book about harry truman becoming president after the death of franklin roosevelt. theresa may takes questions from members of the house. after that, it is on election security and integrity. announcer: this week on "q&a" a.j. baime. he discusses his book "the the ntal president", and four months that changed the world. >> a.j. baime you have a book called "the accidental president: harry s. truman and the president that changed the world." when did you get interested in making a book like this? >> i grew up thinking that

truman was this man of integrity. but i never really understood the trajectory of this man until i was writing my last book, the arsenal of democracy in. that book there was a book where senator truman goes to detroit to investigate the car companies and their failure to produce airplane pieces. it struck me as amazing that this on cure person should become the most powerful president in the history of the world. even my last book was done i was beginning in my head to structure this one. >> in your book to talk about a newest session. what does that mean and what were they? >> when you research this book, you end up eating a lot of

peanut butter sandwiches and going through cheap hotels. you talk about something newest asession. it just means this is a document that's new. and it will list the date when it showed up. so the great truman biographies all came out in the 1990's, right? anyway, so i knew if i found these documents that they hadn't been available to biographers in the 1990's and i knew these were pieces of gold. i can't look you in the eye and said i found documents that changed history. there were more elements of color that to me as a narrative writer meant a lot to me. >> so what's the most important thing about harry truman's first four months? >> well, one thing this is very difficult -- >> no, i mean -- the whole package. >> thesis of the book is this

that this four months is the most action packed that any president has ever faced to this day. so he becomes president by accident in 1945. and we see the liberation of the camps. the fall of the reich. fire bombings in japan that killed thousands and thousands of civilians. the fall of berlin, the pottsham conference, the beginning of the cold war, the first nuclear explosion, the first atomic bombs dropped in the beginning of the war. all of that happens in four months' period. what was the most important thing? it had to be the dropping of the bomb which was the most controversial decision that any president has ever made. >> let me put on the scream -- screen some dates so that everybody can go through these dates and put it all in context. what was this teheran context and then you have the conferences that you can see on

this list and the potsdam conference. how do those three conferences fit together? >> well, these were extremely important events. the first two, they were secret conferences. secret, so nobody was supposed to know about them. and i think the most important thing about these conferences that we brought together the three leaders, the three allied leaders. you had joseph stalin of russia -- of the soviet union. frank lincoln roosevelt. and all of the trusted leaders. first at teheran then at yalta. yalta was -- is regarded today as highly controversial because thrrn many secret agreements that were made at yalta. when roosevelt died at 145, the new president had no idea of the secret meeting. rue -- truman realized that at

yalta thrrn all these secret agreements and he has to figure out whether they should be upheld. >> let me she you some video so f.d..n see stalin and >> in yalta. >> president roosevelt, winston churchhill and stalin, outline the steps of victory over germany. roosevelt's personal press tidge, his words of council -- prestige and his words of counls were invaluable. president roosevelt met with stalin and churchhill. the war was going very well. >> how cordial were those three men? >> they were fairly cordial. they all got along very well, surprisingly well. roosevelt got along with people -- even people who was in his

best interest to get along with, someone like joseph stalin who was responsible for the death of nine mill yonl soviets. he probably killed more people thanl hitler did. but he was good at it. now we get to potsdam. truman now? president. and he has no experience in international relations. he's never met stalin. never met churchhill. and three months into his presidency. he doesn't know if the bomb is going to work yet. he has to sail across the country -- i mean, the atlantic. and the war in europe was over. so the whole world knows teheran and yalta there were secret conferences. the whole world knows this is going on. and the american people are expecteding their new president to bring something home to them. there's a tremendous amount of pressure. truman is its at the negotiating table to map out the future of the world. >> when truman became president, president truman did the oath,

how much did he know about what was going on in the war? >> the way -- let me frame it to you this way. he knew, he was an expert on the home front. he knew as much as anybody what was going on in the production of the military, the home front effort to win the war. in terms of the international emergency, he probably didn't know all that much more than your average person who studied the "new york post," "baltimore sun." he didn't even know the existence. when he took the oath, he didn't even know of the existence of the manhattan project. >> right now, the vice president of the united states has a big mansion. he lives up on massachusetts avenue. the day where f.d.. >> died where was harry truman living? >> in a small apartment on connecticut avenue. this described him.

