purchase his become a full life. >> thomas mayer about the relationships between the kennedy family and churchills before churchill became prime minister. and of course joseph kennedy ambassador to the u.k. they outbreak of world war ii, and was widely criticized because he was very sympathetic with germans not that he wanted them to win but he wanted to keep america out of it. well research ared book about the relationships going right up to the time churchill was still alive and kennedy was assassinated so tracks that whole period there from -- joseph kennedy down to kennedy. >> we want to hear from you send us your as you recall reading list via text or videos or post to our facebook page facebook.com/booktv on twitter, at booktv or e-mail us at booktv at c-span.org.

♪ [applause] [applause] [inaudible conversations] [laughter] would you mind if i went out again -- i was to be say how special this night is. but all beat me to it which is great welcome my name is steve, i'm executive director of the john pment kenley library foundation. and on behalf of all of the colleagues and foundation, and jam mee roth and colleagues in library we're really thrilled

you can be here. all of our forums are great but tonight is really a treat. because of the speakers are here also the beginning of the john f. kennedy centennial weekend and planned this months ago and we really literally thought who would be the best pair of bo speaker and moderator we can get for this historic time and this is what we've gotten so we're thrilled they're both here before -- [applause] before i introduce them a few brief announcements first, i want to thank our underwriters and sponsors. the lead sponsor bank of america, the loll institute including bill and andrea lowe here tonight our media sponsors globe, bur and media sponsor for the centennial wcb tv. aside i say we're kicking off centennialing and information when you leave or maybe on your

chair about what we're doing over next few days. but over the next few days, there are opportunities from seeing new exhibit with a hundred items including 40 that have never been seen by anyone publicly before opening tomorrow. on saturday, and in this room doing a special peace corps. day on sunday astronaut here as part of our tribute to nassau, and monday -- we're having bands and music and the navy to honor president kennedy's service this the navy. and at 3 p.m. exactly 100 years to the minute that president kennedy was born, will be having two teams flying overhead to honor president kennedy, and then and then we'll be eating cake we need help doing this. cake that will serve 1,000 people designed by the same company that did the cake for their engagement many years ago. so i hope you'll join us for some of those activity.

but tonight -- tonight we have a literally standing room only in this auditorium we also have overis flow in our other auditorium and we're also thrilled that we're streaming this -- and there are watching parties in places includings the john f. kennedy museum and others. and c-span are here. so we appreciate all of you that are here, and those that are participating online. we have many, many distinguished guests and i'm not going to list them. i want to highlight a few at the risk of offending some i missed but many members of our board here and appreciate their leadership throughout the year and what they do. and this is because it is our centennial we invited colleagues at presidential libraries around country and we have representatives with us tonight from the presidential library or their accompanying foundation, from the franklin roosevelt, harry truman, jimmy carter

george h.w. bush library or foundation we have former united states senator and his wife paul kirk here tonight and former ambassador alan, nicholas burns, and several members of the new england counsel general course so join me in thanking all of them for their trouble. [applause] so there will be -- after first hour of dialogue there will be a chance for questions and microphone on either aisle as you can get up and ask those but if you don't want to get up or in the other room or if you're streaming you can also just tweet us at jfk library. so literally stay in your seat, and then somebody will read the question or you can get up and line, and do the best to answer as many as we can. after the event, this will be called graciously agreed to sign

books so if you have them great, if not bookstore has them. if you're interested in -- having a book signed, go out at the end my left, your right -- if you already have that or not interested in waiting in line go out my right, your left just to help the traffic flow to go -- to go smoothly for that. if you haven't read this yet, this is a treasure. this just -- the american spirit who we are and what we stand for, there are so many speeches here. ifed i had an hour i would just the ask a question for an hour but i promise i won't do that. but i want to introduce before i get to charlie gibson. i feel -- [applause] based on the applause, i think i speak for most people here, who feel we know him even though we may have just met him and that's for much of what i know -- i learned from listening to him on the news for 34 years if.

that both anging abc world news and then co-hosting good morning america he interviewed everybody, including nine u.s. presidents. so it is just a remarkable history and honored that he and his lovely wife are here tonight and then david mccull first i feel bad because he hasn't been recognized much in his life everybody has two pulitzer prizes right are and two with national book awards, and the francis parkman prize twice and presidential medal of freedom the nation's highest civilian honor. everyone i know has been recognized by 54 honorary degrees right actually no one else i know. join me to qk this amazing panel. thank you very much. [applause]

>> so we're going to do a -- just a colloquy here for an hour and as steven mentioned you can come up to ask questions and if people are going to tweet questions -- from outside the room, boy those are going to be concise questions i must say. but the most famous tweeter this many the world probably isn't watching. so i don't think we'll -- [laughter] i doubt we'll get one of those and i shutter to think of what it might be. but we do look forward to this, and it is a treat for me. as somebody who was a undistinguished history major to talk to david who is a legend as steven mentioned and so pleased there are representatives hoar from are so many different presidential libraries. and we doth gaer in the kennedy

library which leads me actually to wonder i ask you -- how many books do you think it there will be in trump presidential library? [applause] [laughter] >> well he -- he is as you saw in a -- energy with "the washington post." said that he never read a book about a president either biography or a book about the presidency. and that -- he might someday he said -- and he doesn't read box because his mind reaches beyond that. and i begin to think about the great presidents down the years who have been avid readers of the history many of them wrote history including john kennedy.

