Author jeff, you opened your recent book with this quote from Rick Perlstein the historian. Crosscutting motives and narratives the complexity that defies storybook simplicity that is usually the way history happens. I think it is the most cogent ive ever heard. Rick does a tremendous job himself, and its true no historic event happens in vacuum. Its tied to many other things and that is the fascination in research and writing on the narrative nonfiction history. To read a quote from you as well and this is from 2021 in the cleburnene times review a lt of people no longer want to buy nonfiction to learn things. They want nonfiction bks to reflect what they already believe, books to reinforce their opinions. They want books that tell them everything they believe is absolutely right and that the other side is even worse than they thought. If you take a look at the bestseller list for nonfiction for the last several years, theres three categories generally represented. The first books by
Lets started does not make covid seem like a very distant memory. This is great to be back again with all you and you know, just to be able to talk to so many friends. Well, im just delighted to greet you and the audience in grand rapids, michigan. Well, as our cspan audience everywhere, im Gleaves Whitney executive director of the Gerald R Ford president ial foundation. And its my honor to be your host, along with a lot of good people today, and to welcome to our 2023 edition of americas first ladies luncheon. This years event is centered around a theme first ladies pat nixon and betty ford lives of leadership, courage and, grace. Three great words to describe these remarkable women are our foundations long running first ladies series is the brainchild of the first daughter, susan ford bales, whos here with us from texas. Susan, thank you so much for your dedication after all these years. And joining susan are number of special guests. So id like you to hold your applause to the end,
With all you and you know, just to be able to talk to so many friends. Well, im just delighted to greet you and the audience in grand rapids, michigan. Well, as our cspan audience everywhere, im Gleaves Whitney executive director of the Gerald R Ford president ial foundation. And its my honor to be your host, along with a lot of good people today, and to welcome to our 2023 edition of americas first ladies luncheon. This years event is centered around a theme first ladies pat nixon and betty ford lives of leadership, courage and, grace. Three great words to describe these remarkable women are our foundations long running first ladies series is the brainchild of the first daughter, susan ford bales, whos here with us from texas. Susan, thank you so much for your dedication after all these years. And joining susan are number of special guests. So id like you to hold your applause to the end, please. President mrs. Nixons son in law, ed cox, is with us. He joins us in lieu of his son, chr
Good evening and welcome to our grand rapids audience in the cspan viewers out there, were im Gleaves Whitney i had the privilege of serving in this Great Institution with great partners at the National Archives and your foundation. And i said the director without foundation three years. Yeah, we have. These are Interesting Times which are. Wars and rumorof wars released deep economic challenges here at home and abroad, dysfunction in our government institutions, americans expressing a deep crisis, confidence in leaders. Its decisions. All the things our national guard, ourfamiliar, no doubt. And it describes what was going on a half century ago. At the service upstairs, you now one of the questions the American People faced during this period, a half century, our nation was band supported the bicentennial celebration of 1976. D within us in that endeavor and that same question today is whether the united starguably may precisely the greatest nation or so fundamentally flawed. It canno
Good evening and welcome to our grand rapids audience in the cspan viewers out there, were im Gleaves Whitney i had the privilege of serving in this Great Institution with great partners at the National Archives and your foundation. And i said the director without foundation three years. Yeah, we could have. These are Interesting Times which are. Wars and rumors of wars released deep economic challenges here at home and abroad, dysfunction in our government institutions, americans expressing a deep crisis, confidence in leaders. Its decisions. All the things our national guard, our selves sounds familiar, no doubt. And it describes what was going on a half century ago. It seems sorry that if you look at the service upstairs, you now one of the questions the American People faced during that time, also this period, a half century, our nation was band supported the bicentennial celebration of 1976. It formed within us in that endeavor and that same question today is whether the United St