think of him as the best schools and etc., etc. truman lived in a small apartment on connecticut avenue. there were two bedrooms. he shared one with his wife beths. of course, they had separate beds as was custom at the time. and the other one was shared by margaret their only child at the time and mrs. wallace which was his mother-in-law. there was a little hook where mrs. truman hung her apron and she would make toast for her husband. and they had a telephone which was exciting. yeah, that's who he was. >> how much money did he have in those days? >> very little. i don't remember the number off the top of my head. in my quest to be able to find the details that would eliminate who this person was, i managed to sift through his bank records

in the book i can quote exactly what his bank balance was, something like $3,000 and something dollars. he also had taken out a lone from the hamilton national bank. and he had to pay those back and you see the payments in the banking records. >> what was his relationship with mrs. wallace has mother-in-law? >> interesting. wonderful question. mrs. wallace -- ok, so this family comes from independence, missouri. the wallaces were considered arisstrow cats in this -- a istrocratses. -- ar truman was a former. and the wallace lived in independence. all the letter exist of this courtship. and she was very much not in

favor of this farm boy because she said "he was never going to go anywhere. and even when they were living in the white house in 1945, mrs. wallace was living in the white house, she still looked down on harry even though he was president of the united states. >> how much education did harry truman have? > again, a great contrast to roosevelt who went to harvard law. truman never finished college. the family was broke when he finished high school. so he had to go and work on the farm. and he worked in kansas city for a little bit. at some point he took law classes at night. i think he had pretty good grades, a's and b's. but he never finished. no college degree. no law degree. this was the man who took over for f.d.. >>. >> what did he run in his life? >> what did he ever run? it's interesting to think, he

had never been mayor of the subsidy, never been governor of the -- never been mayor of the city or never been governor of the state. he had been the head judge of jackson county, missouri. which he was the chief executive of the county mose of which was rural. had kansas city in it. but most of it was rural. he had never been chief executive of anything. >> how did he ever get elected to the united states senate and what role did mr. pendergas play? > mr. pendergas, fascinating figure. a fun person to write about because he was this larger than life man. he had a bull frog head and bull frog eyes. extraordinarily powerful man. he was the last of the big city

bosses. and he essentially picked this random -- seeming little random gentleman named truman with no political experience. up and gave him a political career. and the thing about it is, essentially you have to imagine harry truman at 38 years old. had been a partner in a haberdashery in 1922. and mr. pendergas found this boy who was friends with his knew few. he creates a career for him. mr. pendergas was involved in all sorts of illegalities. and true man had lived there so long. he was an honest man. people knew truman's father. this was an honest family. truman was thrust into these offices. you know, how rigged were these

early elections? we really don't know. know a lot of people worked pendergas were con convict of fraud. he helped harry win the election. i think it was 1984. so harry goes to washington, he has a pretty bad reputation because of mr. penergas. when harry goes up for re-election. he was in leavenworth. this is not going to go well for hard rifment he wins the 1940 election. and was one of the most fascinating senatorial elections that i ever come across. >> why? >> because nobody exapted him to win. he had no allies. perned gas had done everything for his creemplet and now pender gas was gone. a man named loyd stark who won a lot of money. who had become very rich growing

apples. stark delicious apples. and his nerm in the governor's office was up. he ran for truman's seek. it was like this rocky moment where miraculously he wins. he ron i'm an honest guy and the state voted for him. and he won. he with f.d..as >>? >> they didn't know each other very well. roosevelt was even quoted saying that -- i'm trying to remember the exact quo. truman that's what he said. officially once truman was vice president they met together

twice. that's it. unofficially we don't know. but he meet with him twice before he died. there's wonderful picture of the two men sitting on the magnolia team. they're havinging tea and talking about the election. >> it's a great photo wrap because there are a few of them. they barely know each other. >> go back to the chart we showed of the dates. this was the first year that inauguration was on janl 20th. it was a fourth term for d.d.. >>. if you look up there on the screen you see the conference in february 1945. and f.d.. >> died april 128th on the day that he dies on april the 12th, how much does harry truman know bout the bottom? >> nothing. this is ze baited.