and even those who didn't have a benefit of a college education like harry truman, that history all of their lives, and realized that it is essential to the role of a leader whether it is the presidency or leadership of any kind. not cause and eivets. history matters. if i have one -- message that i would like to get across in my work and in gatherings look had is history matters a lot -- and -- [applause] and we're slipping in our responsibility of teaching history to our children and grandchildren it has been going on a long time and number of us are -- in the sense become evangelical

preachers of the importance of history. and i have lectured colleges and universities and great deal and i'm astonished at how much these wonderful young people don't know about our country and this story. i had one young lady come to me after i gave the talk, and college and midwest and she said that -- she wanted to thank me for coming to campus because until she heard my talk talk that daye had no idea that all of the original 13 colonies were on the east coast. >> may not be -- >> and then another one -- asking in the question and answer period -- we should maybe be my favorite. is this was a university in california. aside from harry truman and john adams how many other presidents have you interviewed? [laughter]

well there may not be many books in president trump library but the name and this big letters. but that leads me to second question as historian, what specific steps could andrew jackson have taken to prevent the civil war? [applause] [laughter] >> we can go all nights -- >> if we're not going to stick on question withs on that. i don't have anymore. >> you could be interviewing douglas tonight. [laughter] >> oh, my -- oh, my -- [laughter] can you believe it? [laughter] really it's -- it's wow. i'm, i want to restore our

recognition of who we are and why we are the way we are, and what we stand for. and i -- i think more and more that as important as grade school, high school, college, university, advance degrees afl that is an essential that maybe is as important as anybody is how we're brought up as home. how were we raised to behave about telling the truth, for example? for treating people with kindness. tolerance, empathy and hard work. i grew up in pitts burg, pennsylvania, where people not only worked hard. but if you were a good hard worker, that counted high how

you're appreciated by other people. i remember my father used to say charlie he drinks too much but he's a good work or fred he had a terrible xaj ray tore and tells stories that i don't believe but he's a good worker and if you're a good worker that forgave all other failings in effect, and that's what -- how we got to where we are by working very, very hard. while i was doing my wright brothers book two young men never had the chance to go to college and never finished high school. but they were brought up to have purpose in life. they're brought up with values at home to learn to yews the english language on your feet and on paper. so that you read their letters that have survived. and the library of congress, and it's their -- it they're humbling in the -- in the equality of their

vocabulary xft to express themselves. and never to boast about yourself, never to get too big for your britches. one of the thing thises that so impressed me and impresses me even more given the situation we're in now -- is that john kennedy almost never talked about himself. imagine -- as you see -- >> didn't use the first person singular. >> about anything. average man that could have gone on and to say the at least with pride of what he's accomplished. >> you mention that actually in the book. you say i'm -- i'm searching how for quote you're talking about jfk you saw first person singular never

entered into anything he said in contrast to so many others since -- name names? >> there's a good lineup. [laughter] but -- no, it's become sort of what you do in public life is start about how nifty you are and in many cases that's justified if. >> let me turn to the book you mentioned that for 50 years you've been since age of 50 you've been giving a lot of speeches. many but you must have luminous records. you chose 15 for this. i'm curious why you wanted to do a book of speeches mow and why you chose these 15. >> i -- writing my book about harry truman i lot loved idea that het for a walk every morning, so i thought maybe i should try that. as a way of sort of tuning your

head not necessarily your are bodies. and you start thinking in a way that you -- you don't if you're not walking. so last summer when the comments being made by republican kaingts for the presidency was to me -- not only appalling but unimaginably out of place i thought what could i do to provide some counter that point of view to this? and i started thinking about -- some of the speeches what i gave at national occasions such as the 200th anniversary of the congress to the anniversary of the white house, kennedy's memorial service at dallas. which i was asked to be the speaker. and ens whichment speeches and

speeches that i had given at particular occasions of importance to the history of other organizations and universities and found there was great many where i was voicing what really matters to me and why i think -- history is so fascinating. and how essential i think it is as a means to enlarging experience of being alive. why should we limit our -- our lives just to this little bit of time in our boy biological clocks offer when we can have access to the realm of the human story going back hundreds of thousands of years is this? and so i set to work to figure out which speech might be appropriate and had the help of my daughter dory lawson who

arranged all of these talks that i gave and who kept the records that what i said. >> when i read the bock the first time and finished it and put it down i thought oh he's writing in the times or he's picking these speeches -- because they might be to the current time. >> yes. >> and while i've hard you say before historians basically -- don't really have a role in talking about current politics but he's talking about current politics at speeches. >> but before it came on the scene these are none of these speeches was written by -- by -- >> i went become and read them a second time thinking what's the sense? what's the paragraph point he's trying to make here? that might be taken to heart by people who were in politics right now? so i went become to read it a second time and each time o i was looking in the what's one point he's trying to make here that maybe taken to heart by

somebody who i don't know, might be elected president who knows? so -- let me pick out a few of them i won't do each one but i think 12 out of 15 i pound pertinent example one first speech in the book from 1989, you quos margaret of maine who had the guts to rebuke joe mccarthy. shex i don't it see the republican party and she was a republican then ride political victory on horseman fear ignorance and smear bigotry. and smear is interesting word who are an why did you think perhaps that had application to the current time? [laughter] perfect if you the only sense of humor. [laughter] >> could you imagine somebody read aring that in the current

political mind? what they might think. >> wouldn't it be republican and republican stand up and she's a woman and with -- rare case is women in the senate at that point in our history. and most people have no idea our day who smith was one of the bravest admirable political figures we've ever had, and -- >> not many republicans are standing up now? >> not enough. >> 19 8 a speech quoting benjamin rush not perhaps is well then as other patriots of that time one of the original signers of the declaration. speaking of good nature that mattered most in human relation he said in the book he said this is his quote i include candor, gentleness, and disposition to speak with civility an listen with attention to everybody and then you added in 1998 in the speech words to rise then perhaps in our own day more than

ever. >> agreed benjamin rush is one of my favorite characters from our past, and absolutely remarkable man. a mass of 18th century polymass is one who is interested in almost everything. and he was accomplished physician. he was one of the first people to encourage the fair and humane treatment of people but mental illness and not to just stump away them in a cell as if they were animals. he was -- extremely courageous in his ability to go into places plague -- where it was rampant yellow fever epidemic he risked his life over and over. and he was one of the signers of the declaration of independence. and when he signed the declaration of independence he was all of 30 years old.

