By david wright. Its probably the definitive biography of douglas and especially of what is going on in the United States and the fight for racial justice. Nobody was more consequential and has been more consequential on the question of race in america. Boy ahead of his time. He was not only an abolitionist, passionist and former slave but he insisted from the earliest times in the 1840s, almost towards the end of the 19th century, that equality was the goal. And he would book no deviation from that. He was very clear about what the goal was. And so any of his words ring true today and i really recommend this biography to everybody is a long read but it is really powerful. Peter one of the things that i learned about Frederick Douglass this year was that is also very active secretary. Connolly yes he was very consistent and had a distinguished career and was able to talk to a mixed audience. In a time when that was unusual to say the least. And really its powerful when they had been ideas for example Abraham Lincoln, in the beginning of his presidency was really fixed on colonization. So. Slave but move them to some other country because clearly immigration in america will never work. And Frederick Douglass would have none of the aspirated he took lincoln to task. I think arguably to say take some credit to changing lincolns idea about that. Douglas is out there with our founders in terms of where he belonged in american history. In this biography is long overdue. Is really a fine piece of work. So another book that i dont have with me because i listed out the biography of George Packer which they called our man. It is unique. Never read a book like it is a nontraditional biography. And its his opinion and facts and chronology. Its not the usual biography but it is powerful. Is a about a man in washington who sacrificed our most things for a vision. To climb up that letter. He was talented and bright, but, really destroyed family relations. Destroyed personal relationships and friendships of longstanding. Just truth by admission. Yes offense of accomplishments. He was credited with headed to baltimore. And when he died, he was the special envoy for afghanistan. And he had really made Great Strides on trying to get america to look at his involvement. But at the end of the day, on an attractive figure in terms of what he was willing to do. And then almost a morality story about power in washington. In a cautionary tale. Really powerful biography. I highly recommend it. Peter did you know him at all congressman. Connolly i had met and interacted with him on several occasions on the course during his career. I cant say i was intimate snort do i serve with him or work with him. On any kind of project but he was clearly a power but also i think also a tragic figure in any way. I think it is one of the best biographies i have ever read. And completely different style. Not your usual biography. I am so taken with that accumulated away multiple times people to read. Because i think that it has a lot of lessons for people in place where i work. In a book i just read recently about all of the powers on earth. This is the pre president ial history of Abraham Lincoln but it is so much more than that for is really a social logical and political history of the tumultuous years between 1956 and 1860. So much and that for you. That made the civil war really inevitable. Everything from popular sovereignty from Stephen Douglas to the kansas nebraska act and bloodied kansas. In john browns raid in lawrence kansas. And george scott decision. These are for really important pivotal years that led to the civil war. And he is in depth in two some of the main characters, Stephen Douglas, charles sumner. And others and he is just really a great piece of history. A lot of tidbits in there that one might not normally know. One of the characters that really comes up from a historical point of view Stephen Douglas. Really, a demagogue and willing to sacrifice all kinds of principles within his career and of course, he tragically failed in that endeavor meanwhile, this huge damage to the country rated turning missouri compromise opening up territories to slavery where it had been prohibited. And ultimately not to the south or to the north. Really piece of work. And another bike tim, the story of the massacre in tulsa. Other really vibrant and successful africanamerican person from tulsa. Greenwood. And it took place that took place, it was awful and hard to believe that this really happened it in the 20th Century America but it did. Hundreds of africanamericans were killed. And motion was running rampant and they ultimately burned to the ground 36 square blocks of this African American community, churches and businesses and homes. And frankly subjugated the africanamerican population. The end of jim crow in the 1960s, 45 years later. It is a gripping story and again, given what is going on in americans today, understanding the history. In the insecurity of the white majority la said that time and needing to really reverse economic and cultural progress of a vibrant African Community a community. Its called the wall street of the black america. It was that successful. But for some reason, for a long time, the americans had forgotten this important part of history. And it really needs to be revisited because the horror of what happened, racist and the whole system that led to unbelievable violence. And i think it is a real contribution. The Racial Injustice of america. And another book. I dont often get the chance to read as much literature as i would like. But this book was a beautifully written novel and it kind of the evolution of both slavery and race in america with really the story where and how people we didnt gonna. Prior to slavery and during the enslavement. And its really beautifully done book grid shes a very talented novelist and i think really has a future. I know she just came out with a new book as well. In about that really got me. And that is killers of the flower men by david grant. This is a book again, in oklahoma where power elite murdered a number of native americans. And they had royalties for natural resources, the old their land. And it was swindled. And when into deeds transferred to almost always white power elites. Embezzlement and fraud in murder. And poisonings. In some assassinations of native americans in order to get their land. This again took place in the 1920s in america. This is not ancient history. The indian wars of the mid 19th century. This happened not that long ago. And its a believable story. Its deeply disturbing in terms of again, the power of racism. In the power of greed. It is something really better history the people really need to read. And i just finished an enormous book. It is the history and takes you from the canaanite period, the babylonian captivity. And the egyptians and ultimately the romans and the greeks. To the crusaders and islamic. In modern history. The sweep of history when you read this book cut all at once, really strikes you. And sadly, is out of jerusalem is a bona fide palace. The constant attackings and the massacres and all for territory in the namesake. And we realize thats is about result of today in the middle east. And it is really a sweeping history that gives you a sense of perspective. I dont know if it gives me a lot of hope frankly about the future of the middle east but it really does