programming hocus a nonfiction authors and books. keep watching for more here on c-span2. watch any of our past programs online at booktv.org. >> how did an army officer so associate with george washington's legacy go to war against what we today consider george washington's greatest legacy, the union? it was this question that ultimately drew me to robert e. lee's story. it's that tragic tension at the knowledge, that history could have turned out so much differently. because on the eve of the civil war, leaders on both sides of the potomac, in richmond and in washington sought his services for high command to both about his connection to george washington. that was common knowledge. and both saw tremendous significance in them. they also knew that winfield scott to at the time was the ranking general in the u.s. army

thought lee was the very best soldier hit ever seen in the field. and robert e. lee certainly looked like a fine soldier. he stood just under six feet tall, powerful, broad shoulders a barrel chest. he had perfect posture. everybody who saw him said some version of the same thing, batman looks every inch the soldier. and so in april 1861 an emissary for abraham lincoln asked robert e. lee to come to the city of washington. that ms's name was francis blair and he makes an extraordinary offered to robert e. lee. he says will you leave the main union army to crush secession? and as lee remembered the store, blair tried in every way to convince robert e. lee to say yes. he said blair said to lee the country looks to you quote as a representative of the washington family to save the union george

washington forged it and that was far from an exaggeration because year after all was the son of george washington's most famous eulogists and the son-in-law of george washington's adopted child. and so now only one word separator robert e. lee from the pinnacle of his profession, from commendable will be the largest american army ever raised, from glory perhaps that no american since george washington had known. and what did robert e. lee's lee say? well, he said he opposed secession come and he did oppose secession. he thought secession was illegal. and equally significantly he thought george washington would have oppose secession. that was no given at the time because people on both sides of this conflict claimed george washington for their own secessionists said george washington was a rebel rebel against the british. on the other side union is will say george washington industry will address said the price of

the union about any exceptional allegiance. and actually robert e. lee's reading a biography of george washington in the months before the civil war. and he is hearing these arguments and he concludes that he basically agrees with the unionist position to keep lee's george washington would have oppose secession. so what else in to lee say to francis blair? he says that he would clap and washed his hands of flavor gladly get rid of all slavery if it could avoid war. but then he says, but how can i raise my sword against my native state's? and hear the blair family tradition says lee hesitated as if searching for an answer. but as lee told a story he gave the answer once and a no. he turned on the command. though he did not yet turned in his commission, the army observed for more than three decades. he returned to arlington house. he soon learns that virginia in

fact has voted to secede from the union. and april 20 he writes a letter resigning from the union army. and his wife would call that decision to resign the severest of struggle of his life. >> you can watch this and other programs online at booktv.org. >> here's a look at some books that are being published this week.

look for times and bookstores this coming week and watch for the authors in coming up weeks on booktv.org. >> joining us now is azar nafisi his most recent book is called "the republic of imagination." where did this come from? >> it came from ssi finished my last book on my last chapter, i kept thinking of the old democracy, that freedom is also an ordeal and, in fact, totalitarian societies could be a mayor, mayor in the best and worst in societies like ours. as ray bradbury says in a democracy you don't have to burn books to kill a culture. just get people not to read them. and that's what i said was happening here, so i thought i wrote the book with the

question, can a democracy survive without a democratic imagination? you can get my answers in the book spent your subtitle is america in three books. what are those three books? >> well actually it is more than three books because i begin with "wizard of oz" which was the first book i heard about so the imaginary map for me was cancer to it ends with james baldwin whom i feel is a true progeny of mark twain but it begins with mark twain's huckleberry finn, goes into sinclair lewis babbitt, and heart is a lonely hunter. >> how do you tie those books together? how do they make america's? >> well, you know, reading all these books i'd read so many times before, i realized how much american books special beginning with huck finn, baby a reflection of america's moral compass.

that those he was most an outcast and most of them not searching for materialism or money or success but like huck finn deciding that it is a edit to go to hell than do the right thing. i felt america today needs to be reminded of the fact that it was based on an idea and no space on the dream. and if you lose that dream you will never have the other aspect of it which is the material aspect. all of these books are talking about the greatest danger to america's conformity and complacency. and this hole ideological division that we are creating today. and it makes me uncomfortable. i now love america enough to make it my home i have to start complaining. >> but isn't division and argument, isn't that good for democracy?

>> arguments and debate is great for democracy. ideology is very, very fatal to democracy because ideology makes you feel very comfortable. we all belong to the white house, the ones that are our site, and the rest belong to the black hats, you? we don't even watch the news channel that disagrees with us. democracy is vital when you confront and challenge and accept that you should also be challenged. you should also be question. in huck finn and each of these great american novels, we have a democracy of voices were even the villain has a voice, you know, and it goes to understanding and not condemnation. so i think ideology and utilitarianism federally over america today is very dangerous to the health of our country. >> azar nafisi, how did reading lolita change your life?

>> well, you know, it changed my life in the sense i would rather always doubt and question myself but i never thought that book would be successful and honest to god you should listen to my editors. i used to tell her this book is not going to sell more than 9000 copies. you know but the whole point about the success of that book, it made me understand that readers are not stupid, that you should not underestimate them and that they want to know how and the only thing it gave me, it gave me the opportunity to connect to people i wanted to be connected to but that is the most important thing and that his readers. so that is my take on reading libido. >> we've been talking with author azar nafisi, "the republic of imagination" is her most recent book. >> in her new book, author phyllis lee levin recounts the formative years of america's

president john quincy adams. it's next on booktv. >> so tonight it's a great pleasure to welcome an miles per hour as fellow, friend of the institution, phyllis lee levin. she's a graduate of mount holyoke college, she the reporter, editor and columnist for "the new york times" as well as a writer and editor at "vogue" where a mother ministores with an insightful white house interview with a reclusive pat nixon. i would love to take a look at some point. she's also the author of several books including abigail adams and edith woodrow. she lives in manhattan and is also brave the post-blizzard to join should this evening. let's welcome phyllis. [applause] >> thank you. i'm really very honored to be here. i'm