it out came across the secret project going out in pasco, washington. which is the henford side. and fred canhill was going to go out and investigate this thing. secretary of war henrik stempson said please don't investigate this. i was at yale university. i found a transcript of the conversation. it's quoted in the book. the secretary of war says mr. truman please don't -- just pull orinvestigation away this is a secret project. truman said that's all you've got to say and he did. >> in truman's memoir -- shortly after taking the oath. the secretary of war poses on the side. and says by the way, mr. president, mr. truman must have been like, i'm president of the

united states. facilityson said there's the secret project going on. and that it's so secret that all i can tell you right now. >> he used the word "puzzled" it 139 t until april 25th his full day. that with the girls. and he's holding this document. and said within the next four months we will be -- this is highly likely that we will have bomb big enough to destroy an entire city. >> how did stimpson get there? >> he was a fascinating character. he was the only one in roosevelt's gap net. he had been in government since early in the century. he was 77 years old. so he's been an administration and different positions. he feels secretary of war when

truman took over. and he becomes this amazing character because he's really government son in that is supervising the manhattan. so simpson is the one who knows more about anybody. he's advising the president. and all of the dwockments exiss exist. lots of details ant his meeting exist. about his meeting >> here's what he looks like back in 1943. suppose we 140u8d -- should hopelessly immobilizing his troops, guns and ammunition. for us, this would be a mill trare victory of tremendousing a any tude.

a problem for staggering proportions. >> how important was he for harry truman's presidency? >> it's so interesting to hear him talk. he was a character as if he had walked out of a henry james novel. because he was a relic. he was of another generation. he was the man interesting -- sorry i'm sort of taking out to left field here. found it nas nating about mr. stimpson, he had not entertained people who were divorced. he was a man of a previous generation. so for him to be the point person of the bomb -- he was really an incredible person to be able to nut perspective what the science was and how miraculous and terrifying he was. >> he resigned right after the war. >> no.

>> september 1945, he left government service, but again, to have him -- he was the point guy in the bomb. so to go through his paper, you rarely see the narrative unfolding and the mystery around it. >> they really didn't know until, you know, until they knew for sure that the thing was going to work. >> where do you do live? >> i love in a beautiful town in northern california. i didn't live there when i started 24 book. i was in chicago and new york for 15 years before that. >> what were you doing there? >> i was a journalist. i had a unique trajectory, you might sigh. >> and what is that? >> well, i was an editor at playbook mag zpeen. people can which dom all sorts of conclusions which are likely uncorrect. you know how many people would say i read it for the articles.

>> for how long? >> 10 years. and it was a wonderful job. and i'll tell you a funny story about it. selfishly. i didn't really -- i didn't care -- it was a wonderful job in which i mad young kids and i made good salary. especially during the down turn of the economy. >> at the same time there was a job that i could happy while lunching a career running books. so i wrote too books there. >> i finished on the last book and then i got started on this one. but, you know, for someone who is writing books like this, think it might be surprising for people. for me i was blessed to find a job that paid so well that offered me enough time. that i really wanted to do. what else did you do besidesplayboy? >> i've been wait nrg "the wall street journal" since 2009. >> where is home originally? >> new jersey. >> how much school do you have?

>> masters in literature from n.y.u. where did you get your original terest in writing k -- writing. on my shelf in the office i have a book i wrote in the first great it's a book about a racehorse. when i was in the first grade, i wrote this book. e had wrapped the cardboard in neighbors. and she stitched findings. >> after i finished this book thunder, i said i really love this project. this is something i love. >> and she said, you're going grow up to be a an author. i dweent to be an author, i want to write books. so i'm one of those lucky people who have known a my whole life

knowing what i wanted to do and i feel so blessed that i've been able to do it. >> why the a.j. instead of albert james. >> everybody calls me something different. so my father calls me jim. my father calls me birth. i don't know where it comes from. and what's the background on that. we're from yeern your penal jewish immigrants and i was giving a talk at d truman library. >> and a woman showed up and said i live here in kansas city. and i have the same last name as you. >> and there are very few of us. we must be relatesd. we couldn't quite figure out. there's not a lot of --. go like hell, ford ferrari and heir battle for speed and grow

