. >> caller: a cold war by neil sheehan land. >> host: what did you like about it? >> caller: i found it enlightening. it brought many new things about the cold war i was not aware of. and i think it kind of updated the cold war and i just learned a great deal from the book. neil sheehan brought it on book notes and that affected me greatly in terms of my reading. and so, anything he puts out i'm going to read. >> host: tim, your favorite book of 2009? >> caller: gas, if a black addition struggle. and it was written by lawrence redman. he was a prominent position in washington d.c., but this book tells the story of how we went from poverty and discrimination to mississippi to establish as a physician in washington who had consult with president-elect john f. kennedy and lyndon b. johnson. and just the struggle of getting to that point and other midweek family were a family of slave in mississippi and became one of the largest landowners in the county in mississippi. it was quite a moving story. >> host: thanks, kim. on a related note a book you may be interested in

. >> pulitzer prize-winning writer neil sheehan has a new book out a fierce peace in a cold war. what is an icbm? >> it's a rocket that with a hydrogen bomb in its warhead. it's fired up into space it travels through space at 16,000 miles an hour for 67,000 miles and then it would come down on its target. it crosses -- there's no way to stop it. they'd never been used. the whole point -- you and i would probably not be having this conversation if it wasn't for these people. they built this weapon not to make war with it, but as they say over and over again, this is the first weapon in the history of human kind being built to deter war. >> i wanted to start with that because i think that tells the story of the scientists who helped create it. do you want to tell me about bernard shreveer? >> he was 6 years old when his mother brought him here from germany two months before we declared war on germany. he grew up down in texas and was a protege of general arnold who was the founder of the u.s. air force during world war ii. then with the work on bringing science into the air force h

. >> pulitzer prize-winning oscar neil sheehan offer of a bright shining lie has a new book out on a theory piece in the cold war. what is an icbm? >> an icbm is a rocket with a hydrogen bomb in its way. it's fired up into space, travels through space at 60,000 miles an hour for six to 7000 miles a minute would come down and strike here it it crosses -- there's no way to stop it. they've never been used. you and i would probably not be having this conversation if it wasn't for these people. they built this weapon not to make war with but as a way to say over and over again this is the first history of the humankind which is being built not to use in war but to deter war. >> i wanted to start with what an icbm was because i think that tells the story of bernard shreve are in the to upgrade it. >> he was six years old when he came to germany in world war i. his mother brought him here. two months before we declared war in germany he broke down in texas headed to the army air corps and was a protÉge of general arnold who was the u.s. air force during world war ii. then went to work on s

it was quite a moving occasion. >> the author is neil sheehan. the book is "a fiery peace in a cold war". thank you. >> thank you. michael gordin, history and science professor princeton university recounts the soviet union's first atomic test bomb, first lightning that that needed on august 29, 1949. everett books imprints in new jersey hoes the hour-long event. [applause] >> thank you angela, thank you all for coming out this afternoon to hear about "red cloud at dawn" truman, stalin, and the end of the atomic monopoly. red cloud at dawn is in international history of the nuclear intelligence during the atomic monopoly in the want to start by breaking down what that means part of the atomic and monopolies the pig from august 1945 to august 1949 when only the united states had atomic bombs and the power to deliver them upon their enemies. it was the period bounded by explosions. the first explosion that released urge the monopoly is on august 6, 1945 with the destruction of the city of hiroshima. the second explosion takes place in kazakhstan ba

neil sheehan brought us book notes. the program has affected us in terms of my reading.nything he puts out i'm going to reprieve host:ad. caller: "a black physicians struggle for civil rights." he was a prominent physician in washington d.c. this tells the story of how we went from poverty and discrimination from mississippi to a status in washington " i counseled with presidents like john f. kennedy and lyndon johnson and just the struggle of getting to the point. they were a family of slaves in mississippi and became one of the largest landowners in mississippi. host: thank you. a book you may be interested is "and mighty long way." before it is by bill clinton. florida, joseph, nextel. -- next up. caller: it is a book i saw on c- span not too long ago. it was "operation solo." it is the story of a jewish immigrant who became our spike in the kremlin for about 27, 28 years. -- who became our spy in the kremlin. the offer was the number two man and he interviewed morris sober who came to america in the 1900's. there was a second one that has not been critiqued yeah. ass

. >> caller: [inaudible] by neil sheehan. >> host: what did you like about it? >> caller: i founded enlightening to read it brought forth many new things about the cold war that i was not aware of, and i think it kind of updated the cold war and i just learned a great deal from the book. >> host: while -- >> caller: we'll see him brought booknotes and i think that program affected greatly in terms of my reading. and so anything that he puts out i'm going to read. >> host: los angeles next up, tim, you're favorite book of 2009? >> caller: hello, yes it is a black physician struggle for civil rights about dr. edward maziku written by florence redmon. the doctor was a prominent physician of washington, d.c. but this book tells us the story of how he went from poverty and discrimination out of mississippi to establish other physicians in washington who had counseled with presidents like john f. kennedy and lyndon johnson and just a struggle of getting to that point how his family had -- they were a family of slaves in mississippi and became one of the largest land o

neil sheehan brought us book notes. the program has affected us in terms of my reading.nything he puts out i'm going to reprieve host:ad. caller: "a black physicians struggle for civil rights." he was a prominent physician in washington d.c. this tells the story of how we went from poverty and discrimination from mississippi to a status in washington " i counseled with presidents like john f. kennedy and lyndon johnson and just the struggle of getting to the point. they were a family of slaves in mississippi and became one of the largest landowners in mississippi. host: thank you. a book you may be interested is "and mighty long way." before it is by bill clinton. florida, joseph, nextel. -- next up. caller: it is a book i saw on c- span not too long ago. it was "operation solo." it is the story of a jewish immigrant who became our spike in the kremlin for about 27, 28 years. -- who became our spy in the kremlin. the offer was the number two man and he interviewed morris sober who came to america in the 1900's. there was a second one that has not been critiqued yeah. ass