we forget how young those people were. jefferson when he wrote declaration of independence was 33, imagine -- washington when he took demand of the continental army was 44 years old. we see them later on with their white hair and waves and their -- elderly stature and stuff but they wrnght that way then, they were,, very young and i think that's the encouraging fact of -- of that part of our story. i don't think we can ever know enough about the american evolution. and by the way, the new museum of the american revolution is just opened in philadelphia is a must. a place to take your grandchildren, hooked on

history. and it's brilliantly organized spectacular building by robert. and right in the center of where the historic neighborhood is only a few steps down the street from independence hall. but we who live in the boston area sort of take the reality of the miracle of the era as part of our -- our environment part of our world and that's good . that's great. but i love kennedy's profile. and i read that when i was -- still young and not red really e of what i wanted to do with my life. i love his roord for john quincy

adams for example. quote fr3m the beginning. >> yes. but what i like in that quote and i'm not here to comment on anything but what i like so much in that quote is word civility had is a lost art in the public discourse of america today. and the sense of comedy that existed among people who -- who share a common goal and a common and know there needs to be a common ends. it's gone. toc gone. and and you write that we -- have many instances had had deep chasm, division in this country. but we come out of it. >> yes. >> what's going to bring us out of this one? two sides seem so opposed when politics trumps policy. when the sense of the national, national goals is gone. and party goals matter more than natural goals.

what brings us out of it? >> leadership. leadership of the best kind 37. leaders have courage to stand up to their conviction who is have -- the backbone to do what's right be respectfullive of what it means to their political future or their chance had of being reelected. and it has to come mainly from the people. we talk about -- the three segments of government legislative, judicial and executive. but there's a fourth factor. the people, all of us and when we stand up and say, no more of this -- we don't take this anymore. when we stand up and say, there's a person right there who is saying the right thing and doing right thing and we're going to get behind her or him and make sure that that that that ated tude becomes potent

and maybe even decisive. someone like margaret someone who reads about margaret smith who said that's what i'm going to do. somebody in the government right now -- it will happen. it will happen and out of -- in necessity to survive to here to expect that. >> but david we are i believe and you actually write that we're a centuryist nation a country where 30, 40, with a, 60% of the people are in the milingsz and want government to get something done. we aingt doing it. >> absolutely. that doesn't mean we won't. we've come through very is hard times, very baffleing time. very -- pessimistic times, and -- inappropriate behavior time it is in the part of leadership, but we've come through them all.

and very often when we do come through them, these difficult times, these -- dark clouded sky times -- when we do come through, we're better off better for having done it. people talk about that was simpler time no it wasn't. never was a simpler time, orr things have never been so bachelor's degree, so dark, so -- so yes, they have, and if you don't understand what, you don't understand the reality of our story. i like to point out that the influenza epidemic my parents and your parents went through 1918, 19, 500,000 americans died that disease. a disease they didn't know where it came from. didn't know if it would ever go

away or at all and how to it. if that were to happen today, girch size of our population the 500,000 people would die this less than a year. u now imagine if that were on evening muse and more terrified who would be next in our family it to die, and just the depression and civil war -- horrible, horrible times but we came through because we had the faith that we would and buzz we understood that nothing -- of more consequence is ever accomplishedded alone it has to be a joint effort that's what they have to come back to understand. >> in introduction to this book you write fundamental decent city, toll rangs and insistence on truth and good heartedness of the american people --

are there still plainly. and then you add that you asser 0% of americans share those value -- how does that square with what we did in the election? last november -- well this isn't an answer but part of the answer and in the popular vote the hillary clinton won by almost 3 million votes. so it isn't over a landslide. [applause] and donald trump really won by a very narrow margin. ...

were not making things on her own. were not helping solve these problems. that's not true to everybody, of course we are immensely generous, we are immensely philanthropic, we care sincerely and with fervor about education, still. we should be infinitely proud of

what we have achieved in the past 200 years in the way of the greatest universities in the world. yes, they have problem in the cost has gotten out of hand. there's no institutions of higher learning anywhere and earth comparable to our own. there were has been in ever history this is an admirable and important accomplishment. just as important an admirable that we are showing medicine such as anyone ever imagined. i think of future historians on the ocs the politics in the military on the political upheavals are very important to look what was happening in medicine. look what happened in our lifetime. we're just looking at the diseases that john kennedy and

the new exhibit that's about to open, the diseases that mrs. kennedy john kennedy's mother put on a little file card that he had had as a child. my wife and i each have brothers who had infantile paralysis. it doesn't even exist anymore scarlet fever, all of that, not to mention the dna for the successful transplant of organs. we are spoiled we have given so much that we've taken it for granted you have made her teachers heroes. [applause] you should have major awards and

statues that are towns i feel that our teachers are doing the most important work of any of us make sure that we are all for them. [applause] >> being married to an educator i second that. what you think john kennedy would think of trump's acts? >> trump you know, they'll the he would be embarrassed he would be appalled, he wouldn't believe it we've never had a thing like this happen. never had anyone even remotely

so inappropriate for the responsibilities of the presidency in the job. never. virtually every day to make sure that we know it's worse what we thought. [laughter] it is as if we have put someone in the pilot seat was never flown a plane. and he doesn't think it's important to know how to fly the plane. he's just a little surprised at how complicated it is. [laughter] >> i love the fact that the person who is going to solve all of our healthcare problems discovered it was complicated as president. one of the things that i always struck me was the different prisons in which history is same.