that was a wonderful product. it's my second book but it's the first sort of book that i considered any good. >> it's a motor raising rivalfully the 198664's. of the world to extremely powerful men and record the second probably the most sbk and zo ferrari who is this speed racing impresario. probably the most vas nating character. he spoke toe tri. just everything yows said was troastmble and strange and wonderful. . the rival by was played out the most. which still existed today. -- the other book i want to ask you about is big shot. >> the menl behind the boose. and so for my previous that was

the book. i was prosecutey youk at the time. and each chapter, it's the story -- it's the history of liquor. and hist champer. so who is the real johnny walker. through that, i can tell about .hat scott whistler z so who was. there was a jim in there too. and jose cuervo. for you yead all these champions you doned get a piece of writ comes from. lmp when f.. >> died. and you portray this in the boofpblgt harry truman is scared to death. i think the most pornlt thing in this book is that a human portrait of a man who becomes

the mogse powerful man in the listry of the world by accident. >> i really tries to paint a picks chure of him so the. does the date where this happened. . i wanted the reader to understand what he was feeling yeah, nking, and the and he was terrified. even his wife in his conversation with his wife she was she was goutable thater had the. can you imagine. his own wife. >> here's some video four days after. he's in front of the congress. tell us what you see in a man that said he was scared about this job. >> prove that there can be no most mobile understanding. both germany and japan can beat -- no , joined never

doubt beyond a shadow of a doubt. >> let me put in in context, this is anorytory morning. saturday.uneral was the he pried to go. and he would not mess it . he climbs the stairs. he looked out. and he seize the wife in the crowd and she's crying. she's crying because roosevelt is dead. the nation is in shock. she never wanted her husband to be president. he's frightened for him. meanwhile, he has to get up there and inspire confidence in his administration and the world and 34erk will continue that the war will continue,. everything seems in question because people don't know who

this man. is they're used to roots vefment hawaii bhanledprth longer than any presidents. a lot of people serving in the military. . any other president in their lifetime. . inspire the. one fact i love is after this speech i giss. e star -- the stock market sores. he sends the right message. this as man of integrity and this is someone who americans can relate to. "the new yorker" wrote, published the story, roosevelt was for the people. truman is the people. americans felt like he was one of them. >> you talk about probably the worst thing about f.d.. >> was two things. .ne, he was very sick

maybe he shouldn't have run. >> that's correct. i would not be the first to say that roosevelt's greatest error to be failing had to inform his vice president about what was going on in the world for example the secret agreements of yalta just as an example to prepare the vice president what we now know was inevitable because a lot of people realized this that this man was in poor health. >> these are complicated a agreements. it's difficult to sort of blurt them essentially. we had to convince the chinese to concede a whole bunch of things to them.

the secret agreement which was the chinese would give concessions for the soviets to enjoy the war against japan, ok? the only problem is know informed the chinese. so they were going to give up all these things to the soviets. the soviets agreed to end the war in japan. so truman finds out about this. and he's like -- i now have to figure out that they're going to have to give up all this stuff to russia and convince home to do this >> of course, that occurs through a series of deploy matic relaxes. independent doesn't go well. were . so the chinese refuse. however, the soviets realize this is when we start the american -- our state doiment realizes there's going?. the soviets were like hey, don't worry about it. we're going to go into japan ni. >> they there wasn't going to be

a power vacuum there. en. who did president truman bring with him to washington from kansas city and who was around him from kansas city is in the the white house. >>. >> when he came into the building threffs a lot of missourians around limb. .> federal roints it's buddy ede in the first championship. >> he doesn't really join the staff. mckifment so he bring eddie mckim, an building. and suddenly lip you have people trying to tell them what to can. . they're mortified.

they're just -- they're mortified by the fact that roosevelt wasn't the new president. and to hear them crosswalk around -- one of the narratives in the book is that how staffers realize who truman. is it happens fairly quickly. you see their opinions of him start to form. at first they're considered he was very weird well educated although no college degree. your question is important >> who is harry vaughn and >> he's one of the americans. he was white house gesture. he made him a nable aid. >> he was in the restembs. >> he wasn't any important general. >> and suddenly you had harry von keeping. a couple of other people that you i write about.

