In camp the encampment so i was at the encampment, you walk a ground and learn more about it but you understand the writing and i try to have that reflected in my work. In that sense i view myself as a historian. I dont write historical fiction but i am inspired by historical fiction and love to read historical fiction. And James Mcpherson catches it in the battle cry of freedom. Is a wonderful book. Ft cant trust everything in it as fact but it does give you the sense of the place. I try to use a lot of quotations because i try to make which makes differentiating to me from some historians, but i try to have an eye for the quote that really captures something. I never use a long block and [inaudible] quote. When i read, i always skip those. I figure if the author cant summarize it why is he forcing me to do it . So i use small quotes, ones that are below 50 words so you dont have to block in denim. Then i figure thats my job as a historian, to pull out the quirks of it. And if theres
The city of washington. Net emissarys name was Frances Blair and he has an extraordinary offer, he said will you lead and the union army to crush secession . Remember the story, blair tried in every way to convince robert e. Lee to say yes. He said the country looks to you, quote, as a representative of the washington family to save the Union George Washington forged and that is not an exaggeration because the son of George Washington son in lot of George Washingtons adopted child. So now only one word separated robert e. Lee from the pinnacle of his profession, from command of what would be the largest American Army ever raised, from glory perhaps that no american since George Washington had known. What did robert e. Lee say . He said he opposed secession and he did oppose secession, he thought secession was illegal. Equally significantly he thought George Washington was opposed to secession and that was no given at the time. People on both sides of the conflict claimed George Washing
Only possible criticism is that they scheduled me right up against mr. Gwyn next door. I used to teach civil war history. Lots of books come out on the civil war but not many of them are as good as his book rebel yell. Of all of possible people to be scheduled up against i find that a little daunting coin. Thank you for being here. Is event must be full. Second i thank my host j. Ford was my host last night, took me to a wonderful dinner, the only possible qualm i have with that is took me after the authors reception, it was very late and was the pink house. They brought me a piece of fish that is bigger than a plate, the tailstock out on one end and there was so much food that i am stuff and i figure i have to speak. The only wise than i did was liquor too. I turned down the wine and liquor and dime stuff from that food. I was not so lucky at lunch. I had a wonderful pleasure of you probably know him. A wonderful daughter and couldnt restrain on of liquor, not being there with sunny.
And. I think were a lot of time. Spinning disk it is the fun but the road to over a number of months. Is like someone who lives in a different time zone. I very much enjoyed reading it. It is based on very insightful observations. Thank you very much. [inaudible conversations] okay everybody. Welcome. Can i ask everybody to take their seats please. Fate you very much for being here this is a particularly important book talk in thank you to those to help sponsor. This is a particular important book talk because this is the most important book you could read this year. In fact, it could be the most important book this decade because we are growing the Economic Opportunity gap is the biggest political and moral and economic issue of our time. We want to make sure betty gets a book from politics prose that the professor will sign then by another one gets the most influential political person you know, to make sure they read them and then tell people to buy copies. It could help transform a
Besides, they do have substantially different responsibilities. We need a small numbers with highly trained and experienced people. When you think about the heroes of our profession, Charles Bolin were people from that era after world war ii georgia, these were individuals whose careers were assiduously cultivated and studied russian and get critical assignments and were advisers to roosevelt and atkinson and george washington. We we didnt create these people by the hundreds. They were created by the dozens. I think that is still true. I i mean, i could name for you even now i had a i had a pretty good idea of who the best psychologists were in a state department and you the best russian experts were in the best latin america experts. You get to know who they are in the intelligence community, who the best analysts are because there analysis bubbles up to the pres. And the pres. s daily brief brief and they get to sometimes come in brief the president themselves. There is somewhat of a