Library has set a pattern or is setting a pattern. Three weeks ago we had two stars on the stage, Bob Schieffer had a moderation, a conversation with former secretary of state madeleine albright. Well, tonight we got two more stars on this stage. John avalon and mark updegrove. John is a true, rising star in this country in the media and journalism world. John got his start as a speechwriter for rudy giuliani, both when he was mayor of new york and later as president ial candidate. John avlon today is editor in chief and managing director of the daily beast, but he is way more than that. He is a very active writer in this country. Every major magazine has seen one of his pieces. Moreover, hes on television all the time. You can look at cnn, look at msnbc, you can look at pbs, yu can look at cspan and you will see john avlon. I will also tell you he is a prolific writer of books. Hes written multiple books. The one thats most prominent, the most spotlighted is about washingtons farewell address. And he reminds us that that is truly topical today. Because in his farewell address, washington warned this country against excessive partisanship, greedy selfinterest, and foreign powers that might affect our elections. [laughing] think about that. If thats not topical, i dont know what is topical. I will also say that john god, started to say fame, maybe notoriety, because he has been blacklisted by president trump. [laughing] [applause] i got a chance to see john avlon on the Stephen Colbert show on monday night of this week. He was a star there, too. But he said something that resonates very strongly with me. What john said that night is he perceived his duty, his responsibility as a journalist expert, he didnt call himself an expert but he is, as a journalist to call a lie a lie, and the fact of fact. I wish there were more people like him with that same attitude. I think we will all see a long time ahead john avlon on the public stage of this world. And i think we will all be glad that we met him on the stage tonight. Now let me tell you about the other star. I bet all of you think you know mark updegrove. Those of you who have been coming here for many years have seen him on this stage with the possible exception of harry middleton. Mark updegrove has been on this stage more than any other human being. He was here as the indomitable director of the lbj library from 2009 until he left last february, but he was very prominent before he came to this library. He was a historian on the presidency that was well known throughout the country. He had been the editor of newsweek. He had been president of time in canada, and give written two books on the presidency. One of them called second acts, saying what some president s it after they left the presidency, the other book was called baptism by fire, what happens with president who come into office in time of crisis. Now, Lyndon Johnson, i heard chastising once about the fact that Lyndon Johnson was in either book. But in spite of that he was picked to be the director of this library and were we ever wonderful to have him. He set a new standard. I will tell you, and is not hyperbole and its not texas bragging when i say there are 13 president ial libraries, and during his tenure here he was widely known and respected as the single best, single best director of any president ial library. [applause] and mark left his mark on this library. In so many different ways. The highlight probably is the civil rights summit in 2014, in which we have not one, not two, not three, not for but five president s, president carter, president george h. W. Bush, president clinton, president george w. Bush and president obama all were on the stage. Never in history, in the history of this country have there been five president s in a Subsidy Program at any time for any reason. Mark make that happen and it is the hallmark of the success that he had here and last year in 2016 the vietnam war summit was a program that was comparable to the one he did on civil rights. I have said that i think there are rare few people in this world that are visionary, that are creative and knowhow how p with an idea thats new and different. They are also a small number of people who knew how to implement an idea, a program and those e normally two different people. Mark updegrove is both. He knows how to come up with a whole new creation and then knows how to implement it. And hes that rare individual. He left to become the director, the ceo of the museum, medal of honor museum, and he still serves in that capacity. But he also has written even more books on the presidency. He wrote indomitable courage about Lyndon Johnson, which is widely regarded as a good insight on president johnson because it was taken from interviews and other discussions of people that new president johnson. Then he wrote the book about the civil rights summit, destiny of democracy. Well, hes gone on to write about two other president s, the two bushes, the last republicans. Its wonderful to have him back. We miss him. I just ask you to welcome to the stage john avlon and mark updegrove. [applause] so we got a little roll over still going on but more to show you one sitting in this chair. But it is a total honor and like to be here tonight for my friend marks unbelievable new book just out this week. It is a wonderful portrait of american politics and power, but also the personal bonds of two extraordinary americans, to president s which you frame in a love story, and it is. Its really profound and a cut to say its a notsosubtle contrast to some of the things going on in our country right now. But we would get to that. How did the idea come to you to write this book, and how did u land it . Because thats a difficult negotiation i would imagine. Ill answer your question, very good one. First of all i want to thank you for being you. Its so great to be home. I want my chair back. [laughing] but its a good to see so many old friends in the days are spent in the flavor of of the best in my career and its just wonderful to be back home in many respects. [applause] thank you to my dear friend larry temple but gracious introduction. You can only go downhill from