social historians, political historians, natural resource historians. but whatever prism you're looking through you see history or cancer history differently. in your mind what kind of historian are you. >> i'm not a historian. i have no advanced degrees in history, i've never studied history do i would if i were an academic. i'm a writer who took up writing about people, but real people and events that really happened. my job is to tell that accurately as possible. with the basic conviction that history is human. it's about people comments about

the human potential and human it's about good people and bad people. it's about the whole mix. and it's about stories that really happen. the writer of history said there is no trick to teaching history effectively. no stories. and that's what i tried to do. i've also tried to bring down to front and center stage people who have been in the background more than they have deserved to have been. like john adams. like the builders of the brooklyn bridge where the people who made the success of panama happen. and women. abigail adams, abigail the wife of the brooklyn bridge, now

catherine right, this history of the to my brothers and she's never gotten adequate for that. i hope my book does that. and bring sir to the point where she is recognized is not only human but important but interesting and admirable as a human being. >> i'm also intrigued by how history gets revised over the years people have seen as heroes and do not for as well and then they make it come back and there's a renaissance. how do you think john kennedy is faring? >> i also think rowley at a point where we can start to pass judgment. truman said he have to wait 50 years for the dust to settle and it has not been 50 years. it's not just to it before him,

but who has followed him. and how does he compare to them and what are the consequences of the decisions he made her didn't make. these are much more important decisions the president didn't make that were important as decisions that did. the decision he may not to go into vietnam word the decision that john adams made not to go to war with france which the country was trying to do which would've been catastrophic have we done so. this is a big part of it. the problem with kennedy would be that it's cut off too soon. we rarely take the president seriously as the others. who is only served one term. here's a president that didn't serve one term.

but look at what the footprints in marquee left on our sense of who we are. >> one of the interesting parts to me is somebody who is read the volumes that robert carol wrote about johnson which are terrific books until great stories, it is interesting that you really have to look at the kennedy presidency and the presidency that follows. johnson who might not have applied to be so in tune with his predecessor really took his predecessor's agenda to heart and it became his. >> guest: yes indeed. >> host: it's amazing how that in many respects johnson was able to do things that kennedy could not have done. >> it would be hard to find two men more difficult than each other. we said he interviewed 11 presidents.

>> host: nine it started with john quincy adams. >> guest: i interviewed six or seven. i've gotten to know those through the research for the past days, what strikes me is how different they are, really different. jimmy carter compared to say george hw bush or bill clinton and some of them in my view deserve deserve more focused and attention, the way that my instinct is that gerald ford has read deserves more attention than he has received. when you think of all that happened in that brief time he was president when he think of

what he coped with to kind of kill him twice, his wife suffering from alcoholism. i was here on the profiles and to encourage the panel the year that we give gerald ford profiles encourage a were because of his mix. when he did that he knew it would probably cost him reelection, almost certainly. he did it anyway. he saved us because it saved us grief. art of people in all roles. the big difference today is

easter taken a look at gerald ford, the volume of material that you have to deal with as a researcher and biographer is overwhelming. otherwise you're just skimming through the other material. what's in this collection here to keep on doing research for full lifetime and never get through all of them. not that that's not important, but it's a staggering mountain to try to climb. every book of the kind that i write by her feet and history is a joint effort. it is a group project.

you have editors and copy editors, but you also have archivist and librarians, and specialists that you want to interview. when he see those acknowledgments at the back of a biography, those people are not just there to tip your hat to friends or something. those people all contributed enormously to what the book represents. and to make one more point, we have the problem we are not teaching history as well as we should. we are not requiring history as required in college and universities anymore. 80% of the colleges in history required no history to graduate and that is wrong. i believe in required courses. for one thing i think it's

important for young americans at that stage in life to understand that that's required. [laughter] but the satisfaction and gratification that comes from working with good people such as are in this library of having the help not just what they know, but their ideas, their suggestions on which path you should take to make new discoveries are invaluable. they should never be underestimated. and we have right now, some of the finest writers ever write a marvelous history and biography.

they are reaching a very large audience. that is encouraging. we have superb documentary films be made in broadcast by pbs. all that is important, in part because so many people today reach the age of 35, 45, 50 and they realizei don't really know much of the history i ought to know. i'm going to read that book, i am going to wash that documentary tonight. >> host: there's some interesting things going on today, you are proud son of el and i'm a proud son of princeton. you'll has taken the name of calhoun of one of his colleges because of his background of the things he did in his life. princeton has gone through agonies trying to figure out how to depict woodrow wilson his

name was so closely associated with the college. now statutes with civil war leaders coming down to the consternation of many in the south. what you think of that revision of history and are those things -- in your life. >> guest: you start renaming everything because it's no longer acceptable as being virtuous like owning slaves. he had to take them as washington monument and so forth. i'd much rather start to rename buildings or monuments to those who didn't own slaves.

contrary to the moment the only founding president who would never owned a slave. this next president in line never owned a slave was his son john quincy. there's no great statues for either of them. i think the taking of the statues down in the south is the right thing to do. most of those statues were put up during the jim crow era. there are not done at the time of the civil war, there are done in the early part of the 20th century. there are really saying that we believe in inequality of racial citizenship and are professing where we stand on this i would not have remained calhoun

college. i certainly would not have taken woodrow wilson's name off of buildings at princeton if it were my decision. i don't want us to start renaming our cities and towns and the rest. i am more interested in giving more attention to the people we have ignored the getting too worked up about too much attention to the wrong people. >> host: you talk to number of times about the importance of history. yet, were in a situation in this country where things are changing so fast. the dislocation of the job market for instances incredible. there are those who say in 20 years half of the jobs, maybe even more that people will occupy have not been invented yet. >> think of that.

