Good evening, every saturday night throughout the summer booktv is putting on several hours of a wellknown author. Kind of our twist on binge watching. Tonights featured author s historian David Mccullough the author of a dozen books including bestselling histories on the american revolution, the invention of manned spaceflight the settlement of the Northwest Territory and the creation of the brooklyn bridge. He is a two time winner both Pulitzer Prize and National Book award and appeared on booktv and cspan over 75 times. Coming up over the next several hours we will show you some of those programs. First up in 1992 he appeared on cspans book not programmed to talk about his biography of president harry truman. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for biography and hope to change the view of the truman presidency. Here is David Mccullough from 1992. David mccullough, and your last chapter called citizen Truman Truman had held to the idea of the mythical roman heroes cincinnatus. Whats that
Programs. In 1982 he appeared on book notes to talk about his biography of president truman it won the Pulitzer Prize for biography and to help change the view of the truman presidency. Here he is from 1992. Cspan you start off by saying as far back as he could remember truman held onto the mythical roman heroes. What is that all about . The mythical hero who left in time of war with the great general and was victorious and renounced all of his power and returned to the farm. Thats a theme the country was founded on. If you are at the capital with the great painting of George Washington turning over his powers as commanderinchief of the Continental Army to congress the symbols earth all throughout that painting because they believe this is what democracy entailed that any citizen should be called upon at any time to serve b ultheir country in any capacity and the power belong to the people and would bepo returned to those who held it. He like to say i never forget who i was, where i ca
Its my honor to introduce three people to you this evening. First is Roger Rosenblatt whose work has been published in 14 languages. Roger is the author of five New York Times notable books of the year and three times bestseller. The story the story i am mad about the writing life came out in april and a cool moon a life love and responsibility will be in october. Rogers written seven off broadway plays notably the one person free speech in america that he performed at the American Theater which was the times 10 best plays of 1991. Last spring he performed them play piano in his play living in the basement is nothing which would go to the Stoller Center for the arts at stony brook and the theater in new york next year. He also wrote the screenplay for a bestselling novel rapid rising which is currently in production. Roger is distinguished repressor at english and writing at stony brook. He formerly held the copeland appointment to creative writing at harvard where he got his ph. D. Am
Mr. Mccullough sits down to talk about this book on the american revolution. 1776. This is from cspans q a program. This week on q a, august is offering historian David Mccullough. On the genera general henry knom in maine. Host David Mccullough, you told audience outside of this general henry knox museum, days ago that everybody in american should know who henry knox is pretty white. David because these extraordinary historian an american who seem to be miscast. Seem to be fellow not prepared for the role of the history and for him to play and who not only lived up to the rule, but when over the top as it were. And as an example of a man who came from very humble origins, very little advantage in the way of education, or connections. Heroes to be one of the most important americans of his day read the men that George Washington discovered. And amanda George Washington counted on. Through nearly eight and a half years of the revolutionary war and who then counted on him as his secretar
Ainsfieldwolf who had this prize way back in 1985in she understood that literature could serve as the potent elixir in this fight. In the 84 years since the prize was established, our country has made Great Strides forward with regard to respecting and embracing our diversity. But recently we have taken disheartening steps backward. Reported hate crimes have risen sharply in the past several years, including, of course, the mass murders at the Mother Emanuel Ame Church in South Carolina and the tree of pennsylvania. This is a national trend, but it also hits close to home. According to the southern poverty law center, there are more organized hate groups in the state of ohio than in kentucky and West Virginia combined. A great source of re was one, ba clarion call for action. We must rewrite our Current National narrative to vigorously oppose bigotry in all of its forms. [applaus [applause] and tonights ceremony provides an opportunity to energize that sense of purpose. This is the 16t