here, larry. [laughing] and thank you to my dear friend john avlon for coming in from new york city to do this interview. Larry mentioned that john was on the Stephen Colbert show earlier this week, which he was. There was a bit that Stephen Colbert did obama book last monday night a week ago for monday. In which he took the cover of the book and said this is the bushes looking lovingly at Donald Trumps poll numbers. [laughing] and it was this great little bit he did. It was wonderful for a couple of minutes, and i felt i was on top of the world. Then john is a guest and i said that son of god one upped me. He was wonderful. If you get a chance to google john avlon and Stephen Colbert you will see his wonderful it on the Stephen Colbert show. You get a great sense of what a great mind we have in john avlon. To answer your question, john, this was a story that needed to be written. This is, weve only had one other fatherson president in the history of the United States, john adams and John Quincy Adams. There were 24 years, nearly a quarter of a century between the presidency of those two men. John adams was in his last 16 months of life when John Quincy Adams was in Office Turkey was in quincy massachusetts threeday stagecoach ride, make a sixday stagecoach ride away from washington. He really wasnt able to be in washington to been a kind of influence on his sons presidency. But george h. W. Bush was us spry 76ers old when his son scent of the office. Again, hed just been their agent before and he was in position to be a real influencn his sons life. This is a story that needed to be told. 41 agreed to do it 43 was, which george h. W. Bush great to do the the book. I wasnt sure what he would say yes or no. I went up to dallas. I knew george h. W. Bush a little bit. He took a meeting and i was shocked that in beginning of the meeting he said ive decided this story needs to be told and youre the guy to do. I was so unprepared i did have a tape recording device and he sat there and he put his feet up on the desk and he fingered and unlit cigar, and he started talking about his dad. And i realized there was so much to him that was a mystery about his father, particularly his fathers story early years when he went to war as an 18yearold, signed up for the navy to get in world war ii at 18, was in the Pacific Theater and shotgun when he was 19. His life was spared but the lives of his crewmates were not and you realized there were some purpose that he had on earth that he was spared and his friends were not. He decide to forgo a family half to the riches of wall street and decide to go to the oilfields of odessa to make his way in the oil business, became a husband at 21, became a father soon thereafter. Lost his daughter, his second child before he was 30. So these are amazing years that ushered him early into manhood. And george w. Bush will he hadnt talked to them a lot about it. So it was a wonderful privilege to get this story out of both of them in the intimate way that theyre willing to tell it. And just the process of getting people to unpack, because for two figures who have this historic throw away their not particularly given to reflection of our psychological rumination. They really rejected. Facing very in the moment, its not so articulately planned epic they have rejected the idea of a dynasty. How did you get them and what are your favorite stories of a getting the interviews that you did to get them to reveal . Because they are remarkably candid, unfiltered comments. Some language we cant use in front of a family crowd. You know, but you got them to really be reflective and candid, and what are some of your interview stories about . What i like, again the intimacy. They realize the story needs to be told, in some ways they were revealing things about each other that the others didnt know. That was the amazing thing i would tell sometimes 43 something that is that said, thats interesting, i didnt know that. Theyre as you said john, famously circumspect. George w. Bush sometimes when you skidding introspective would say this is sort of psychobabble, but, then he would tell me something that was particularly revealing. I remember one conversation with george h. W. Bush in his very small office at kennebunkport, and he is sort of getting hard of hearing, just the two of in the office. He was in his wheelchair and our legs were touching behind the desk in his office and he was talking about what he would have done with iraq if you were president when his son was president. This is pretty heavy stuff for an historian. Of course that the subject that we all speculate about, would 41 have done what 43 have done. He said well, in the final analysis, yeah, i think i probably would have done that. Its hard to tell but i think so. He sort of like iconic at this stage in his life but i wondered, is that the answer from a former commander in chief, or the answer of a father who wants to protect his son . Im not sure he really would have done what he son did. But it think he was being protective at that moment when he was thinking that his sons actions with the war in iraq. I think using protective. The extraordinary loyalty, and this is kind of the family contrivance, this isnt kennedys dont cry. Its love really is a word they use a lot, and loyalty, and the family values not in the political expedient way of deploying that term, but the real family values they embody. W. Talking about unconditional love from his father, that character and service and humility really mattered. Civility matters. The idea of responsibility that comes with power all of that flow summer father, Prescott Bush. How do you codify that tradition in the family and then contrasted with some of the values we see in our Politics Today . Because to me it is start. Its dramatically different. The bushes, there is a family ethos and its palpable when you are around the bushes. I think Prescott Bush as you mentioned, john, he stands for civility and decency, and putting service above self. That was something that was passed through the bush family. George h. W. Bush talked often about the lessons that you learn them at his mother schnee. His father was great influence in his life