Thank you. [applause] guest thank you. Host David Mcculloughs most recent book is called the american spirit who we are and what we stand for. 202 is the area code, 7488200, east and central time zones and want to talk to David Mccullough, 2027488201 for those in the mountain and pacific time zones. You are familiar with his work and all his books, john adams, harry truman, johnstown flood, the wright brothers, that is just a couple of the books he has written. American in paris. That is just a few of the books, we want to facilitate the conversation. Jeanette in sarasota, florida, you are on booktv with historian David Mccullough. Caller hello, David Mccullough. Host good afternoon. Caller i love your work. You were in sarasota or bradenton a year ago and i wanted you to autograph my john adams book but i couldnt get a ticket. Here is my question. When you were writing about Abigail Adams, we all know john adamss wife was just about the most liberal lady in america. But when she was in england and she went to see a fellow, a fellow othello it brought out prejudice she didnt know was there, she talked about how black he was, the blackest man she had ever seen and she was really repulsed by the fact that he was touching the skin of the fair desdemona and she called a fellow ohello that heretic more. Host what would you like David Mccullough to respond to . Caller i would like him to respond to that. I dont know if it is really a question. Host thank you very much. David mccullough. Guest first of all, i am unaware of this incident you are talking about but i do know that Abigail Adams was an ardently, passionately, convinced and dedicated abolitionist. She and her husband, her husband was the only founding father who became a president who never owned a slave. It was largely because she was so adamant on the subject. The next president who never owned a slave was their son, john quincy adams. If she ever did say anything like you are talking about, that was something im not aware of but her actions, as they do, speak louder than words. Host would you agree that she was the socalled liberal for her time . Guest i dont think she was a liberal, i think she was a puritan and the puritans were adamantly for education, most of them against slavery, adamantly for freedom of religion, and opportunity and not a bunch of stiffnecked, unemotional people as they are often portrayed. In many respects the puritan traditions were a part of the bedrock superstructure of our country and our way of life. And our way of life. Abigail adams was one of the bravest women of her time, as an ambassador in europe, her oldest son was also gone. She minded this home, my did the farm and one of the best writers of anybody. Her letters are phenomenal, one of the most admirable women the formative time. Bob is calling in from easton pennsylvania. Good afternoon bob. Its a pleasure to ask you a question. I also enjoy your speaking very much. Can you describe a typical day when youre home and are senta i understand he lived on a vineyard and what you do for the course of the day. Just something im interested in. My favorite part of the day is the early morning. When i was working on my book about harry truman i read how he took a walk every day. I try to take a walk every day. Usually first thing in the morning. And i had breakfast. D have its not only the most important meal of the day but often the most delicious. I try to get out to the office about 830 and i work all morning that i come in for lunch and see if theres any phone calls or messages i havee some lunch and then i go back to work. Ls and i work every day very often seven days a week the time goes by faster that way than anything that i do. I love my work. I dont play golf im not awo big sailor i just enjoy my work. I do love to paint. M not im often out sketching or painting particularly when the weather is good. In the evening we have dinner and i usually read for a while after dinner and go to bed. If ive have a particularly productive day. I had type written two pages that i consider all right for the time being at least. And then when i finish a chapter usually around 25 to 35 pages i put all those pages together and if its good weather i find a nice comfortable outdoor chair to sit under a tree and i show that mug who wrote the pages is a brilliant editor that i am. I show him how to make it into something more acceptable. More one of the requirements of being a writer is to be a good editor of yourself. I often tell students and others to learn to edit y yourself and youre almost halfway or more. And youre almost halfway or more. Do you use a typewriter or a computer. A manual typewriter. Which i bought when i started my first book. Ted my this is more than 50 yearsok ago. St in the manual typewriter was secondhand when i bought it i paid 75 for it. It was 25 years old. And i had written everything i had written on the typewriterarl and there is nothing wrong with it. Its in full service for over for 50 years i have to change the ribbon once in a while but other than that they didnt have any notion i guess and yet the typewriter about plants. T about its a marvelous machine. And sometimes i think maybe just maybe its writing the books. The next call comes from hawaii. The question for Mister Mccullough was a personal aside i feel like the well of t the American Voters in the last 16 years because of the electoral college. In his opinion is there any future for the American Electoral College speemac thats a very good question. And as we know mrs. Clinton received almost 3 million votes above what was voted for president trump. And that raises a big question. And i have learned not to talk about something that i dont know as much about as i need in order to talk about it. My opinion is an sense is that yes we need to reexamine that process and do so seriously. In the sense its a violationn of the well of the people. The pp but we have a lot of problems to solve before we get to that one. He won Pulitzer Prizes for the two u. S. President s. The next call from him comes from kevin with hartford connecticut. Have a i have a question for you. The first first book i ever bought of yours i have all that of that up with john adams. I know you put a lot of work and on the as well. I cant help but wonder if you ever thought about or anyr desire at all on your part to be involved in a similar project i think that wouldt make a fantastic miniseries. Ama . Was ever a consideration on your part. Not only is under consideration with a number of people whove already done important work on the idea and tom hanks is the one that is interested in it. Sted i and he of course as you know is the one who produces it and has a very Important Role in the creation of john adams miniseries on hbo. The answers the question is yes and i hope it will happen. Een th who was running the country between the constitutional cannot convention of 87 and George Washingtons presidency and congress have some difficult issues to settle. The one thing we were in the midst of the terrible profession. In the depression lasted as cong as the war have and mostngg people didnt understand how long the war lasted. Eight and half years. Except for vietnam its the longest war we have ever been involved in. The plight of people in new england was really serious. And people were going to jail which was not what they fought that were four. It led to what was known as shays rebellion. It was a very unsettled time. It was the northwest ordinance that was passed by the congress. It provided the