. the gap was not read it all. elected to the white house.hing talk to them about the tax cut. having done the only thing that he would get to sit in was how many women in that he did that in the white house.

they were saying, a differenceee between harding and wilson was that wilson might to paris anddo the whorehouses of zero mile. i think there is a luxury sedan. another thing now want to say,o he was picked to run for the senate. they saw and leaving. not the man. he will make a marvelous senator. they ran him the presidency.esin when he got elected one of thes first things he wanted to do wai change from the milk to the chicken. there was more chicken than there were eagles. i'd go see this guy.ou it's the one next telethon author -- caller, las vegas. your on.

>> caller: hello. i just want to say that this is an attempt. normal deviants of bill clinton which had nothing to do with sex but that law enforcement officer of the united states engaging in perjury and a charge of justice. evidence of this is he was the h first president to lose his license because of his perjury and obstruction of justice. the way of novelizing himself. >> i would say that is notor accurate. we were telling an important story in the case of bill clinton in which this child, this national saga captivated the public mind and distractedrr

us from serious threats to american, one of which was out kayak. the commissioners flat out lead out that monica lowlu wednesdaya distracted the administration and kept us from doing what we h should have been doing which wae protecting the american publictt rather than focusing on coceone's sex scandal question never going to convince everyone on bill clinton. thero everyone is going to have pros and cons on why he was a greathy president all why u.s. this. people will be arguing that he >>t: >> host: in the political sects to page you left out because they cannot be substantiated?so >> guest: we have some important audio involving high-ranking politicians that wo

wanted to use, but we couldn't because it was recorded in a one-party state. you have to have the permission of both parties to use the tape. rica published them. we would have now been sued for it.d for >> host: any others to back. >> guest: plenty of rumorsra all about the presence and first lady's. som in many cases we go back and debunks some of the concepts.unu our focus was going ahead with the store is invalid in shape american politics. >> host: what is the for instance? p. t. j. edgar readdress and be a transvestite.es just the target. promoted ever since, but the s

problem with the story or thisdm is the scandal is that it reallv just drives it from the tuesday -- kutcher scandal, which is that he used six files on everyd congressman, senator, supreme court justice, and presidentsol the basically control the o the federal government. over 47 years that he served as fbi director. the very threat that undermined the constitution using sex. that is that true scandal, was adopted we occultism's as a country. >> host: covering today's of the los angeles festival books,w your life with our nonfiction authors. right now featuring larry flynt and david eisenbach and their book "one nation under sex."nt next to st. croix.id e you're on the air. >> caller: calling from the other end of america. the executive producer to theth film on how often did you appeared and. acan the rales affair would be one of the early american sex scandals, with music?

>> absolutely. right along with jeffersonave following children with his slave girls. does with the first to scandals in the beginning. >> host: can you tell us more? alexuest: thomas jefferson and the democratic republican opponents discovered thathenson hamilton had a financialiscore arrangement with a man named james reynolds who held it -- hamilton was paying to sleep with his wife. the democratic republicans found out and proceeded to try to ethane hamilton in dram his plan to create the national bank by exposing the sex scandal. jeff, opening that had boomeranged on jefferson because federal drug that the story of sally young men's. jefferson was bothering his arms

like children.ing what we see is the town in bothers themselves were not above using each other's sex scandals to score political points. part of a long tradition to gont back to your thought that ifrtas rewards of focus to regard to the important issues pitcheryetd that's correct. >> host: people do like to talk about them. >> guest: the thing is during i prenlate 18th and early 19th century the sex lives of and president, andrew jackson, thomas jefferson was in the press, fair game.th centu the 20th-century when you have the images of the national security states can professionalism of journalism. part of the establishment there to protect you. so the sec's discussion, while it is well known within lossn miserables that john kennedy and franklin roosevelt had their te

affairs but it may get into a sd price.s we don't have all these sex scandals it distract us. >> the 1970's. politicians. what happened?er in 1970. you suggested another era where they changed once again. th well, david is going to have a bit more on this. after the cold war. they no longer protectedoing ain roosevelt are eisenhower or whoever. maybe they weren't doing anything, but as far as they're private lives, they protected them.co after the cold war we were not that worried anymore. they just did not do it. a lot of political as dead as far as to the press tell with that personal on allocation. h

