Every year book tv asked member of congress about the books they are reading. Joining us now book tv is tom cole, republican from oklahoma. Congressman paul, we have asked you this question before. Youve always had a large reading lists. What is under current reading list. Tom i have just finished the splendid in the file by erik larson. Its a wonderful account of churchill and his family. Literally during the worst years of the war. When after the Prime Minister of 1940, really the date of the low countries and france. And then basically, what was like to standalone against nancy germany. Until june of 41, the russians are in a war and obviously, by december 41, the United States entered the war. Its an excellent book. It is a wonderful read about a guy that i consider the greatest person in the century. In the supreme ordeal of the career. And then i also been reading, i just picked up the great historian by the name of jean edward smith. Its a great biographer never read his biographies, grants and eisenhower. And eisenhower was by far the best eisenhower biography ever written and there are some good ones. But he died in 2019. So right now, i just got into what may have been his best book, on fdr, american historians, said it was the best book of the year back in 2007 so it is been around for a while. One of those books that its been sitting on my bookshelf and i just had not gotten to it. Its a 700 page read. We lost smith last year, about a year ago in september actually. Almost precisely he year ago. And i happened to just think about that in a poll of the book. I ordered his last book which i have not read yet on the liberation of paris which was published in 2019. I have been doing that. In earlier this summer, i got on by accident, a bench and biographies of ambassadors. Eric carson also wrote a great biography of a guy name lynn dodd it was the american investor in germany. In the 1930s. In his family which was quite eclectic and eccentric group. In their experience of being in germany, as hitler was a consolidating power in the first evidence of what was going to be truly a dark period in World History was becoming evident. And then, i read at the same time, the book called in the cauldron which is the american detail of the american investor in tokyo, a guy name just brew about ten years, and investor from 1931 to 1941. As all of his ultimately fruitless efforts. To that of the war between the United States and japan and then of course what it was like being in japan during the prep of the fascist and military regime was guiding the country to rock and runs. So that i had one last thing. One of my favorites political scientists of alltime. Usually read historians with this guy is a different kind of political scientists in my view. He just died this year. It is very famous for writing histories on congress or studies of congress and the district level rather than the washington level. He was very well traveled into the districts of various congressmen and senators. The states of senators obviously. Ive been a couple of his books. But i just happen read his obit. I hadnt read enough of this guy. And i read a couple of his books, the challenge of congressional representation which i think was his last book published in 2013. And then an earlier book called congressional cops for the dominican, perennial view of congress. I know a lot of the members that he writes about. And its just fascinating and a reminder of how often what somebody does in washington is really a reflection of who they represent and with their interests are and what their understanding of the world is. We kind of lose that dimension sometimes when we study politicians. We forget they have another part of them which is not in washington dc which actually shapes what they do in washington dc. So a lot of reading this summer. Statement congressman, there seems to be the theme among the history books that youre reading and that is world war ii. So what is happened to be there. Im always fascinated by it. There been other books as well. Holland always book. The indian world of George Washington native american. The fascinated me as well. No question that world war ii, is the central conflict and shaper of the 20th century. And really, post world war ii era obviously have to understand war leading into it but to come out of it to understand the time in which we live in. And really the rise of the United States is a great power before the second world war. And a superpower after that. So understanding that the cause of the country went through and how it changed who we are at how we think and how we act globally. I think its really kind of been indispensable grounding that you have to have if you want to be an effective and current. Is eric larson one of those writers that if you should read it. Tom yes. Hes now absolutely superb writer. Hes been dead. And sometimes its like reading a novel. In inscriptions and yet, its all footnoted. He has a real talent for and again, the season on something to look at more closely. Weve had a lot of really find biographies of winston churchill. Anders, was probably the best. But lets take out a year, and of the book to add to my bookshelf. Cant remember the authors name now. But is the same thing. Its actually on churchill in the 1920s. Single year when he was working in his as colonial secretary helped reshape the middle east in ways that the boundaries of the countrys for instance. I like what he does. I like how we do things. I like how he writes. He has always worth reading whatever the topic us. Now the New York Times correspondent came out with a book about congress a year or two back. When a book comes out about congress, do you almost automatically pick it up read. Tom i do. Particularly, i happen to know carl very well. I think hes one of the smartest reporters out there. And confirmation bias which is sort of the supreme courts wars that we have seen in recent years. It is a brilliant book. And you will understand some of the struggles that shaped capitol hill. Not any better god than carl and also just finished Jonathan Carls book, congress per se because these white house correspondent. For abc news of course but front row in the trump show. That is an interesting read. And i know carl. Ive been interviewed by him. And a live podcast with him plus twice. So when somebody replied that rights ago, i think it is really knowledgeable and professional. He want to hear what they have to say because again, they are talking to a lot of people. In any cases, that you cannot talk to. Or you dont the occasion to talk to. He brings a lot of insight into the political field and into congress. How much of the ideas do you do in congress. Tom quite a bit. I do a favor to bookofthemonth. We publish it regularly on website. We have a lot of inquiries about that. And i throw a party for the republican book fairs every year at christmas. Its a really nice affair. Usually dinner and they always get a Christmas Present and its almost always a book. And quite often in a conversation with somebody, they know that they have a particular interest or what have you, austin them a book. Remember years ago, adam from illinois, he was a young man one of her brightest guys in congress. And i was a young veteran. And elected into the class of 2010. Back then his hair was short. Also a crew cut. Im the reserves and still flies. And he reminded me of a picture id seen of a man about the same age. Square jaw, goodlooking guy. I had the book so i just bought the auto biography for him and send it to him. And i said hes got a crewcut in your both from illinois new guy should get to know one another. So occasionally understandable to somebody because it struck me as something that might interest them and particularly again adam is 104 really thoughtful thinkers in congress on both sides of the aisle. I National Security issues and military. And he was deployed to the combat zone. So the guy knows what hes talking about. I thought he would be very interested in a guy like rumsfeld who had also served. That had been put the youngest of the oldest secretary of defense in american history. I dont know if you saw this for mr. Wrote the most recent book on the white house. Tom i havent, ill have to get that. Actually just finished chris book, the gatekeepers on the chiefs of staff. At the white house and of course he figured very prominently. So i would be interested in having a more thorough view. I actually have a picture of ford that i keep around because i campaigned with him on a number of occasions. And i was a big admirer of his. I think lou cannon biography, about time and chance on gerald ford. That will be interesting to give rumsfeld the sort of closeup look at president ford. Tom hall, republican of oklahoma. Thank you for joining us on book tv. It. Pres. Donald trump . Tom you can watch this and all s apple tv. Org. Using the search bar at the top of the page. You are watching book tv, on cspan2. Every weekend but the latest nonfiction books and authors. If you like to ask questions for the q a asked the question ben if you see any questions that seem interesting you can vote for them and make their way to the top of the list. You are considering supporting the bookstore