pres.president reagan, nancy reagan, john hinckley.we tell the story all the way through. >> host: of course it was when he took a walk. the convictions, belief in protecting america,, it said a great deal about the man. >> guest: we cover that with his interactions with margaret t from margaret thatcher, gorbachev, the ultimate success of his policy toward the soviet union. we made that quite clear that the way he structured his administration, very successful and foreign-policy. >> host: relationship with margaret thatcher you have some great stuff in here. they both were strong individuals. >> guest: we got that transcript of the reagan thatcher phone call they did not tell his best pal it was hanging out to dry peas he was telling her parliament the united states is not going to do this. and she lets him up on the phone call and we have the transcript. we lay out the whole thing which is why these books are so successful because people get the big picture. now who was at reagan's funeral into using the given him? even though there

pres.president reagan, nancy reagan, john hinckley.we tell the story all the way through. >> host: of course it was when he took a walk.

brian: you write that hinckley was never "cured."hy was he out from time to time from saint elizabeth? craig: he petitioned the courts. the courts, the further we get from the assassination, the further we get from his death, the further we get from jim brady's death. which is interesting, because brady's death was ruled a homicide when he died last year. it was a direct result of hinckley's shot, which hit him in the head. but i think that the forces of political correctness, and partially the time that has elapsed favor hinckley getting out more and more. and so, the memory is not as sharp as it used to be. brian: when did you meet ronald reagan? craig: in 1978, i was 21 years old, working on a campaign in new hampshire. gordon humphrey, he was running senate united states against tom mcintyre, the incumbent. reagan had not yet decided to run, but he was thinking about it. new hampshire was the first primary state. he had to tend the political fire. he walked into the old new hampshire highway hotel, the campaign headquarters going

and he told me that later that i saved hinckley's life.nd i looked at him and says, "well, thanks for being a little slow in thinking." >> hinckley is found not guilty by reason of insanity and placed in a psychiatric hospital. >> looking a bit pale and somewhat thinner, the president walked out with mrs. reagan -- >> the president suffers massive blood loss, but his surgery is successful, and he is back in the oval office only 12 days after the shooting. secret service agent mccarthy also recovers from his wounds. officer de le hante suffers permanent nerve damage to his left arm. and press secretary brady is partially paralyzed and sustains a brain injury. brady devotes his life to fighting gun violence and goes on to pass the brady law, requiring federal background checks on gun buyers. both feelman and brown are nominated for emmy awards for the field coverage they recorded that day. feelman's footage with the unforgettable image of hinckley's gun wins. >> i never had time to be afraid for my own life. i never had time to even think ab

lamb: you write that hinckley was never "cured."hy was he out from time to time from saint elizabeth? mr. shirley: he petitioned the courts. the further we get from the assassination, the further we get from his death, the further we get from jim brady's death. brady's death was ruled a homicide when he died last year. it was a direct result of hinckley shot, which hit him in the head. the forces of political correctness, and partially the time that has elapsed favor him getting out more and more. the memory is not as sharp as it used to be. mr. lamb: when did you meet ronald reagan? i was 21ey: in 1978, years old, working on a campaign in new hampshire. i was running against tom mcintyre, the incumbent. reagan had decided to run, but he was thinking about it. new hampshire was the first primary state. tned political-- tend the political fire. he walked into the old new hampshire highway hotel, the campaign headquarters going back to the 50's. he was a charming hotel with a couple of restaurants and bars, gone now, torn down, demoli

. >> i wasn't a hinckley type, i wasn't an oswald type, i wasn't a manson type. very happy person. >> and seemingly happy but in chapman's twisted mind, hidden from view was torment and anger. >> it was really miserable. >> the marriage was miserable and chapman was abusive, says his life gloria, in an exclusive recording obtained during our investigation. >> i must have said something sarcast sarcastic, something like hard on my ear. >> his dad was a violent dad. >> chapman's friend, chad hunter, witnessed the abuse when they were teens. >> mark's fathe would come out and used a closed fist. >> and punch him? >> yes, punch him in the face and in the stomach. he was violent. >> violence, he said, mark soon mirrored when they played army with toy soldiers. >> he would pull the arms off, he would talk to them and he would act like they were talking back to him. and a lot of times he would take a match and set one of them on fire. >> an extreme and vivid imagery life that journalist jim gains says chapman wrote about. let's talk about his notebook. what's this chief

if reagan had not been shot by john hinckley junior they would not have been any oval office meeting. that never would've happened. >> host: how do you know? >> guest: he ran his governorship efficiently and there was no problem with him on the job there in his eight years. very engaged and that his 1st weeks in the presidency he had a goal comeau was going to accomplish the goal and they get shot and then it all changed. that is what i believe. we document strongly. feel free to have your opinion. i'm not saying anything other than i'm glad you read the book, we are having this conversation. >> host: what new would you say the most significant aspect of ronald reagan for people who knew and loved him? >> guest: everyone will take something different. this is they did with jesus and patton and lincoln and kennedy. i get heat on all those folks. i did not say a killing jesus: did not talk about spirituality or resurrection. now going to get it, you did not make him a saint, canonize ronald reagan. no, i didn't. i laid out the man in a fair and methodical way, and entertaining way and t