and im not sure he ever felt like you measured up to study many ways which is remarkable for the 41st president of the tragic to say but he talked briefly about his mother and she would often say george, dont be a writer toshio. Talk about the team, george. I dont care how many home runs you hit, george. How did the team do. Did you win . Because you did when it is a moot point. So the humility that is really the hallmark of the bushes in so many respects is clearly lacking in today, not just from our commanderinchief. Its lacking from public discourse. In the age of social media it is inherently selfaggrandizing. But we talk about the fatherson, if i can talk about relationship for one second. Theres this great story that the elder bush told me about being with his son in midland when his son was about three, when w. Was about three years old. Appear he erupted in a fit of temper about something, and their walking along the streets. George h. W. And barbara bush. George w. Start flailing away, almost cartoon style like a windmill, his arms are just going at 360 degrees. And hes trying to hit his dad and his status keeping them at bay. By just putting his palm on his flushed for head and telly tuckers himself out, he just stops and walked along again. In a way its a metaphor of the reckless, you know, the young and reckless days of george w. Bush because in some ways he tried to land a blow with his dad, and never did and ultimately they just sort of walk on. His father always had faith that he would do the right thing ultimately and wouldnt bring up that ill tempered moment. Theres also, let me press you on the fathering and the parenting because theres some wonderful details in the book, moments where you can see h. W. Leading by example. One example is w. Walked off a summer job a couple days early, and, well can you tell the story because apparently it made a big impression on w. In terms of a piercing style. Again, future president parenting and of the future president. Its both relatable and inherently historic. It goes back to the story i just mention as a metaphor. George w. Bush work as a roughneck or in west texas. He made a considerable amount of money. Yet agreed to work for, say, eight weeks. Walked off the job in the seventh week because you want to spend time with his girlfriend. He goes to see his dad and his dad said, you didnt honor the commitment that you made. Im ashamed of you. Im disappointed. And george w. Bush walks out of his dance office, hes disappointed, that was his fathers greatest weapon, to talk about how disappointed he was at any given point. He wasnt particularly emotionality point. He never yelled at his kids. He never hit his kids. Theres no Corporal Punishment in the bushell but that expression of disappointment was the best thing that he could do to sound a message that said straighten up and fly right. So that happens. He leaves his Fathers Office and then he gets a call from his dad later on that afternoon and he said can you and kathy, scope and, come to the astros game tonight . Either couple of tickets. He expressed his disappointment but he also welcomed him right back into the fold. That faith that he had been assigned alternately do the right thing never waned. Yeah. I love that is a story he carries with him. Theres no capacity when was mother barbara, they have a family intervention because they bustamante smoking at 17. And h. W. Weighs in. Its barbara bush, they take them out to dinner. He is at that. 16 years old and its up in kennebunkport and george w. Bush thinks this thia big deal, the parents never take me to dinner. As john said, it was an intervention. Barbara bush said you smoke. You smoke. What are you doing smoking . And george h. W. Says well, are become you smoke, too. [laughing] then the subject just kind of died. [laughing] i love that sort of you cant lecture someone for doing something you do yourself. Theres just a bit of yankee common sense, which is lovely. Theres an amazing interview, the interviews really are extraordinary in the book but where w miller rejects and pretty. Oh language idea that is ever a prodigal son. That was interesting. A lot of misconceptions about george w. Bush and about relationship that he has with his father but one is this expedient narrative that he was a prodigal son, the neerdowell, the one never expected about anything and certainly wouldnt be the political heir apparent. That is just dead wrong in many that are aspects of it that are true but actually he was quite auspicious in many respects one of the things he said to me was i will clean up the language a little bit, he said i chased a lot of tail and i drank a lot of whiskey, but i was never a prodigal because i never left my family. He never did. He always embraced his family, and so, talked about that. The fact that he made it on his own. One of the things you are almost expected to do as the bush is make it on your own. To achieve some success on your own. To leave the nest, strike out in different places george h. W. And barbara did to make your own mark, and then once you can provide for your family, to go into public life and to put something above yourself. Ultimately, george w. Bush does that but his family never leasing. He always loves and respects and admires them. I dont think he was as rebellious as some people think he was. Theres some great anecdotes, but one of the great distances he has with the can become the comparison is we are not likely. The kennedys never had to work. I love there was the sense that order existed. Strike out on your own, broaden your horizons, make money to take a family and then it was public service. And theres a practicality and humility to that that a thing ik keeps and grabbed and relatable in a pretty extraordinary way. So lets talk about the politics of the family because its called the last republicans for a reason. There is this throwback quality to them, but theres a flowthrough, too. Look at Prescott Bush was the grandfather, the senator from connecticut. He took on joe mccarthy in the senate. I had not fully appreciated when h. W. Was beginning his career he took on the berkshires in houston. Theres this pattern of trying to is