it's gyms how of carolina. we've got sharp video so you can see. what did he do? what was he job? revers he was one of very few people who served in all three branches of government. became before his he president had. i was called tell assistant president in the white house. controversial figure. let's wamp. >> the wall is going well. we have the enmitts in on the ropes. his knees are buckling. >> this is the time to finish the job. >> that was 19454. was he right? >> ant. --? >> actually yes. >> burns is fascinating the figure. 1.2 can make that -- burns' was absolutely kinsvinlsed that she

have have -- he should become president. he should have become president an not truman. >> he meets with him and said i want to make you secretary of state. and very quickly burns becomes truman's most important advisor. and in a way that i explain in the book it's compli camented. we can get into it. but it becomes very important in the decision to drop the bottom. >> now? >> i had to snell out. > they had tree ear. and it really came down to potsdam. truman had to make this decision. the construct anna docsment. and this is siger signed by the three govets. that's china delighted kingdom

and. you need to surrender or we're going to do something really, really dark. and the language is career as you read in refree throw spect. they're thalking about the bomb. it's the secret. now, the nerm unconditional sur rend ser in that document. e know that truman was reading the ultradocuments. and we have them. i have them. truman knew exactly what the it nese were thinking probably send that we were going emperor. er the

a lot of advisors said let's drop the word unconditional. this is decombateable. but we could put his -- this is debatable. but it's probably that the one removednconditional" if that to japan, japan would have surrendered. america would be very up sweat the president. roosevelt would never do that, this kind of thing so burns was the loudest voice in his ear demanding that unconditional remain in the ulttum, which it did and we know what happened after this >> going back he became president on april 13th, 1945. we showed the victory in europe day is -- how much did he know when he was standing in front of congress that the war in europe was going to be over soon? >> i think it was pretty clear

that we were winning and we were closing in from one side and the soviets were closing in from the other. it was fairly clear to him. what i find fascinating that on his first day he was brief bd the military officials general manager in particular. there was a lot of war left to fight in the far east. so i think truman knew that the war in europe was going to be won. couldn't tell when. but he was told there would be a lot of war left to fight. >> i want to put some more dates up on the screen. we moved august as you can see. hiroshima, the bomb was dropped august the 6th. soviet invasion of man chure eah on augustth. nagasaki was august 9th. and a month later, was v.j. day.

there was cloud over the city and they moved on to hiroshima. hiroshima was the primary target. the second combom nagasaki was not the primary target. >> to what would have lapped if there wouldn't be clouds cover. who would have gotten it? >> you caught me by surprise. go -- do you remember? >> the important reason why i asked that, has there been much o, sure. t -- the people on the ground, you know, if there are hundreds of thousands of people on the ground. that nag siv saki was the terget target. and you know, there was a true amount of debate over which sfis should have been the target in the first place.

amazingly one of the reasons hiroshima wasn't named was because of the depths. leading all the way up to the bottom. and -- i'm going to ask you about that in march 9th, 1945. we killed 170's to 100,000 or more. >> but 29. the number was huge. we had 200-something plerns killed. why wasn't that a bigger deal thanl hiroshima? essentially the answer suzz -- is the discovery of the atomic war fear. i take issue with the whole idea and the epilogue of the book all these people came out to criticize truman later for dropping the bomb. because all the way up to the bomb we were killing women and

children. the and the fire bomb killed more people than the atomic bombs yet. >> why is that not the debate? >> there's such a psychological depacktor to the discovery of science. >> lip pard and later became the huge figure the truman administration. at the time he recalled learning about the atomic boveplings. and this was going to be the best in high man history. . >> we want to see the people. he i want you to explain how slowed up there. and he's gone testimony next. very this was in 1945. >> a freeway hand shame may be he last time we meet together.

outstanding results of the parties as anosed by. sharm reprimand which is not barred from the united nations. and the big five who write europe peace treaties. >> a pleb of the late party. did he know anything? >> i think he had been -- he had been a politician for the long time. why? >> because there was an intersection. >> so when the conference zpwins. everybody knows that there had the selections. churchhill does not know if he's going remain prims. and williams hell losing its. >> i've been there the whole time but aid almost nothing. everybody loffed churchhill.

even the soviets rerespected him. even though. they were used to negotiating with him. >> they were comfortable with him. . this is the man, atly. >> fls. they're very surprised. >> the soviets in particular. >> it puts a sort of -- it changes the mood of the conference in a dark way. soon after, the conference ends without any of that the president. would occur. >>. what happened august 2 pt. where did he go? >> he goes and needs the king of england. the king of ention land. the king's daughter who become, of course, the quee. question.