>> host: i was on the part of my college for eight years. the graduating seniors with stand up and we the board who would conferred the degrees would be sitting up looking at them. when i went on the board the first graduation i had was 2007. there were a handful of graduates in computer technology. when i left the board in 2015 the number was huge. the number of engineers that stand up is growing exponentially. bill gates said if your student in college you should study one of three things, artificial intelligence, energy or the biosciences. he did talk about history or the humanities. the pertinence of those things, are they given how fast their changing, do they really stand up or should kids be more worried as they graduate about

what is changing, how to change, how to adapt, how to prepare themselves for a job market that is so uncertain? >> guest: well, i may be stuck in my ways and i may be so out of rhythm with the realities of modern high-tech society and i confess to it. i do not use a computer, i don't how to work a computer. i write on a manual typewriter. [applause] >> what kind of phone do you have. [laughter] do you talk into a pop tart? are you ready? >> where is a? and way ahead of all of you there it is. [applause]

now they tell me about all the things you can do it's wonderful. i only wanted as a telephone. i think the decline of the humanities is a very serious mistake. because let's suppose you come out of university with a degree in chemistry or in high-tech communications or whatever, that like you to a good job right away. that might lead you into an important constructive career. but if you come out of college knowing how to use the english language, you are going to be a rare bird of great value, truly. almost half of the law schools in the country today now require their incoming freshman who art

college graduates to take a course in basic writing. because they do not know how to write a presentable letter or report or analysis. they don't know how to express themselves in our language. this is not only handicap, it's a risky trend in any reasonably civilized society. incapable of using the human language of expressing yourself in words and also have no sense of the path of our country and nation is to be really held back, to have serious drawbacks to your qualifications for leadership in all fields. it must be encouraged among our students and our universities and colleges.

a lot of us are working hard to bring back the humanities. and with good reason. think of the jobs open to people who can use the english language and know how to write and know how to think in the english language, where is it that we think with. the economies are declining which they are. our children have lower vocabulary, less than what our generation has. words are what we think with. thinking by the way is important. [laughter] one of my favorite of all discoveries in the diaries of john adams and he kept marvelous diaries, by the way nobody in public life would dare keep a diary anymore. it can be subpoenaed and used against you in court but he

would like a entry would say, at home thinking. [laughter] can you imagine if someone in washington today were to write that in his or her diary as an honest record of what they did that day. >> thinking. >> host: i would add one thing and perhaps it reflects the profession in which i come but there is no question that the ability to write something of a lost art for students. a good friend of mine is a past president of princeton i had dinner with recently and she was about to read five or have five oral argument presentations for phd candidates. and i said how good were their theses and she said well, two of

them were legibly written. three of them were not very good. but the addendum i would add is also the ability to present your argument verbally warm buffet and said he could predict anybody who is a could do it verbally for crowd and urge people to speak publicly he said he'll make 50% in your lifetime than if you can't do that. work for me. but lord knows what i could've done a five been able to write. but it's important, both of those things. you don't know you're going to be doing 20 years from now. a basic grounding of moral

thought in the humanities and social science because the important thing is that you be adaptive. >> i like to read something if i may from one of john kennedy speeches that i think could not be more valid or relevant to today's situation. i think this is the man who is new to the job still but not new to what the proper objective of education and learning and at a civilized society should be. i look forward to in america in which we reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement and business.

i look forward to it in america which commands respect throughout the world that only for his strength but for his civilization. this country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor. it is a great unifying and humanizing experience. the life of the arts far from being an interruption, it is a test of quality of a nation civilization. i'm certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over cities, we too can be remembered not for the decent battle or in politics but our contributions to the human spirit. [applause]

so let me invite any of you who have questions and i do ask you to keep them brief, jamaica's speech. while you're making your way to the microphone just two quick questions for you, the most interesting person you've ever met in the most interesting person you've ever researched. >> one of the most interesting people i've met is a man named tom who just died within the last few months. tom should have been a name that everybody knew, he changed history and the way very few human beings ever do. yet his largely unknown except for the medical profession thomas successfully made the first double transplant organ transplant success. he changed that whole realm, one

man and who kept at it. if there's a theme in this book it's a line i quoted at the beginning for george washington it couldn't be more true and i hope it's true of time he was interested in everything. he said perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages. you have to keep at it. you don't about. if you get doctor don't we burn why you get back up on your feet and continue on. i think that's something we all need to be reminded of and are reminded up by the example set in the story of her own country. >> host: the most interesting person you have research?

