gave -- >> this is our publisher, louise. thank you. [laughter] thank you. [applause] >> yes, that's true. >> a nice testament. >> caroline finally said that mrs. kennedy thought a lot of me and whatever i wanted to do, that was fine. she didn't have any problem with it. >> all right, last question. ma'am? >> [inaudible] >> you're asking about the writing process and how difficult it was? >> [inaudible] >> when he goes through -- well, it was very difficult. we had an office, we had two computers side by side. we spent almost 24 hours a day together for many months, and i didn't live through this time, so all of this is his memories. we would -- there's a lot of

video footage, as we showed you tonight, and so we would watch those videos together, and it was very emotional. and he would tell me what happened and certain things would bring back memories to him, and there were times, you know, we did, we had to stop because i could see how difficult it was for him to relive all of this, and at one point i said, okay, this is the last book. we're not going to make you go through this again, so let's just get everything out there in this one, because it really was painful. do you want to say anything about that, clint? >> it was very emotional. writing of the book themselves, though, getting that material out, talking to lisa and really unloading that emotional baggage i had held within myself for so long was very beneficial to me. it was cathartic. i really am glad that i've done it because i'm much better now

than i was. we started the process, i could barely talk about it without breaking down because it was so painful. and many of the agents are the same way. we had never talked about the assassination among ourselves as agents, we had never talked about it with family members, we had never talked about it with anybody. i testified to the warren commission, and i had one interview on "60 minutes," but other than that we had never talked about the assassination at all. >> you the only one alive -- [inaudible] >> i'm the only one alive that was on the presidential vehicle. there are three other agents, former agents alive who were on the follow-up car. >> so i think we should get to the book signing now and thank you all for coming, for your patience. thanks. [applause] [inaudible conversations]

>> we'd like to hear from you. tweet us your feedback, twitter.com/booktv. >> just a few weeks left in 2013, many publications are putting out their year-end lists of notable books. these titles were included in "the washington post"'s notable nonfiction of 2013. in "brilliant blunders," mario livio explores how some of the world's most well known scientists made their historic discoveries. pakistani education activist malala tells the story of her fight for women's rights in "i

am malala. marsha coyle with the national law journal provides an inside look at the supreme court in "the roberts court: the struggle for the constitution." military historian max boot presents a history of guerrilla warfare and terrorism in "invisible armies: an epic history of guerrilla warfare there ancient times to present." in "the way of the knife," mark mozetti, national security correspondent for "the new york times," reports on america's engagement in clandestine warfare. anita ragvan recounts the collapse of a $7 billion hedge fund in "the billionaire's apprentice: the ride of the indian-american elite and the fall of the galleon hedge fund." for links to various other publications' 2013 notable book selections, visit booktv's web site, booktv.org.

>> well, now on booktv we want to introduce you to simon booker. mr. booker, what is your professional background? >> guest: well, i've been with -- [inaudible] over a half century starting with the baltimore astros. i had a -- [inaudible] who went to harvard or, carl murphy -- [inaudible] and he always wanted me to be a journalist. so i followed in his steps when i finished college. i joined the astros in baltimore, started my career. >> host: what year was that? >> guest: oh, boy, that was '42.

i finished college and joined the astros. i stayed there a few years and then went on. then i won a nieman fellowship. that was in -- i can't get the years right. that was a nieman scholarship. i took a reak from -- break from the newspaper and decided that i would join "the washington post." >> host: so, mr. booker, your new book, "shocking the conscious," what are you covering in this book?

>> guest: my life. i start off -- [inaudible] i started getting headlines when i covered the murder of emmett till, and it was my coverage on the -- [inaudible] and they covered it and made it worldwide. >> host: where did you come up with the title, "shocking the conscious"? >> guest: well, i really didn't come up with it. my wife decide -- [inaudible] she felt -- went over all the

notes, and we developed the book. there's a lot of different phases of the civil rights movement that nobody coveredded. >> host: as an african-american reporter in the '40s, '50s, '6s, what was that like? -- '60s, what was that like? >> guest: rough. i first realized it when i joined "the washington post." not only did i have problems within the building, but outside. people just weren't ready for that. i don't know that they're ready now. >> host: why do you say that? why to you say that? -- do you say that? >> guest: because we still have problems with race in the america. it's still --

[inaudible] and i have always been a pioneer in race relations. and i'm probably one of the first to marry a white woman. and that is a story in itself -- [inaudible] and it's been very enlightening to me to be able to do this. and have respect for all people. >> host: the book is called "shocking the conscience." the author, simeon booker. here's the cover, this is booktv on c-span2. >> a few weeks left in the 2013, many publications are putting out their year-end lists of notable books. these titles were included in npr's guide to 2013's great

reads. in "lawrence in arabia," war correspondent scott anderson examines the middle eastern theater during world war i. marie arana recounts the life of simon bolivar who freed six south american countries from spanish rule in "bolivar: american liberator." in "the unwinding: an inner his his -- history of the new america," george packer presents a portrait of the current social and political climate in the united states. pulitzer prize-winning biographer a. scott berg recounts the life and career of woodrow wilson in "wilson." in "hitler's furies: german women in the nazi killing fields," wendy lower, history professor, recalls the roles german women played in the holocaust. neil irwin, economics editor of the washington post wonk blog, reports the leaders of three central