. so thrare sitting around. ed a mir ral william lay me. in a >>. another. hold it right there. 12 seconds of william lahey? >> really. >> it is pleasing to be again a part of the national defense. and this evidence of the president's knchts in me. is a lie honor, indeed. >> continue. what was his impact? >> so they're seat sitting at this launch. >> and. . he's been in the military his who whole live. . he's saying that the bottom exist whithe into the point where hi dead. after pop dam i'm moom staying this lincoln. everybody is arathan-mayes amazing the know what is tezz.

so we knew that -- >> what does that mane. that's the. in international. er the truly shot goes off. t's the first test sp. robert. named to tri do i. . because oppenheimer loved toe tri. . and even after trinlity lahey says i don't think this atomic bomb is going to be a big deal. and the king turnls to him and says you want top lay a bet on that. truman leaves he's trailing across -- all the communication was going back and forth between his office in the ship and the secret white house -- you know, the white house communications room. >> so truly is. he doesn't know when the mission

is going to be flooping. >>. ecause it's a military second. that's the level of security. very >> the readdition of when and >> was all to the. he had very throilt do with the decision. > no decision on it are be dropped. >> that's right. have that document too. >> i found these wonderful documents where he -- one of this aids sense this message to the white house asking for any information about the man had tan project. which is would have been a great, great violations of secrecy. and security. it was so secret that the military map room, which is where. were send and came

they cable back to the ship -- saying aying we we don't know what this. is he writes back and said, please, don't look into this. because they realized just by asking a wnts. >> it's not into august. august 5th in japan. when drewman learns he's at. here's august 6th video of harry truman on the shift. left. and anowsing to the american people. it's not life. but they announced on the erican -- i a-- it's a short time ago. and an american air pleanch dropped the bofment and destroyed his yune. to the en. . that ball has more power than

20,000 tons of tnt. it is a. and it has been loosed against those who browlingt war to the far east. we have spent more than $2 billion on the greatest scientific gamble in history. and we have won. >> you didn't by chance look up what $2 billion would be today? >> i don't have that number. here's another one i do have. amazingsly it cost the united states more to develop the weapon systems that delooped the bomb. had the whole campaign more than $4 billion. interesting fact. i assume that was on the radio live. >> that would have been on the

radio live. -- e information shouth shoutout. the president had to be approved of any to be nizz name. >> before this. he didn't know when the ball was going to be dropped. appropriate.s -- he described to find out what the fn was. he had to announce to the white house. he's still aboard the ship at scene what that team was like and how the reporters. responded he said it's an atomic bovepl. it's the first time it's been done. >> that's exactly what he scade. >> paul thibs was the captain when they dropped the ball onlyer row. i do, it's in the book. >> different -- correct. >> we have video.

>> he was -- that was not the comboming. >> here's some video of what it looked like at nagasaki. >> where did more people die, hero shima or nagasaki? >> i believe hero shicka. er of course -- of course, we can never know the exact number, especially because of tall ople perish you to the aftereffects. the doipped of energy has put he number at 200,000 for the hiroshima bomb. more. with the japanese after these bottoms a draft. . when this second ball was dropped truman didn't know when the people was fly fpks there was no order to drop a second bome. and he's back in the white house. he's been gone for months.