>> guest: i think a man named vanessa cutler who i talk about in my commencement speech i gave at ohio university. he was a preacher in massachusetts, he had a church there he was also a dr. a lawyer and practiced all three of these professions having achieved degrees in all three. he was the man who convinced the continental congress in the summer of 1787, before we had a constitution to create the northwest ordinance. that was the territory to mentors by britain at the peace treaty that ended the revolutionary war. an area the size of all of our 13 colonies no roads, no

bridges, no towns, nothing. and native americans and wolves and panthers and gravel snakes rattlesnakes and you name it. and in this act passed by congress there be total religious freedom in this area which would be made into the five states that be ohio, indiana, michigan and wisconsin. total freedom of religion, government support for education from grade school through college since beginning the first state universities and there be no slavery. imagine even before we have a constitution the president of

the united states eliminated slavery from what was half of our country, phenomenal accomplishment in this one man. he virtually pulled it off. he was a classic -- like benjamin franklin. he was a brilliant botanist. he was an astronomer. he was the most interesting man. he qualifies high. >> host: i notice for out of those five states went for trial. >> we belong to probably the most liberal state in the country, massachusetts or rhode island. i'm just worried about four years from now there doesn't seem to be a leader in the democratic party. we have a guy that looks pretty good but he's not married, a single ex- marine. i wonder why ear feeling of who the next leader of the democra

democratic party would be. >> guest: i can tell you i would before, joe biden. [applause] joe biden is a man of character. he is also had experience, both personal and professional where his been knocked down and gotten back up in a way that is admirable in the extreme. he doesn't want to right now, but somebody will come forth. somebody very strong character and admirable outlook could come forth in the republican party. if this present last much longer. >> i'm so glad that you cited jerry ford. is the first time i had a chance

to be a white house reporter for abc the decency of the guy to do the with nixon, his first sentence when he went to the chamber of the house it was the day he assumed the presidency our long national nightmare was over. he was the right man. it's amazing the genius of the american system and how it tends to bring this people to the top. >> guest: he was a grown-up. >> host: yup. >> guest: and a gentleman. [laughter] >> i don't know what that chuckle means but i think i do. >> you brought your books especially in newspapers, documents and letters. since so few people write letters today, newspapers seem to be in decline, what sources

do you think future writers of history will use? >> i think they will have a lot of trouble, truly. they will have no letters or diaries. they won't really know what we were like. what we write by computer might not last, there's a good chance it won't last. it isn't exactly heartfelt personal expression that letters and diaries traditionally give. by any chance if anyone is interested in mortality, start keeping a diary. write about anything you want, every day. keep on doing it until you reach the point where you think the curtain may be about to come down and then give it to the massachusetts historical society and it will be quoted forever. it will be the only diary in existence. [laughter]

>> you mentioned in the book or somewhere in interview that you are reading the diary of elizabeth -- pennsylvania, late 18th century. >> guest: no, i'm not. >> host: all, somebody else. >> guest: some other guy. >> your book is about speeches that you have given. i was wondering if your comments on the ability of president kennedy in his capacity as a person who gave speeches. he had a very brief presidency, yet it seems he gave many memorable speeches. more so than any other politician who is around in the television age where we can actually see, hear, listen to the speeches. could you comment upon the. >> if he had done nothing but

give speeches he would be somewhat of value and importance in our history. he was extraordinary. the speeches stand the test of time in a way that is not the usual case. except for abraham lincoln and franklin roosevelt to, no one has used words such power and effectiveness the purpose at the moment as kennedy did. when i gave the memorial address at this side of dallas were kennedy was killed, i devoted most everything i said to xers from what kennedy's own words were because you sense the nature of this man his personality and his talents as a leader but the gift he had to

use the language, he was a master literary figure. and a great reader and he understood the use of the language, the power of words. >> it's not a lost art totally. i would make the case that barack obama speech at the 2004 democratic convention and then and i thought of kennedy's speech on religion which he gave and it was so important in diffusing that issue. obama speech and race in philadelphia was a great speech. >> guest: barack obama is a powerful speaker. and a thinker of considerable importance. i think he has been an inspiration to many young people in a way that a president taught

to be's comic. >> thank you very much. it's a pleasure to meet you. i wanted to say thank you for all of the information on john and abigail and john quincy. i was a park ranger for summer at the adams historical site. everything you say more about those people, he needs a presidential life. also as mother of an actor. i want to further comment on your please that history should be required and asked the question. i'm a professor of social study methods and i teach both in service and future teachers who are going to be elementary school teachers. you say that it is the families and the lack of learning about

history and culture of learning to live with others and appreciate differences that is not going on in the house. but what about an elementary school. i go around to elementary schools and i'm told there's no time for social studies. we only have half an hour a week and have to do math, science, and reading. i brought it up at the national conference and cannot get an answer. i'm wondering what yours is. >> guest: my very strong feeling is the way to get young people involved in history, the best time to get them is in grade school. they want to know about it. they want to know about presidents and heroes of accomplishment and so forth. they love stories. they are wonderful books that can be used at the grade school level.

in my own case i was swept away as a grade school student by a book called ben and me about a mouse who lived in ben franklin's house. a marvelous book. i can't go into that. ben grew up as a large family and a famous old church in philadelphia. then, the mouse amos the mouse. i can never go into the church and wonder if that family is still be on that wall. one of our granddaughter's was in a class and the children were told you can pick a first lady or a president that you are going to be a were going to put

on a pageant to show for all you mothers and fathers and you'll introduce yourself as president so-and-so and talk about yourself. my grand daughter, caroline was harry truman. the other good friend was franklin roosevelt. the night of the gathering for the parents these little people came out there and gave a wonderful account of who they were in what they did and why they should be noted. all of us were amazed. i know for certain that not one of those children were ever forget which president they were. it will be with them for the rest of their lives. thus, thing that can work wonders in many ways. i think we need to bring what i

call the lab techniques to teaching history. this is all true all the way through high school and college. get them involved with a have to do the work. they have to dig in and get their hands dirty and do the research. we shouldn't hand them everything and why this is important, no, you need to get involved in the detective case aspect of it. and that works like nothing el else. >> you mention the importance of universities and world-class universities is a great asset to the country. there are two elements that i find very dismaying. one is the emphasis on political culture, pc and even administrators seeming to fall under the trap of protecting their students from

