. >> pulitzer prize-winning author jon meacham shaped joe biden's victory speech and inaugural address. meacham is a presidential historian who has written biographies of five american presidents, from andrew jackson to george h.w. bush. >> lincoln and bush both called on us to choose the right over the convenient. >> so, what do the highs and lows of our past tell us about the challenges we face? >> as long as democrac is a human enterprise, which it is, then human virtue have as strong a chance as human vice to prevail. >> and should president biden run again? what does jon meacham say now? >> "firing line with margaret hoover" is made possible in part by... and by... corporate funding is prod by... >> jon meacham, welcome to "firing line." >> thank you. >> you're a presidential historian and pulitzer prize-winning author who has written books on thomas jefferson, andrew jackson, franklin delano roosevelt, george h.w. bush, and now abraham lincoln. what do you think is the essential quality for a successful american president? >> a commitment to something larger than his or ultimatel

jon meacham, thank you very much. again, the book is entitled "and there was light," abraham lincoln and the american struggle. and joining us now is former capitol police chief steven zund. -- sund. he resigned one day after the january 6th attack. he's out with a book "courage under fire," and two years to the day, love to hear your thoughts and also touch upon this conversation we just had with jon meacham about the lack of agreement on the facts of what happened that day potentially leaving us open to more violence again. >> good morning. thank you for having me here. >> so what are your thoughts? >> are you hearing? >> i'm sorry, can you repeat the question i'm sorry. just give us your thoughts on today, two years later. what are your thoughts? >> it's a very difficult day. i hear from capitol police officers all the time, i received a letter from an employee on capitol police talking about just how difficult a day this is, just how difficult it is to watch the videos of what happened that day because they're not

good to have you all with us this morning. >> jon meacham, i have always been, like everybody, haunted by this speech, and the words that rang out. i remember the first time hearing it was at first baptist church in i think it was dorville, georgia, they played it for us. but i've always been haunted by him talking about, haunted by the mountain top and the imagery of -- the imagery that he gave. moses, not getting to the promised land, but seeing the promised land. and knowing that his people were going to get to the promised land. what was so remarkable about him talking about how longevity had a place and he would hope for longevity, saying it the night before he was assassinated. as you said, he almost didn't give this speech. it was raining outside. it was miserable. talk about the lead up to what you consider, and i think what most of us consider one of the great speeches in american history. >> as you say it was storming in memphis, and he wasn't all that excited about going to the church of god headquarters there to deliver this speech. deliver this sermon. ralph abernathy said

jon meacham, from a historical perspective, it's remarkable. there's tension on the edges of course but that the alliance has stayed together. this president has done a marvelous job of making that happen, even some of his critics say, but also to the point where german tanks are heading across europe. something unthinkable in the wake of the events of 80 years ago. >> yeah, think about the words we have been using this morning, european tank battle, germany, russia, it's my kind of day, as willie would say. everything old is new again in this, and i think that one of the reasons the alliance is together, president biden has done a terrific job with it, but nothing concentrates the mind like a common foe. and, willie, in a different context just talked about dominos. there is a fear in europe. if you are a european, your entire world view is shaped by territorial ambition on the part of madmen, autocrats who believe that they can project power for ideological and nationalistic reasons. and you lose things, right? european politics is about shif

jon meacham and there was light about abraham lincoln. and getting ready to read john farrell's ted kennedy. mike, west virginia and thanks for holding your on with susan glasser and peter baker. please go ahead. >> caller: hello susan and peter. i grew up in the middle east and learn to be skeptical about state run tv so i listen to different news outlets, bbc, monte carlo, israel and others. i think the news media here cover what they want and don't cover what theyth want. i think msnbc covers certain stories they're very dark and they fox fabricate stories and makes up stories and thats is a problem. i think it never recovered after the civil war. the south cannot rise again. reagan talked about dividing people. he talked about workers. [inaudible] he said mexico is drug dealers and rapists and all that stuff. after obama and all of that stuff. i can't believe people. i have respected all my life, james baker. but when he came on msnbc and said i support, how could you support a man who is ignorant and a racist and who divides people?

jon meacham and there was light about abraham lincoln.tting ready to read john farrell, ted kennedy. mike, virginia. thanks for holding. you on with susan glass and peter baker. please go ahead. >> caller: yeah, hello, peter, susan and peter. i grew up in the middle east and i learned to be skeptical about state-run tv, so listen to different news outlet, bbc, israel, other news media of the home country. just i think news media here cover what they want at the don't cover whatt they want. i think msnbc covers certain stories but they are desha murdoch and his fox make up stories, and that's a problem. i think -- never covered the civil war. the south wouldl rise up again. reagan made on that. reagan talked about whether dividing people come talked about federal workers, attacked them. i think trump didn't care. he came down the stairs and he said mexicans are drug dealers and rapist and all that stuff. gop always went after obama, the tea party and all that stuff. i can't believe people, i respected all my life james baker, but when he c

