that was gore vidal, of course. an eminent american. not quite of the significance of mark twain or charles dickens. still, distinctive american and a distinctive character. a man of -- of -- of deep and conflicting tendencies. he can be generous and loyal. he could be backbiting and demanding. a controlling personality. >> watch a little of this. let's give people a chance to see what he looks like. >> i had the distinct feeling that we live in a revolutionary time. the rich are becoming richer. the hatred of those inside the beltway for those outside is creating a true hatred on the part of the many for the few who govern or appear to do so. the decision-makers and paymasters are beyond our reach in board rooms of the world. >> that was in 1991. what did you see there? >> i saw him at his witty and perceptive best. i saw gore, as so often he was, assertive and incisive. he was more often wrong than right. and, the career is fascinating, in terms of the periods of our history that he lived through and his relationship with his semi-ari

and, i still have great respect for gore vidal. i wish his life had been a happier one for him.anhe same time, he was a who made substantial and interesting contributions. on,f all you have written if you had to pick one to have dinner with or a conversation a? --r know, who would've would it be? >> it is a terrible question. my answer at this moment is john quincy adams. it may surprise you. i feel so close to him, having been commenced -- immersed in his life, i would be delighted. i would be delighted to have dinner with dickens, james, or twine. -- mark twain. each one of those gentlemen is just extraordinary. >> call had written a book on john quincy adams and said that he had read every single word of the diary. put the microfilm end to end, it would go nine miles. >> there are 600 microfilm reels at the historical society. library in america has a full set. >> how did you tackle it? son, only surviving charles francis, went on to have a distinguished career in politics and law. charles francis edited in of hisn -- an edition father's memoirs and published half of the mate

it was gore the dall -- gore vidal. he is a distinctive american and a distinctive character. deep and conflicting tendencies. he could be generous and loyal. he could be very backbiting and demanding. a controlling personality. bit and watch a little give people a chance to see what he looks like. i looked about my native city, i have a distinct sense we are living in a pre-revolutionary time. the race war grows more intense. poverty, more severe. the rich, richer. the hatred of those inside the beltway for those inside is now -- what else -- creating a true hatred on the part of the many for the few who govern, or appear to do so, since the decision-makers and paymasters are beyond our reach in the boardrooms. him at his witty and perceptive best. i saw or as so big he was, unassertive and incisive personality. he was more often wrong than right. the career is a fascinating one in terms of the times of our history that he lived through. also, the relationship between his semi-aristocratic background, if you will him and his championship of the common voice. lex the year was

about 600 pages long, this follows gore vidal, henry james, charles dickens, thomas carl icahn a mark twain, and abraham lincoln biographies in the past. does fred kaplan have a next book is going to write? >> yes, i do. it is a book that starts with abraham lincoln and john quincy adams in the same house together, voting in the same way against the american war, against slavery and in favor of ring strong national government which is responsible for infrastructure in the country. it is not a dual portrait of the two men, but it is a comparison between the two of them and the differences and similarities. especially, their attitudes toward slavery and how those work out. the crucial question is, why did john quincy adams say that the notion of colorization, of exporting all of our free blacks and free negroes and slaves to africa and getting rid of them that way, why is that a ridiculous idea and fantasy. why did abraham lincoln right up until late 1862, right up to late 1862, still believe then -- believed in and work for colonization. >> fred kaplan lives in maine. , years did you t

talked about is the same kind of thing that howard zinn and chalmers johnson and studs terkel and gore vidal talked about and they said that colonization of this country is going to take place not by another country they understand howard zinn used to talk about colonization of south america and south africa but this is the colony new colonization is going to take place by this into t. that we call the multinational corporation. and that multinational corporation understand is now been a fitting from post to citizens united mccutcheon but howard zinn and chalmers johnson were talking about the expansion of the multi national corporation long before mccutcheon and long before citizens united they said the most important component the thing that's going to allow these court this multinational corporation to win there it may be from france is not that they're that they're french company they just haven't to reside in france they don't have a french flag they don't have any loyalty to france they simply move around the globe but these guys said the big component is money and when you allow money