controversial opinions, providing bubble rooms. wonder if you could comment on that. the second situation is i found on c-span two african-american professors and also to feminist professors both in well-known universities were talking about the irrelevance of the constitution since they were not blacks and women were not part of the decision-making at the time. i was wondering if you could comment on that as well. >> a very easy question would to say. [laughter] >> it's appalling. it's disturbing and unsettling. i personally, this may be too simplified response. may indicate that i really don't understand the actual workings of the modern day president of the university's life and

decision that i think when that happens it's a lack of leadership on the part of whoever is running the university. not just the president but the faculty. the political correct is awful. and it's unrealistic. doesn't have anything to do with understanding reality. they were not that kind of a country. we are still able to express her opinions, let us hope without fear of being attacked degraded or made to feel like a fool. >> so when speeches are canceled because of the student uprisings

a places like middleberry or 100 students walk out of the graduation speech given by the vice president or when speeches are canceled a california berkeley because students do not agree with the opinions who are about to speak i presume you would oppose that. so too are there people who are trying to be provided. >> if i was the president of the university remember faculty were something like this happen i would speak out in favor of a different attitude and hope that the majority of the student and members of the faculty and alumni would be persuaded that the stance i was taken was the right one. i'm surprised at how few university presidents take any position politically.

is it because they're afraid their damage their ability to raise money, i don't know. wasn't all was. they spoke out a voice their opinion. >> about the second part involving the constitution? the fact that perhaps are people in this country because it did not represent them or do not feel fully represented in earlier days they have done a lot one of the things we need to do is teach the constitution, absolutely i don't know how many of you have to pass on the history of the country of two

thirds of the country cannot pass that test but they have to pass it, and they do. some of the most ardent readers and enthusiasts for american history over the years how many people among us don't know about the country. it doesn't have to stay that way. i know when you're researching your books you like to visit historic houses and see where people worked and lived. what is relevant in your mind and why -- >> the importance, you actually mentioned in the book that when you are doing history of an individual that you go and see

any read what they read and you look at their houses and where they grew up in what their surroundings were. what is the why is that important and why should we consider that as people who might be interested in a particular historic figure. it's essential. let us remember very distinctive traits that are common among animals. one is that in childhood were imprinted by our environment and train. we grow up and we don't realize what they say comes from that environment. if you want understand somebody you have to go to that environment for example many of

them the popular traits and characteristics and ways of harry truman if you got to independence, missouri and spent time out there you'll realize that's where a lot of these people are in the expression and language they use and i stress strongly not only do you have to read what they wrote, but you have to read what they read. what were the books and the guiding literary spirits of their youth and childhood that shape them? i remember reading a wonderful line in one of john adams letters to abigail in which she said, we may not succeed in this struggle we may may not prove successful but we can preserve it. i read that and i thought nobody

thinks like that anymore, we can deserve it even if we don't win in some months later i was reading a letter george washington wrote and there was the same sentence. the same observation. >> with the plagiarist. >> the but in the 18th century they didn't use quotation marks. so you could quote something you don't know it, they know it. this was a line by joseph at by the famous play which they haven't actually seen the play. they had read it. as one of the most popular literary accomplishments of the 18th century. this happens again and again. they're shaped by what they read just as we have.

this characteristic of the time in which they were living. i've always had to go where i could smell the night air of the cold smoke and i can walk the walk or feel that i'm entering into the lives of these people were just as real. >> long time ago general ford was my congressman so it's nice to hear the kind words you have to say about him because lots of people do not appreciate the kinds of things he did for this country. so thank you for those comments. i'll be looking forward to the book that's coming out about gerald ford that could be written. >> actually richard norton smith who is president of the ford library.

i don't think it's written a biography this is better profound evening for me hearing you talk. one of the issues i've had for many years is that kids are not taught civics anymore. i took civics in the eighth grade. i've been a political junkie all my life. when i talk to people about things like the constitution and i studied two semesters of common law and i was a history major. i am appalled by their total lack of knowledge and disinterest in the constitution. if kids are taught basic civics in grade school, the chances they will carry that interest and concern and responsibility on as adults is pretty slim. like to hear your thoughts like to know what can we do to bring it back?

>> guest: make it required. truly. absolutely. be required. >> one of the things about the military academies as they all require that kind of course. many ways their graduates are coming away with an advantage of students in the regular universities are not going to have. when i was in college i took we had to take a science course too. the word was out commonly understood the theseus science course was geography. excuse me, geology. so i immediately signed up for geology. >> is called rocks for jocks. [laughter] and the professor was professor richard flynn.

of course he was known as rocky flynn and rocky was a very tall, severe man severe looking man and very impressive. i'll never forget many others who went through the same course will never forget. the first day he walked out on stage and here's what he said, imagine the empire state building, imagine a bible lying flat on top of the empire state building. now imagine a dime lying flat on the bible. the empire state building represents the history of the earth. the bible represents the history of life on earth, the dive represents the history of human life on earth. talk about putting things in perspective. and a quickly found that i love geology and signed up for another term.

it wasn't required, because it's history. and it's relevant to so much that we don't try to understand. i think that's what happens often when young people are signed to take a course or another. i've always advise students to take the teacher, not the course. find out who are the greatest professors on the excited lectures, who are inspiring professors. that will make the difference irrespective of what their teaching. >> i just add one thing. i covered a lot of local government my time when i was a beginning reporter. i covered city councils and school boards. the interest in what school boards are doing very is a lot, but school board members are very susceptible to lobbying by the public.

if you go to your local school board people and say you want to require civics and enough people do it, civics will be required. [applause] >> this is a question from twitter. the question is, if someone like jfk were to take office today, how do you think you would approach the form policy challenges were facing up? >> knowledgeably. [laughter] will. [applause] he was a natural born diplomat. not to say you smooth talking or something, he understood that diplomacy is essential. in life and in relation between nations.