opportunity of inexpensive land for the revolution in lieu of the money they had been paid which was only worth about 10 cents on the dollar. It was the opening up of the west as it was then known it was north and west of the ohio river which ultimately became the important states of ohio, illinois indiana and michigan and wisconsin. And that was among the most important decisions of that congress. D and that came just before the m decision on the constitution which happened in that same year. And there is a new book on the Northwest Territory coming out isnt there. Its in the works. Ter i enjoy greatly. High fun. We will move on and ron is calling in from valencia california. Ron, we are listening gonini ahead. One of my fondest memories and thoughts of you is when you did a political roundtable and i wonder if you could talk about that for a minute. Both david and george our wonderful men david of course no longer living and the honor of sharing the enter most thoughts with those two Good Spirited men it was one of the delights of my professional life. They were always full of good cheer. He spread on the islands of nantucket. I dont very often go to that. And my wife and it before the event took place were taking a stroll on the main street in a car came along in the window rolled down said get off this island. Theres not enough in here for two of us. F this i there is a truly good guy. He never let his fame or his importance go to his head. He maintained a sense of humanity which is what we all needed to maintain. How anonymous can you be these days. B not as much as the way it was. I dont mind people stopping me to talk or shake my hand and like it. Ive always liked being with people i had been raised to be open to everybody. When and i try it when im teaching and lecturing in colleges and universities i try to encourage students to talk to people asked them questions tal with the idea that you will never meet anyone who doesnt know something you dont know. So dont turn your back awayrt from keeping in touch with everybody. As your experiences progress. 2500 people in a packed room people waiting in line. As you can see around our set here. Quite a crowd gathered. Raymonds in mills boroughvi delaware. I want to speak with you i have many of your books. As one of our most beloved and noted historians can you comment on the most recent elevated efforts to take down our National Statues those t that have withstood time for over hundred 50 years. Thank you. I have a very, get it and emotionally charged issue. E. I think when it was built when it was created in memory of someone there is a great deal to do with whether or not it is something that maybe ought to come down. The statutes to the heat heroes of the confederacy that were put up in the 18th 90s were being put up at a time when racism was rampant in the south when black people were being hanged it wasnt ugly, awful time on the ideal of equality in our country. If it was a monument erected as per George Washington who owns slaves and well before the civil war then i think now, thats not how they felt about the subject then it was very different keep in mind that the civil war was fought on the principle of slavery it was evil. And those who fight against that were saint know slavery is all right. Os it can stay. That is very different. We lost more human beings and that more than in any war we have ever been involved with. Into ignore that as one side ant right and the other was wrong. It was to live in a kind of haze of romanticism. Having said that im more concerned about the monuments in the statutes that we havent raised here we are in our Nations Capital in there is no monument no building in the memory of john adams one of the most important figures in all of our history. So we are to be got to be thinking more about the people for whom we should be honoring. Ople f i think there ought to be statues to the most gifted and devoted an important influential teachers in ourr country in every city that we have. In every town. City w they are doing the most important work of any of us and they had been doing all along. E most imp and they dont get enoughd credit. We dont celebrate them enough for what they do for all of us. For our children, our grandchildren and for us. Last call for David Mccullough comes from a gal in Corpus Christi texas. How are conditions down there. Thank you for asking. Things are good. We were fortunate the storm went 30 miles west and north of us. We have some of it but unfortunately for the surrounding communities and we see houston they got the brunt of it. Thank you for asking. The whole country is thinking about texas and will be for a long time. All of us should chip in and help contribute to the people who are desperate need and we well. E who thats the way we are as americans. Wi i also lived in houston for a while they are very diverse city. Its an amazing city. Mister mccullough my questioniv is his opinion regarding the electric and how we select National Candidates much has been written and set about the nixon debate. And how they changed how we vote for people. Social media, television and a generation has gone up with that. I had wondered if that future in the current president and when people vote in the future have something changed where what is valued based on. We are getting close on time. I think we have enough to workrk with there. It is a very important question and we will never really understand the impact of television on all of us but its here to stay its part of our life and i for one think that the First Amendment is among the most important bedrock foundations of our whole way of life and i think that the journalist that have been covering this presidency in the election that led to this. Both in print and on television and on the electronic means of communications some exceptions have done a superb job and are doing a superb job and the ought to get far more credit than they do. They are brave, they are professional and we have to remember that having that kind of coverage is essential to our way of life. The next book is on the Northwest Territory in the northwest ordinance. Heres a look at some of the current bestselling nonfiction books according to fouls books in portland oregon. Topping the list its Hillary Clinton with her thoughts on the 2016 president ial election what happened followed by olivia blank and they are told through the lives of six artists. After that the 2015 recipient of the american book award and Indigenous Peoples history of the United States by roxana dunbar in fourth is the hidden life of trees. Followed by bell hooks thoughts on love and modern society all about love. Our look at the bestselling nonfiction books according to fouls books continues with a lifechanging magic of a tidying up after that comes a memoir from a National BookAward Winning author. About his relationship with his mother you dont have to say you love me, then Robert Wright argues that they hold the key to enduring happiness and why buddhism is true followed by home now dash how not to be wrong. About how mathematics can be applied in daytoday life. And wrapping up our look at the bestselling nonfiction books according to portland organs fouls books is a genus i jennifer ackerman. Some of these authors have or will be appearing on book tv you can watch them on a website. Hello everyone. Walk him tonight. Hello. My name is matthew i work here on the event staff. And on behalf of the store owners i would like to thank you and welcome. The speakers tonight. Just a few notes of