Well, i had just finished the splendid and the vile by erik larson, a a wonderful acct of churchill and his family, really in the worst year of the war, the year right after he becomes prime minister, may 10 of 1940, that really the day of the german invasion of the low countries in france. And then basically what it was like to have stood alone against nazi germany until june the 41, the russians are in the war and then obviously by december the 41 the United States is in the war. Its an extraordinary book. Its a wonderful read about a a guy that i consider literally the greatest person of the 20th century and the supreme ordeal of a long and brilliant career. Although ive been reading, i just picked up great story by gene edward smith, great biographer. I read his biographies of grant and eisenhower. Eisenhower biography by far the great eisenhower biography ever written, and thered been some good ones. But he died in 2019, so right now i had just gotten into what may been may be in his best book was on fdr, something called the parking price which best book of your back in 2007. One of those books that been sitting on my bookshelf and ive just had not gotten to it. Its quite a read, 700 page read. We lost smith last year, about a year ago, september actually. Almost precisely a year ago. I happened to just think about that, pulled out the book and ordered his last book which ive not read yet on the liberation of paris which was published in 2019. Kind of been doing that. Earlier this summer i got on accident of binge of biographies of ambassadors and erik larson also wrote a great biography by pi when dodge was a good ambassador in germany in the 1930s. And his family, which was quite an eclectic and a centric group, and their experience of being in nazi germany as hitler was consolidating power, the first evidence of what was going to be truly dark period in World History was becoming evident. And then i read the same time a book by called named lew paper called in the cauldron which is the american comic tale of the American Ambassador in tokyo, i guy named joseph, for about ten years are bastion for ten years. I think from 193141. All of this ultimately fruitless efforts to head off or between the United States and japan. Of course what was like being in japan during the grip of a fascist and military regime that was guiding that country really to ruin. Doing a lot of that and i guess one last thing, one of my favorite political scientists of all time, i usually read historians, but this guys a different kind of political scientist in my view, Richard Fenno or just died this year, but was very famous for writing histories on congress, our studies of congress, from the district level up rather than from the washington level. He would literally travel into the districts of various congressmen and senators, or the states that senators obviously. I have read a couple of his books but i just happen to read his obit. I have read enough of this, and to read a of his books, the challenge of congressional representation which i think places last book published back in 2013, and an earlier book called congressional travels. Again, just a graduate view of congress. I know a lot of the members that he writes about in these things and is just fascinating and its a reminder of how often, you know, what somebody does in washington is really a reflection of who they represent, what their interests are, what their understanding of the world is. We kind of lose that dimension sometimes when we study politicians but we forget that they have another part of them which is not in washington, d. C. Which actually shapes what they do in washington, d. C. A lot of reading this summer. There seems to be a theme among the history books that youre reading, and thats world war ii. Well, it just happened to be there. No deliberate design. I am like everybody else, im always fascinated by it. There have been other books. Colin galloway, the indian world of george washington, that really fascinated me as well. But no question world war ii is the central conflict and shaper of the 20th century, and really the postworld war ii era. Era. Obviously got to understand the war made into it, but came out of it to understand the time in which we live. And really, the rise of the United States as a great power before the cycle of war, but he became the superpower after that. So understanding the cauldron the country went through and how it changed who we are, how we think, how we act globally i think is really kind of an indispensable grounding that you have to if you want to be effective in the current time. Is erik larson one of those writers or historians that if hf you write the book, you read . Yes. He is an absolutely superb writer. And vivid. Sometimes its almost like reading a novel. The descriptions and yet it all footnoted but he has a real talent, and began seizing on something to look at it more closely. Weve had a lot of really fine biographies of winston churchill. Robert andrews most recent one is probably the best, but this idea, theres another book have my bookshelf, i cant remember the authors name now but its the same thing. Its actually on churchill in the 1920s, a single pivotal year when he was working as colonial secretary and helped reshape the middle east in ways that echo right than today, the boundaries of countries, for instance. I like what he does. I like how we does things. I like how he writes and is always worth reading, whatever the topic is. The New York Times correspondent carl holds about with the book that conversation or two about. When a book comes out about covers to you almost automatically pick it up . I do. Particularly if it is, i happen to know carl very well. Hes one of the smartest reporters out there, confirmation bias which is sort of on the Supreme Court wars that weve seen in recent years, is a brilliant book and if you want understand some of the struggles that shape capitol hill, not any better guide than carl holds it also just finished jonathan karl, its not congress per se because hes a White House Correspondent now of course for abc news but front row at the trump show is an interesting read. I know carl. I have been interviewed by him, appeared on a once or twice to summary like that writes a book that i think is really knowledgeable and professional, and you want to hear what they have to say because again, they are talking to a lot of people, in many cases, that you cant talk to order had the occasion to talk to and they bring a lot of insights into the political field and into congress. How much sharing of book ideas do you do in congress . Quite a bit. We keep, i do sort of a Favorite Book of the month that we publish regularly on our website and we get a lot of inquiries about that. I also threw a party for republican every year at christmas. Thats a really nice affair, usually dinner at the willard, but that always give a Christmas Present and it is almost always a book. And quite often a fiveminute conversation with somebody, i i know theyve got a particular interest or what have you i will send them a book. I remember years ago Adam Kenzinger from illinois was a young member. One of our brightest guys in congress, and i was a young veteran and was elected in the class of 2010 and his hair back and was very short. Almost like a crew cut. He is still in the reserves, still flies, and he reminded me of the picture i had seen of don rumsfeld at about the same age. Square jaw, goodlooking guy. I just bought rumsfeld auto biography form and over and said youre from illinois, eastern illinois. You got a crew cut, hes got a crew cut. You guys should get to know one another. So occasionally i i wasnt abot to somebody because it struck me as something that might interest them, particularly again one of our early thoughtful thinkers in congress on both sides of the aisle on National Security issues and military matters. Again, he deployed to combat zone so guy who knows what hes talking about, i thought he be interested in a guy like rumsfeld who had also served and had been both the youngest and oldest secretary of defense in american history. I didnt know if you saw this but mr. Rumsfeld wrote his most recent book on his years before the white house. I havent. I just finished chris whipple, the gatekeepers, of the chiefs of staff of the white house and, of course, he figures very prominently. Ill be interested in having a more thorough review. I mean, i actually have a picture of ford that it keep them in office. I campaign with him on the number of occasions and was a big admirer of his. Theres a biography of them, time and chance on gerald ford. It will be interesting to get rumsfeld closeup look at president ford. Tom cole, republican of oklahoma, as always thank you for joining us on booktv. Enjoyed it very much, peter. Thank you for having me. You can watch this and all of our what are you reading interviews at booktv. Org using the search bar at the top of the page. Now on booktv is afterwards reverend al sharpton the founder and president of the National Action network offers his thoughts and activism to move America Forward turkeys interviewed Washington Post columnist jat
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