>> went back after i heard the inaugural speech delivery left know about trend last november i went back and read jfk's speech and i will cite the well-known quotes but one thing he said that people don't remember is to those peoples in the hudson villages struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves for whatever time is required not because we seek their votes, because it is right. contrast that to last november, every decision on trade, taxes will be made to benefit american workers and american families. 's real contrast. >> yes. >> hello, one of the extras in the crowd. [applause] thinking golly, you've given me a lot of homework sir. [laughter]

so, my question is i've learned the amazing fact that you have 19 grandchildren. [applause] what is one message that you constantly tell the as i have grown up and as they are growing up. what is that message and that team for such a well-known historian and writer? what is that key that you think is so important nowadays and in the future? >> well, i have considerable irish blood in my background. don't just give them on. [laughter] i'm incapable of just one. but one of my favorite quotes and a have it framed on the mantelpiece in our house and they'll see it and know it is from jonathan swift who said, may you live all of the days of your life, live every day.

live all of the days of your life, that's what matters, getting the most out of life while you are alive. in that feeds energy, feeds on expending energy. in theater roosevelt once said, black hair rarely sits behind a writer whose faces past and the way don't sit around them over feel sorry for yourself. self-pity is an ugly human inclination. wicked up and do things, accomplish something, make the world a little better, everyday if you can in some small way or another. help other people. be kind, have empathy, put yourself in the other person's place.

and try not ever to be boring. [laughter] it's not fair to be boring. it's unkind. to your friends or your family. >> and now to the final question. >> good evening. i am a history teacher in cambridge, massachusetts. i have two questions. number one, what are you currently reading now for enjoyment? >> what i'm working on a book i don't read anything but all that i need to read in order to be competent to write the book. so, right now i'm writing all about the northwest territory. reading biographies and autobiographies of the whole cast of characters. the boys wanted to write a book about people you've never heard of. would love to have the capacity in the story itself to get you

in and not rely on historic -- was the word comes celebrities. they could sue in. i was greatly influenced as a student in college by thornton wilder in his novels and play. and particularly the play, our time. was set what if you could write a book about real people in a real town and have sufficient material to get inside their lives in their drawing on letters and diaries and so for forth. i found that in the collection in ohio which was the first

settlement in the northwest territory. my people who all came out from here from massachusetts and to a degree other new england states. they were veterans of the revolutionary war who had been inadequately compensated with which was called script and it was worthless. so they were going to compensate for that terrible oversight and unfairness with land. most of these people are veterans of the revolution had been through eight years of torment difficulty and then they go out and start this new community in the middle of the wilderness. i'm able to get into their lives in a way that you cannot do for a group of people today. were not to leave it the kind of

record. every mashable thing that could go wrong went wrong but they would not give up. and, this is important, we temporary often to misjudge people. because there members of this group or that group or this religion of that religion. among those that we have misjudge other. chance. the idea that they all wore black or stuffy and boring and were against having fun whatsoever. not true, they were colorful close and like to have parties and sing and dance and drink. in the had many admirable objectives in life and one of them was education. it was essential. as part of their faith. to see how they took that ideal of education and freedom of

religion out this on occupied wilderness and create these towns those exactly what they tried to achieve back here. it's exciting. i want to know more about it. i've never undertaken a subject i knew much about. that's quite a confession. if i knew about it i will want to write the book because that's the venture. learning about it. i'm learning about what it was like to be a pioneer in that teenage. >> host: will wrap things up in and i will ask david to do one more thing before i send you off. i really do appreciate you spending an hour and have been as attentive as you have been. someone who's stew to arsenal live television every morning i can tell you that's an exercise and bladder control. [laughter]

so is being here for an hour and half and being as attentive as you have. as i read the book i wanted to find something that be a good way to wrap it up. i think all of us profoundly remember the time after 9/11. it was a very special time in this country and it was a time there is wonderful unity. unity that i wish were still around in our society. were in a position now where we cannot talk to each other at times and that's dismaying. on the speech he gave just after 9/11, david said this. >> is said that everything has changed but everything has not changed. this is plain true. we're still the strongest most productive, wealthiest, most

creative most ingenious, the most generous nation in the world. with the greatest freedoms of any nation in the world in any nation of all time. [applause] [applause] known one. [inaudible.[inaudible]

>> book tv is on twitter and facebook. we want to hear from you. tweet us, twitter.com/book tv, or post a comment on our facebook page. facebook.com/book tv. >> we want to introduce you to julia who is the new president of the norton publishing company. give us a synopsis of your career. >> spent almost 34 years and i was hired as a college traveler selling books to campuses in ohio, kentucky, and indiana. i always wanted to be an editor in the literature for field and eventually achieve that. and doing other kinds of work on the side and then this. it's been a great ride. >> host: what are your duties going to be my main duty is to keep on keeping up.

this is a very fabulous -- [inaudible] >> host: let me ask you about the books you have coming up in november, what are some that you can talk about? [inaudible] [inaudible] [inaudible]

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>> your washing book tv, television for serious readers. you can watch any program you see here online at booktv.org. >> now, to programs for the recent on bound book festival in missouri. first up, a discussion on notes of the native son author, james baldwin followed by a panel of authors on wartime stories. [applause] [applause] >> like many of you, i was deeply moved by the film, i am not your negro at this year's film festival.