and an impeachment compendium of american history along with jon meacham, tim naphtali andhn jeffrey ingle came out in 2018. peter baker was the bill clinton part of that book. we will put the numbers up on the screen. we want your participation if you'd like to talk with our office too take. 202-748-8200 if you live in east and central time zones. two -- 202-748-8201 for those in amount in the mountain/pacific time zones. and you can also contact us via motional state is that it will scroll through this as a go. remember at booktv and a booktv e-mail, booktv at c-span.org. will begin taking those in just a few minutes. park me, i've got just a touch of a a runny nose here and i apologize for that. we left off with jared kushner and in a sense the bureaucracy. i want to talk about somebody who is featured in your book and a don't know whether or not you want to publicly admit you talk toer stephen miller of the trump white house or not, if that's an open source or not. he survivedt the bureaucracy "e divider: trump in the white house, 2017-2021" he is, in fact, one of the few people

acknowledgments, her name is there an archivist, three or four of the bush library that helped that jon meacham, jeffrey engel, write that book. that's what they're into it for and they do a great job but we need to hire more of them. got to get we need more money because you got to pay them or they won't do the work. >> thank you. >> i have appreciated this panel quite a bit and i am realizing my own ignorance as a use of the archives, as a continue user about what's going on. i would ask you each to explain this further from your point of view, what are the internal issues? don't you say funding. obvious he funding is an issue but beyond that what inherent as paradigmatic organizational issues before we can solve a problem grant identified it. so it ask you to reflect on tha that. >> if i could just jump on something ten said about presidential records act. i get into a debate with david ferriero when i published an op-ed about what was going on with, for example, records from ice, which were scheduled for destruction, human rights abuses. they subsequently were destroyed, contravening an ord

bookshop in chicago, we specialize in lincoln for four years and the civil war and we're so happy have jon meacham here once again with us maybe next year. jon here in jerusalem, they'll be here in the bookshop itself. we will have the book today. i'll be showing you and we'll have signed book plates for you. let's start out with jon is the short version of biography. he's a rodgers chair in the american presidency and vanderbilt university. he serves as the canon historian of the washington national cathedral. and you mostly know as a commentator on politics, history and religious faith in america. and one of our wonderful talking historians in broadcast studios, news studios, because i think john, the new studio has become the new schoolroom. and we've had so many historic hands now on there since humanities isn't being taught we're happy that you and many others are on the news shows. so john has been the author of his truth is marching on john lewis and the power of hope, destiny and power the american odyssey of george herbert walker bush. thomas jefferson. the of power american andrew jackso

obama, the call of history in 2017 and impeachment compendium in american history along with jon meacham, tim and jeffrey. came out in 2018. peter w baker was a bill clinton that book. we are going to put the numbers of onn the screen we want your participation if youar would lie to talk with our authors in 202's area code 748-8200 if you're in east and central time zones. (202)748-8201 for those in the mountain and pacific time zones. and you can also contact us via our social media sites we will scrollll through those as we go. just remember apple tv and our motive e-mail book tv@c-span.org. we will begin taking those in just a few minutes. pardon me just a touch of a runny nose here and i apologize for that. we left off and in a sense the bureaucracy. i want to talk about somebody who is featured in your book. i don't know whether you want to publicly admit you talk to steven miller of the trump white house orr not. if that is an open source or not. but he survived the bureaucracy. >> guest: he is one of the people there was there all four years. most the people he talked about not.t

any and everything by doris kearns did win, michael best loss, jon meacham, doug brinkley, robert dowell, ronald white, david mccullough, david remnick, michael dobbs, robert massey, lynn nelson, rick atkinson and anne applebaum. i'm sure i'm forgetting some remarkable books. so as they say in congress, i reserve the right to advise and extend my remarks. susan glasser's response -- louisa may alcott, little women. what is it about that book -- and it is women who really like that book? susan: i wasn't sure if you're asking about nonfiction or fiction. obviously peter has chosen to answer your question by not answering your question, listing every single author that he likes. [laughter] there's no question that for every bookish young woman for a century, they have delighted in this story of joe marge and her sisters. i love that book so much that i would read it again and again as a child. in fact, in the book, they talk about reading again and again a book. that's what i was doing with little women. i would finish it and start all over again. host: other books susan glasser gave us --

any and everything by doris kearnsth goodwin, michael beschloss, jon meacham, doug brinkley, robert dowling, rob glcm david mccullough, ron chernow, david renda, michael dobbs, robert massey, lynne olson, rick atkinson, david maraniss, and anne applebaum. i'm sure i'm forgetting some remarkable books comes on as a say in congress, i reserve the right to revise and extend my remarks. susan glasser is response. louisa may alcott, little women. what is it about that book that so many, and its women basically who really like that book. >> guest: i wasn't sure if you're asking about nonfiction or fiction. >> host: we could care less attractive. has chosen as as a you questn mark that answer your question, listing everything author that he likes speed we will leave this program here to continue are over 40 year commitment to coverage of congress. we will return to this event after what we believe will be a short pro forma session of the u.s. senate. the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. the clerk will read a communication to the senate. the clerk: washington, d.c., january 17, 202