I wish my parents could have heard that. It would have made my father very proud and my mother actually would have believed you. So there you go. For me as you suggested, this lecture concludes an amazing year that began just a year ago when the library the fred w. Smith library for the study of George Washington opened and i was able to take a seat as one of the inaugural fellows. During that year, i learned what a treasure always of you have in mount vernon led by kurt brands and with library led by Doug Bradburn the staff here is simply extraordinary. They are extraordinaryily loyal. For 150 years, the mount vernon ladys association has kept this place special. With the new library the orientation and education center, no crop of those women have done a better job than the current one, at least since martha did it alone. Among those remarkable women, of course let me thank gay gains and ann petri. Well let me begin tonight with a question. Retirement. Today we think of retirement as
Youre watching booktv on cspan2 with top nonfiction books and authors every weekend. BookTv Television for serious readers. From my father i inherited my confidence my resilience, my passion, and my audacity, looking back although it was never explained to me in this way, he taught me the spirit of which is greek idea of honor and doing the right thing, even when ones own interests or even ones own life is in peril. Growing up while i never fought anything but australian there were two stories about the Second World War and greece that i always kept close to my heart. The first was in 1940 when Benito Mussolini italys Prime Minister asked the greek Prime Minister for free passage through greece and on the spot at 3 00 in the morning without hesitation, without consultation he said oy he said no. It was spirited defiance and quite incredible when considering just how vastly outnumbered the greeks were by the italians. It prompted sir winston churchhill, the greatest figure of the 20th c
This event, i wish to thank my 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 liquo
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
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.