Depth. The next three hours shall see many of the authors who appeared on the program. We were also joined by an author, cornell west and the heads of Simon Schuster and rectory publishing. There is something there is still something that brings tears to my eyes. I hope it wont do it now. On the seventh of december, or the eighth of december 1941, i went to what you would call a problem, an event, you know. I was the equivalent of a freshman at the university. I came home atoc 2 00 oclock at night, the light was on. Excuse me. [inaudible] americas and the war. Yes. And why did that touch you so much . To act because we knew it was going to lose it. Would that mean for you and hungry . I did not cry then. How old were you . Eighteen . I was 18 yes. With that interview with the late author john lucas, indepth was born 20 years ago. 2000 leading nonfiction fiction authors of our time have appeared on indepth. Freeman, colton walker, bob woodward, george well, just to name a few. So over t
I think the perceptionce that many people in the United States and also around the worldhi that this is an extraordinary unusual time in a sense where we are out of time will be a curiosity in the future. People will look back and wonder about that wonderment. And he gets kind of an interesting phenomenon. When you think about today do you compare it to any other time in history . As a historian. Im interested in that. We have a cognitive tendency. In the same way im the kind of person that seems like this and family members. Our need for familiarity. For most of my career as a historian. What time is this like. It is an easy story to write. I think theres a whole crop of president ial biographers who go out on talk shows. I generally find them to be not i in this era. Its actually a way to kind of contain the chaos. It is a way to avoid what is truly strange about this. What do we mean when we talk about American History. How are we to reckon with the fact that our present day is so p
So little perspective on this moment, its quite impossible to say. I think the perception that many people in the United States and of course also around the world have that this is an extraordinary unusual time something we are the time out of time, will be curiosity in the future people will look back and wonder about that very wonderment i think its an interesting phenomenon. When you think about today do you compare it to any period in history . Jill lepore as a historian im interested in analogies we have a cognitive tendency to enjoy analogies to find d one thing to be like another all the time. Just in the same way and the kind of person that sees likenesses and family members, and look at a new baby and say, that looks just like great grandma someone so. Have the same time, even as they say i recognize a lot of that is minded perception, my need for familiarity. I think there has been for most of my career as a historian the question to ask historians is what time is this like.
You today by your television profess provideer. And now on book tv we are live with author and Harvard University history professor jill lepore who over the next 2 hours will be taking your calls and comments. Professors book include secret history of wonder woman, these truths, history of the United States and the newly published if then, about the cold war origins of data mining and social manipulation. Harvard professor jill lapore, before we get into the substance of your book, as a historian, what is your contemporary view of how our world is going to be viewed . [laughter] guest i think we have so little perspective on this moment that it is quite impossible to say. I think the perception that many people in the United States and, of course, also around the world have that this is an extraordinary uni shall time is something that we are in a time out of time will be a curiosity in the future. People will look back and wonder about that very sense alienation. I think that would be
Issues. Is this picture on the left a real picture of you . Yes. Not the week . Not a week spirit when was that taken . I would guess 71. Not quite positive. What were your politics 1971 . I think a martian left would be the easiest way to sum it up. I was a left winger, but it didnt make enough sense to actually be a communist are trotskyite or anything like that. Went to the transformation occur. When did the transformation occur . I just wrote about this. There is a book coming out from the Hoover Institution is backing this, called why i turned right, and its the story of a bunch of us and why we became right. It is a long store and i wont tell it but ill give the short version of it. I was a radical leftist, very much in favor of some sort of marxist socialist thing in america. I got a job. I got a job paying 150 a week. I was a messenger in new york when it appeared he dont the week is a lot of money is forced i was concerned. I was living doubt on the Lower East Side and i was v