so i found mblingts, all of his checks. as this is happening. >> and he's writing collects to literally white house groceries because he was responsible for that. >> his wife was not there to open the mail. soon after this, the japanese conceded. and again, it came down to this whole nation of conditional surrender. the japanese greed to surrender under condition. we had to wig out how to connect the dogs. >> i believe it was nayity secretary. ho had this brilliant ideas. . there by sending the message to the japanese that we're not

going to incarcerate or execute this man. we'll accept their sur ender and that exactly what happens. >> i want to put on the screen, the two bombs. of the first one would be -- the first one was dropped a little boy. and then the second one would be -- there's the little boy on the screen there. any reason why they named them this? he was dropped in nagasaki. any differences. >> first of all you, you can see the airport in dayton. which is an amazing place. one thing i can make out about the little bit. the trinity shot. the trinity shot is july 16th. it's the first testament for the atomic bomb.

some when the little boy dropped often hi row shipa. >> dewe didn't know it was going to work. we t man did use the same were weren't sure if it was going to work. and id did. . of the pots damn decoration. and we're near the end. >> i have received this afternoon a message from the japanese government in reply by the secretary of state on august 11th. i deem this reply of full existence of the cap -- what we have is the unconditional appreciate of the fans. as you watch this and wrote the book, how do you feel like he did handle his jozz.

this book is about the first four months in the truman administration. >> when truman left. . do you remember 24%? >> but it would have been awful. zpwr now one of the great. this s that it's an inentiring story anlt. is expected to fail and cut the. at your approval rating is 87%. >> it's higher than rooth roos ling can -- now, how did he do? >> this smoment an important. he's the one to announce the end of the greatest catastrophe our hue plan raise had faced to the face. we never nope mouch they have died. people estimate there was somewhere around.

that's one of the reason. why he had come because they had lost the first bluse. . so he makes them announcement. even the drama deleeding up to the announcement, the secretary state james burns was in your office. . he races him to the white house. rueman called the press. it's about 57052 p.m. . his swife in the room. and people go nuts. so he goes after this. he goes outside. it's 7578,000 people. we want harry. >> get. he makes a fee for in the simple. >> they'll could quanlt to come out. it comes out of nowhere. combks the president of and accomplishes. >> after this everything goes wrong. of all the people wow you wrow

about. and thought anlt. and we searched who was bottom b another person -- >>. why? >> think occur tizz le may, he's the or the of arkt text of this fire bombs bombings of. how e to me fayes in a way do i say this? he imbodies. the trug. more than any figure out to come acoss in your life. who makes the desimplingts . to fire the city. where are >> and he knows that women. but the reason why he does this is because he dis this is going to win the war. how concerned were you when you take on the subject that your up against a tremendous amount of people writtening the back. >> the book is celebrated to our

. he's the this truman fan. he is says you can't write about a book about. and og, you know, mcculla's true p is one of the great'tial biographies ever. r. . . topics and etc. but mutt ling on a lend. . all that happened during these four months some of it's a very difficult book thanl had been. it was a gamble. and i was very nervous during four year. >> people. the am zonl reviews are great. rrned and that's good. . . how did you check yourself on the fact. because you say that. . how did you assure yourself that you had the right facts. until advance.

well, i had a whole bunch of readers. and i had my. where's your charger. >> i can't rely. yes. >> so i realized oy don't know him. and fact checking this book fpkt . . . you're out on the line especially when truman's been write about david mccull app and . fact check was one the most coolest part oil. >> do you have some you haven't started. very ooh. i'm not convinced they should get oopt book. >> independent cook you how many years? >> four. a.j. guest has been

baime. thank you very much for coming. >> thank you very much for having me. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2018] >> if you enjoyed this "q&a,"

here are some others you might like. d discusses harry s truman, a topic she writes about in "citizen soldier." haven" tells the story of president truman's decision to officially recognize the state of israel. and, the final book in a three book series. you can find those interviews and more online at c-span.org. c-span's "washington journal," live every day with policy issues that impacted. monday, a discussion of race relations in the u.s. with columnist armstrong williams and leonard stein horn. on president trump's handling of key foreign issues.

live at 7:00 eastern, monday morning. join the discussion. coming up next, "prime minister's questions." then, a look at election integrity to make the processed more in efficient -- more efficient. for her first question time and the new year, british prime minister theresa may was asked about spending cuts to the uk's toional haircut system -- the uk's national system. she talked about brexit negotiations, the economy, and combating unfair housing practices. this is 45 minutes. order. questions to the prime minister. number one.