new jersey, you are on with historian david mccullough. >> caller: hello, mr. mccullough.first i want to say that you are a very good author. i read your book john adams and truman. both are very good. and my question is -- my questions are what is the criteria you have for determining what people you are going to write about, and do you see any present historical events since the election of barack obama to write about in future books? >> thank you. mr. mccullough? >> i had trouble hearing the question but i gather he wants to know what i think about the present situation in relation to other times and other presidents. my specialty is deceased presidents. [laughter] but i think we can all take samples from the best that have held the office. i think one of the lessons of history is exceptional presidents are the exception, and we should not expect every president to be exceptional. and not every president is going to be a george washington or abraham lincoln or franklin roosevelt or harry truman or dwight eisenhower. it doesn't happen that often. with the case of rooseve

where are you going to put the david mccullough papers? >> guest: i don't know. ll probably -- i would like to think that yale will -- my alma mater will be interested in the papers. the typewriter, that may become an heirloom in the mccullough family, i don't know. c-span: it's the same kind of thing -- when you go out and look at -- >> guest: oh, yes indeed. c-span: people want to see your -- >> guest: yep. the typewriter is part of the process for me. c-span: what about the -- >> guest: it's like driving an old car that you've been driving for mistaken years. you just want it. c-span: what about the little house you do all your -- >> guest: right. i don't know. i don't think about that, brian, but thank you for asking. c-span: maybe if i can get an answer from you some day. in this book -- a couple people you write about are french. more than a couple. you got a big painting on one page of the lafayette and you also write about alexis de tocqueville coming here while everybody else was going there. put those in lafayette in context. >> guest: well, lafayette wa

in the history and biotens and he will, on stage as he did here today with isabel wilkerson, david mccullough to continue the conversation. thanks for being with us. enjoy the rest of your weekend. [applause] [inaudible conversations] >> next on booktv, encore booknotes. in this booknotes presentation from july 2002, beppe severgnini discussed his memoir, "ciao, america!' in which he compares his experiences in italy and america. it is about an hour. c-span: beppe severgnini, author of "ciao, america!" how do you translate that from italian? t >> guest: originally, it was "un italiano in america," which -- "an italian in america." but i have to say, i like "ciao, america!" better. "italian in america," you know, you may think it's a story abou immigration or -- which is not. it's a story about an italian or, may i say, a european, because this is very much a triangular book. bo is a very british element there. i lived in britain. i learned my english there.ur utd so it's like a northp european, south european american book.n? c-span: what's "ciao" mean? >> guest: oh, you know that. "ciao" mea

sources to get a firm grounding for our beliefs i also recommend the writings of people like david mccullough, david hackett fischer who write about the founding time. historians to know how to write and bring his real-life. those books have been bestsellers, thankfully, and our country. those i recommend. for me when i was in my formative student years i came across a book called the law by frederick bastille. at any of you read that? it looks like maybe 5 percent did you at most. i highly recommend the book. .. >> it's been in print well over 50-60 years. he talks about how the language has become perverted. he writes about the ideas of legal plunder, of government using its means for things that are not appropriate. i'll just share a paragraph. "see if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them and takes and gives to other persons to whom it does not belong. at the expense of another citizen of doing what that citizen himself can want do without committing a crime. legal plunder can be committed in a number of ways, benefits, so sigh dis, minimum wages, relief, free credit, and s

also recommend the writings of people like david mccullough and david fisher and joseph ellis who write about the founding period. they know how to write and bring history alive. those books have been best sellers thankfully in our country. bose i recommend. for me when i was in my formative student years i came across a book called lot have any of you read that? looks like maybe 5% of you at most. i highly recommend the book the law by a french statesman and writer. it was published in france in the middle of the nineteenth century. don't hold that against him. encountering a ideas of socialism in france at that time. it is such a clear argument for freedom and limited government based on moral principles and principles of justice that it is a must read for young conservatives. you can get it from the foundation for economic education in irvington, new york. they kept it in print for over 60 years. he talked about how our language has become perverted. he could be writing about policy today. he writes about the idea of legal plunder of government using it means for things that are not

