from his sydney blumenthal, former clinton administration advisor and journalist, his latest book is about the political life of abraham lincoln. [inaudible conversations] >> thank you. >> how are you? do i still need this? >> i hope so. >> on the mailing list. >> lots of data. >> really? >> we are sort of at a different kind of inflection period. >> a little bit different. >> how is it? >> always happy to be in chicago. >> every lunch and dinner possible. >> in washington. >> i am sorry. i can't come. we are going to do an event. >> saturday, saturday. >> story of jacob. >> first question. >> all right. >> that is good. we are up against how franken. who is funnier? >> some tough competition. so sorry. >> i like how franken. >> a lot of people watch a booktv. >> it will be good. >> the cheating culture -- the new beginning. >> i saw you. who knew that somebody -- >> in the hospital, had a stroke or something, watching tv -- >> he recovered. >> going in for another surgery. straight out -- it is a real deal. you are in chicago, had no idea you were in chicago. my great-grandparents m

booktv is live from the chicago tribune's printers row lit first and coverage continues with sydney blumenthal, former senior advisor to president bill clinton. his book is a look at the political life of abraham lincoln. .. with that, i'm going to throw it over to our interviewer, elizabeth taylor, the literary editor at large for the "chicago tribune." [applause] >> hi. thank you. are these mics on? great. you can hear me? thank you so much for coming out. this is a wonderful turnout for a wonderful book, and we're delighted to be here. i've actually -- in this chair, year ago, talking about the first volume of sidney blumenthal's four -- to be four volumes on lincoln, and i'm really excite it -- excited about this one. i loved that one and this is even norwich. "wrestling with the angel. ". so, like to set the stage. begins in march 1849. lincoln returns to springfield to practice law. 1849. and then 1856, no-nothing party, nominates bill moore for president, national convention for the republican party. we have that blackdrop. what's the title about? >> host: "wrestling with his angel" is

the next author you will hear from his sydney blumenthal, former clinton administration advisor and journalist, his latest book is about the political life of abraham lincoln.

the obama white house told secretary clinton they didn't want sydney blumenthal to join her. >> thats true. in my position, the personnel office is drunk with power too. that may be happening here as well, i don't know. but there are a number of people who are not controversial who could be elevated to positions, who have been in government, been in foreign service and been publicen servants for 15, 20, 25, 30 years and be leading these regional bureaus and be our points of contact internationally. that's not happening. i don't know why. >> does it seem to you that secretary of state tillerson himself doesn't have the power or the ear of the be it that past secretaries of state have had. you have jared kushner allegedly in charge of any mideast peace efforts. >> i don't know that's the case. he does meet with the president regularly one-on-one. he does have access to the president. now to what degree is the president listening to his advice and counsel i don't know. he has been given the where with all to run the state department. i think there is fault on both sides. the white house

and sydney blumenthal with his book. on sunday our coverage continues at 11:00 a.m. eastern with heather ann thompson and her book "blood in the water". at 2:00 jeff row stone with "sex and the constitution". at three tray raidl with his book, "demo-crazy". and thomas ricks with "churchill and or well". watch our printers row lit fest starting saturday at 11:00 a.m. eastern on c-span2's book tv. >> sunday night on after words. korea an marie -- ceo an marie slaughter has her book. she is interviewed by a former white house chief of staff in the obama administration from 2013 to 2016. >> what would strike me was that we knew there was a world of states and state threats. today if you think about north korea or iran or sometimes china and russia, that world of state to state relations is still very, very important. i think of it as the chess board world. because the it's the world of how do we essentially beat our adversaries, and we think about a move, and we try to anticipate what move they're going to make. and that world is there, and it's very important, but equal