i remember watching in 1991, peter arnett and those guys from cnn literally on the front line.issiles firing over their heads, reporting live. it was the most incredible, dramatic thing. >> and explosions. the rocket's red glare. bombs bursting in air. >> amazing. >> it was. >> let's play a clip from that coverage. >> we are just in the process of getting tape fed to us from a location in jordan. this is the videotape shot by the cnn crew during the opening hours of the allied assault on the city of baghdad. air force general retired harry smith is with us in atlanta. general smith, please comment on what you can see. this is the first time we've seen this tape. this is our camera crew shooting out the window from the ninth floor of the el rashid hotel in baghdad. >> was that the story, event, that made you realize just how big cnn could become? >> yes. that was the biggest story that -- in my opinion the biggest story that we ever had. >> you defied the president. you kept your people there. >> we kept freedom of the press. i reminded everybody we had freedom of the press. and

and we had volunteers, peter arnett who had volunteered to stay. and we didn't make anybody stay. and i just said we're going to stay. >> you also said at the time, look, i don't care what it costs. >> i didn't say that. i said spend whatever it takes. i didn't say i don't care what it costs. i did care, but i didn't want to be pinching pennies on this story. >> what was the difference having cnn's cameras on the front line of a war like that? what do you think the difference that decision, that capability made to the way the war was covered? >> i -- you know, all we did was televise what we saw. >> did it bring a greater truth the fact we were there. >> i think so. >> your third story that you singled out 9/11, the cnn coverage of that, what did that do to america? that moment? >> it shook us up. it was unbelievable. and watching it -- i was in my office and i glanced up and just after the first plane had gone in and i could see the building was on fire. and i was -- i sat there stunned and during while i was just sitting there just watching it, the second one came in. and i saw

peter bergen's manhunt recounts that in your search for osama been a lot. you can find out more on these bestsellers by going to ny times and clicking on art. >> arnett -- next authorr interview, campus of usc, basketball great dream abdul-jabbar his latest projecto is a children's book. what color is my world, the lost history. tell me about this project.ojct. >> a book that i did in 1996, an overview of black history inrvi america. and in one of the chapters thatr i rode, i focused on lord howard latimer. the practical invention.r. and in checking out what different inventors did in thew 19th century, it really madeteal me aware of the fact that there are a lot of mentor's the people did not know anything about. i got that idea from that experience.k a book on mentors villages toreo children. so many children are unaware ofn these things. >> kids today seemed to be very interested in gaming and videosc why the vehicle of the book toai get children interested in a story?a >> i think a book has they you ability to reach them on th different levels and games to. it is a lot more in-depth, and it is random access. you know, they can go to anyt part of it physi