she talked about david mccullough's biography of truman which she admires.dmires truman heifer self. she's somebody who loves to read history reports. >> jamie, thanks for the report. >> thank you. >>> still to come on "the daily rundown," sarah palin will spend labor day weekends at tea party events in iowa and new hampshire. is she getting ready for a campaign kickoff or did she wait too long to get in the race. >>> louisiana is on alert as a new storm gains strength in the gulf of mexico. don't forget, the nbc news politico republican debate at the reagan library is next week, five days away, it's wednesday september 7th at :00 eastern here on msnbc, the place for politics. (announcer) everything you need to stay balanced on long trips. residence inn. that's 50% off lenses. including bifocals, no lines, even sunglasses made with your prescription. sale ends september 12th, so hurry in. lenscrafters. >>> welcome back to "the daily rundown." i'm chris cillizza in for chuck todd. >>> more rain in vermont complicated efforts to bring the massive flooding unde

and i think adams may no longer be so underrated because of the hbo movie and david mccullough's biography and many other things that have popularized adams. and certainly i don't think we can ignore george washington as being a crucial founding father. >> um, when you first mentioned john adams in 1773, he felt that it wasn't the right time to irritate england -- >> well, in the late 1760s, it's 773 when he's converted to independence, i think. >> right. did -- i know the declaration of independence has a whole list of things that, you know, show tyranny of the crown over the colonists. but besides taxes, were there really any plans in england to make the colonists more disenfranchised with them by doing more to squeeze them for money or other things? >> no. that's a good point. i think the feeling was, in fact, when i taught, i used to always tell my class taxes are what people talked about, but at bottom i think to a considerable degree maybe the taxes gets the ball rolling. but in time i think it becomes a movement for greater american autonomy, a feeling that we can stand on our own t

adams may no longer be so underrated because of the hbo movie and david mccullough's biography and many other things that have popularized adams. i don't think we can ignore george washington as being a crucial founding father. >> when you first mentioned john adams in 1773, he felt it wasn't the right time to irritates england. >> in the late 1760s in 1773 when he is converted to independence. >> i know the declaration of independence has a whole list of things that showed tyranny of the crown over the colonists but besides taxes, were there really any plans in england to make the colonists more disenfranchised with them by doing more to squeeze them for money or other things? >> that is a good point. the feeling was, when i taught, i used to always tell my classes taxes are what people talk about but at bottom to a considerable degree, maybe the taxes get the ball rolling, but in time it becomes a movement for greater american autonomy, feeling we can stand on our own two feet. we are capable of going it alone. we don't need british protection. we want to control our own destiny. and

and so go read david mccullough's truman. yesterday doesn't win. big doesn't win.offices don't win. what wins? original wins. fresh wins. smart wins. the world's most dynamic companies know what wins in business today. maybe that's why so many choose to work with us. we're grant thornton. audit. tax. advisory. >>> oh, yes. is it time? that's so good. >> everybody on heightened alert yesterday. the zetenth anniversary of september 11th. >> we had a few breaches. >> we did. >> i'm not making this up. because of mile-high club activity. >> what? >> not one case, but two. american airlines flight 34 traveling from los angeles to jfk, suspicious activity the pilot reported. there were people "spending too much time in the bathroom." >> wait, wait, wait -- i'm sorry. is that a crime? >> apparently it is now. >> lock me up. >> joe. >> don't let the terrorists win. >> all the way to new york city. then on a frontier airlines flight from detroit to denver -- from denver to detroit, law enforcement officials say two people were "making out in the bathroom." >> is that a crim