>> guest: you also have yourh sexual revolution which makes o in kenot more comfortable and the rise onef feminism.ve in kennedy's day what would have been the past became a sexual-harassment lawsuit as is saw with paula jones. so mave this huge change in american social mores. politician journalism. what was kept secret became pare of the dialogue. >> host: the rise on the conservative movement.ge added that change america?>> g >> guest: coming off of the sexual liberation. now introducing gay-rights orthi social sexual issues into the political discussion.suddenly e checking he is never talked publicly.in right. now everybody has to.lso lethe this also leads the republicans the hon. because is he are goini

to say you're against keys to the marriage, you better ensuree that your own marriage is on the up and not. >> host: five minutes left. hello.california. on.re >> i have been a big fan of chileans the for a long time. thank you for everything you've written barriers among send about. have a sun payback questions i'll partier nelson is premature for is etched issues that hisvi book would be appropriate, buter he said the average the story.sy very mature.t i after listen to your story is some historical.believ i believe it is a perfect book for a budding historian. far a goes, it: as far as the book goes i think it is normal this

week. i would like and add to that. well over 30 years. not that there were necessary. but that is the way it happens. >> this is our last call which is from hollywood, florida.nt >> caller: i want to compliment mr. fund going back to the klan monica lunch .. it offered a million dollars to flush as somepe republicans in a lot of rage and kim gordon livingston. leases wife approached mr. fundd in says vicente back together with thepr resident.d the second thing was the whole clan less heat than come i was a not material.ou

having a consensual affair within the alliance, a criminal case, you just can't have that. and can size behavior was much more inappropriate. >> thank you. fel >> obviously they felt very mucd , the same way do about president obama. they want to get rid of him. the time that they started to prosecute plan, there were justf totally out of control. i said earlier in the show, i think people are going to bee discussing this for decades to come about the pros and cons ofw tell bill clinton was treated. u ♪ you're on quite a tour. unusual publishing. macmillan publishing "one natio

under sex" available onli your d local bookstore t or heonliney o bookseller. fiery spending some ice time not talking about this?>> on m >> guest: as a professor of my if itgoals is sent to this history to audiences. if it takes something a little salacious, a little spin full of sugar to help the medicine of history gown, great. this is a great primer for anyone who is curious aboutore history. you will learn a lot more than about se lives. he lied about economic policy and politics and foreign relations throughout american history. >> host: we are celebrating the 150th of the civil war and you have a civil war chapter. tell us a story speech to the cheap the key one is james p. gannon, our first represent pinheaded 32 year-long love2 yer affair with senator williamic af rufus king of alabama who was a slave owner and search stiffener of slavery.an n

indoctrinating the and james buchanan with a romantic notion of the slave cars being good.bun he brings that attitude into the presidency in 18 it.he ♪er and does nothing as a southern which states began to secede. he encourages them. engrams lincoln is eye for the huge mass. go american that has to get through a civil war. >> host: will then make it tougher? >> guest: we are doing and that expert. i think the key things, we're going to have to do a buck. their views have been good, but preliminary sales, we are very>h pleased. >> host: i know you are under way to a panel at the los angeles festival books. we have to wrap up. thank you for being with us. appreciate. >> guest: thank-you. >> that was part of the 2011 los

angeles times festival books. for more information visit events dot l.a. times test com / festival of bucks. what are you reading this summer? book tv wants to know. >> low, i am reading ulysses. started on january 1st. it is a new year's resolution a mind to plow through that book by june 16th. that is boom state, that david polk is built around. i don't recommend it. it is a classic, but it is impenetrable. perry artillery, but of his time. also coming this summer i will rebounders which is a book about those who are part of the american revolution. not a lot of ground cloud, but to books by patrick o'brien and the far side of the earth which

was put together to make the movie starring russell crowe. and the other book i will be reading is called sward and honor which is a population of military stories. that's what i'll be reading this summer. >> visit booktv.org to see this and other reading lists. >> you're watching 48 hours of nonfiction authors and books on c-span2 book tv. >> "wild cald" is the name of the book. the promise and peril of sarah palin. the author is mark joseph. what have we learned knew about sarah palin in your book? >> has been a chapter in behalf of a religious background. the significance of this is the highest somebody from a