emily roebling, washington's wife, was a truly remarkable woman. when he became very ill in the 1870s, the episode i'd read was the beginning of his sickness. he got much sicker than that in 1873 in 1875, he thought he would die. he remained in control of the bridge, but emily was his extraordinary and ellison's coming to the bridge sites to consult with the other engineers talking to the trustees and doing all the kind of complicated politics of washington actually really didn't like anyway and probably wouldn't be very good at and was an astonishing woman in her own right. he met her during the civil war which is also a fascinating period in washington's life so i thought i would tell you a little bit about their meeting. they met not long after the battle of gettysburg anbattle ot was in july 1863. in late november and early december 1863 in orange county virginia, general meade made an attempt to strike at the confederate army but the fortifications prepared at the little valley proved a match for the union army as washington himself along with

emily roebling washington's wife was a truly remarkable woman. when he became very ill in the 1870s, the episode i wrote to you was the beginning of his sickness he got much sicker than that in 1873 and 75 he thought he would die. he didn't. he remained in control of the bridge but emily was his extraordinary amanuensis helping him going down to the bridge site. during the politics washington didn't really like any way himself and wouldn't have been good at. she was an astonishing woman in her right and she met him in the civil war which is also a fascinating period so i thought i would tell you a little bit about their meeting. so, they met not long after the battle of gettysburg. that was in july if the team 63. in very late november and early december 1863, general meade made an attempt to strike at the right flank of the confederate army in the field fortifications prepared in the little valley proven to be a match for the union army as washington himself along with genital wart in his commander officer discovered personally at the break of d

and women, abigail adams, emily roebling, the wife of the owner of the brooklyn bridge and catherine right, the sister of the wright brothers without whom i don't think they would have succeeded. she has never gone adequate credit for that and i hope my book does that and brings her to the point where she is recognized as not only having been important but interesting and admirable as a human being. >> host: i'm interested in how history gets revised over the years, there are people seen as heroes and then perhaps don't fare as well in historians eyes, they can come back in there is a renaissance etc.. how do you think john kennedy is bearing? >> very well but i also think we are only a point where we can start to pass judgment. truman said you have to wait 50 years for the dust to settle. it has been 50 years and he will begin -- it is not just who went before him but who has followed him and how does he compare and what are the consequences of decisions he made or didn't make? we need to look much more at the importance of decisions presidents didn't make that were as important as