david mccullough on the greater journey, americans in paris.ook for our entire national book festival schedule and call- ins at booktv.org. >> of the joint chiefs of staff agreed to remove the record -- question regarding one's sexual orientation on future versions of the enlistment application and will not be asked in the engine room. >> this week marked the end of the policy that kept -- that kept of the league gay and lesbian personnel serving in the military. at service members can apply for reinstatement. follow the history of "don't ask, don't tell" online at the c-span video library. >> "washington journal" continues. host: joan goldwasser is a senior reporter at complete years -- kick earlier is the finest magazine. people will look of the credit scores, they want to make a purchase or are concerned about their credit. tell us about what they find out and how it could be different than what a company might find out? guest: there are numerous credit scores. we always think about the credit score but it is not true. the company that creat

waller on americans wild bill donovan, christine miller on woodrow wilson's first ladies, and david mccullough on the credit journey americans in paris. live for our entire festival, including collins booktv.org. >> in my opinion i think that the, you know, the bounds of academic freedom have just been pushed too far. >> in the faculty lounges ten years job for life entitlement mentality needs to go. >> basically professors of cooking who now have, professors of the social studies who have tenure. when pressed someone at a up or a professor who is telling the party line we will say, oh, well, when the someone with tenure and security study said that they can talk about immigration, even though it is controversial, and someone in the tissue most of these cities to be able to say something controversial about obesity. >> that and other reasons why you won't get the college is case you paid for sunday night c-span q&a. >> of form and u.s. debt and deficit reduction looking at what the joint deficit reduction committee should cut the deficit by up to $4 trillion. one of the panel's focused on the

tomorrow david mccullough will conclude our coverage on sunday afternoon by taking your calls, e-mailsnd tweets. right now we're going to return you to the history of biography. he will introduce you to justin martin. he is the author of a new book out on frederick law olmsted, genius of place, the life of frederick law olmsted. he will be here on our book tv said after his presentation to take your calls. he is being introduced by a given their deck, national editor of the "washington post." >> please do not sit on the cameras is located in the back of the pavilion. please silencer cell phones. thank you. got there we have with us today is fabulous. his name is justin martin. he is the author of the widely held the biographies of to a iconic figures, alan greenspan and ralph nader. both of him i think would be really interesting and novel. [silence] [silence] >> nadir, published in 2002. in the definitive biography of a consumer advocate emporia a president can't it this sometimes leaves voice messages on my voicemail asking the post to cover one thing or another. he also played a con

woodrow wilson's first lady and david mccullough on the greater journey. " our and our national foot -- our entire schedule -- look for our entire schedule at our website. u.s. military has officially repealed this policy which had an openly gay americans from serving in the armed forces. don't ask don't tell instituted during the clinton administration cost 14,000 men and women to be discharged in the last 18 years. we will hear from defense secretary leon panetta and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff admiral mike mullen for they also talk about the pentagon's budget at this 40- minute briefing. abnormal and will retire from his post at the end of the month. -- admiral mullen will retire from his post at the end of the month. >> let me acknowledge this is a historic day for the pentagon and for the nation. as of talk 0 1:00 a.m. this morning, we had to repeal of don't ask don't tell, pursuant to lot that was passed by the congress last december. i believe we have moved closer to achieving the goal and the foundation of the values that america is all about -- equality, equal oppo

reminder, we will be concluding our live coverage tomorrow afternoon with author and historian, david mccullough it's also charlotte weekend on booktv. recently, our local content vehicles went to charlotte to look at the history of char lot, the literary life of charlotte and political life since it's the host city of the 2012 democratic convention. we'll show you the literary highlights, and here's more from charlotte. >> online, you have online sales? >> yes. >> okay. >> we have the website. >> okay. we go on twitter and then make a notice that you can buy signed stock. >> absolutely, absolutely. >> that way they know where to get them. >> i made these off of what pen penguit did. >> you are wonderful. >> i have a bunch of those if i can leave them? >> yeah, that was a smart thing. >> yeah, i love ited. as soon as i saw it, i was like i'm going home. i want people to pick it up, but i want it through park road because you guys are awesome. >> if you have more, and if you do, i'll put them by your book, the front and book. i'm a sales rep for random house. i've been in the book business my ent