c-span: you're not very happy in this book with stephen ambrose, are you? >> guest: well, that may be putting it strongly. i admire stephen ambrose's ability to write. but i do take issue with his picture of libby custer. i think ultimately -- although he doesn't mean it this way -- it's insulting to libby. c-span: you say that "feminine fidelity has traditionally been so prized that libby custer's devotion has pleased even those who consider her husband a villain, as if fidelity to such a man has even greater merit than it would to a more deserving spouse. to historian stephen ambrose, libby was one of the most remarkable american women of the 19th century, although he never justifies his sweeping statement, remarking only that she had unbounded energy and was as courageous as custer himself. both characterizations are nonsense." >> guest: yes, that's true. libby was not as courageous as custer. libby was terribly frightened of thunderstorms and hid under the bed whenever there was thunder. custer was known for his exceptional courage, leading his men into

c-span: go back to robert capa and that famous photo that we've seen--i think it was on stephen ambrose's d-day book cover. >> guest: right. c-span: where was it taken and when did he take it and how did you play a role in all this? >> guest: well, i was the london picture editor for life, and there were six life photographers assigned to cover d-day. the one we counted on the most was robert capa, who had so much experience in covering wars. he had covered the spanish war, the war in china, the war in north africa and italy. so we all looked to capa. and, indeed, he volunteered to land with the first wave on omaha beach. tuesday--it was--tuesday, june 6th, 1944, was d-day. and we waited all day tuesday for pictures. and we waited all day wednesday, but we--we--where was--where were the pictures? where was capa? finally, wednesday evening, a currier came into the--the life office with four rolls of film from capa and a handwritten note saying, 'john, that's where the action is.' so i told the darkroom to rush me contact prints for editing. we were under terrible deadline pressure. the who