a lot of what were doing right now in a very good contacts actually terms of this is not new name. Sorry and people in the name of the sacred, irrespective of a religion or the period of history. Another one by christopher leonard. A great book about. [inaudible]. And how he felt and empire from his perch in kansas and how he used it to influence politics in america. And certainly in a very effective if not troubling way. He uses money to build think tanks. And put himself into the university and by creating schools. And he uses money to build a Grassroots Network and then a final about to legislative initiatives requested limitary and some stay out of our lives philosophy. Number one through pandemic where we understand it that we actually need more of that right now not less. The kind of flies in the face of philosophy. But anyway, this is a great book in terms of giving you a sense of and where we come from. And where is it going. And another book redeveloping talk about in between history and biography i like to read about mysteries. And i have discovered recently, oneness the school of writings. And right now, this is called the island. Mysteries take place in iceland. As this kind of landscape background on murderous activities going on. And sort of a loner inspector whose life has not worked out well who nonetheless was intrepid and adopted and follows the mystery tour needs to go. Then another one this just incredible. Colin powell. I have four or five of his book snowcovered them. He created this detective who is a 72 yearold coroner for the liberated communist laos in 1977 1978. The theory is that the former guerrilla, medical doctor. He is with communism and where the country is going. But he finds himself as a corner and a truly mysterious death. But hes a good writer. Takes you back in time to a revolutionary rows in the 1970s. Recreates that place and what is going on in a way that really is quite masterful. But a little escapism writing. And finally, i want to talk about mid night. We talk about Nuclear Power sometimes as if did see unexamined alternative to fossil fuels and that is true but when something goes wrong, it is catastrophic. In this book in the words often of the victims. Really quite gripping. The heroism. And so butte government. It really is told beautifully in this book. In the theories that i think with hbo did on chernobyl in some ways might have benefited from this book is of the the accounts in it. But it is a piece of history thats been forgotten and obviously had huge consequences politically relating to the downfall of the soviet union. Because of the non conformance and bureaucracy and lack of empathy and ability frankly to respondent to the Worst Nuclear Disaster in modern american history. Peter im sorry. Connolly this to some of the things ive been writing for you to see what your books these days. Is your local bookstore lofgren you for your local library. Amazon. Connolly i would take sort of all of the above. I have a huge Library Including books i got for the holidays. And even cspan provided me with some books fine thus the gift for birthdays or anniversaries or holidays. I have a lot of friends who share my love of reading and we have similar taste of wheat chair books back and forth. So i have no shortage of Reading Materials during this time. And in my voracious reader. Before i go to bed, i wake up in the morning. If i have a free moment, i read. Because i think the reading broadens your perspective. It challenges your preconceived notions about life in history and philosophy. And i thank you so one of the most enriching activities and human being can engage in. Peter there are several contemporaneous accounts of the Trump Administration of woodworth etc. Do you read this and they cannot brightest very i have read a couple of books actually sort of the psychological a file of donald trump in terms of what is going on. By those who have really studied that. I dont generally like to read contemporaneous history or memoirs. Because i think they are too close to events to have a perspective. That would maybe be lasting. But i do make an exception. Bob woodward is one of them. Red every bob woodward book ever written in french. So i intend to read this one as well. Because of the key really has a knack for being able to get inside people who say extraordinary things. Maybe them probably wouldnt otherwise do. They do give you insights what is going on. That one for sure i wont be my friend michael antonio, also has written several books and is coming out with a new one on impeachment of trump this fall. And i certainly intend to read that one as well. Peter i go back to the menthols book about this for years before the civil war with the hindsight of 160 years. Was there a point during that four years when you bring god history that the civil war couldve been avoided. Connolly actually dont think so unless the north was willing to live with slavery or the south was willing to say, were setting a timeline for its elimination. And echoes of the past resonates today. It was all fueled by firebrand. So in other words, hotheads especially in the south they really wanted to fuel the politics of grievance in the north us out to get us. Were going to lose power. Remember it was in any ways about the fear of the transfer of power. So the southerners had controlled the Congress Almost from the beginning and then protected what they called the particularly institution all that time. Including doing very tight american things. They tried plucking petitions. In the congress about slavery. Which was the cause of john quincy adams. In the territories in refusing to recognize the van even though the constitution was very swift about this. And it was all about slavery and power in the south. And as the south sought a growing Abolitionist Movement in the north and the north, was expanding. They decided that their only future are the firebrands but not just them. It was frankly to suffer. And he inevitable. I think even without the events that occurred in this fouryear period of time, since 1860, i think that the table had been set for separation. The violence separation at that. It to the leader like Abraham Lincoln to understand that you can accommodate secession. We are one country and he also involved in this thinking to understand that to preserve the union, we actually had to end slavery. That was not his view when he first took office. In fact he had said, i could preserve the union by preserving slavery i would do that. I could preserve the union by eliminating slavery at some place, but not others, would do that as well. If i could preserve the union only by ending slavery, the two i would do. So when he began, it was all about the union. But as the war went on, he understood that actually, had to be more than that principle that aspect. Also heavy about what kind of union we were going to have. And it needed to be. And that needed to be in union. Peter during this period and having lived through the 1968, where would you put us today. How would you put todays world in context. Connolly i dont think the country is as upset as we were 1968 for anything that we came very close. In dissolving into something less than what we think of as the United States of america. There were so any forces hope pulling us apart. And so enormous about the race and about the war. And today we are also a divided nation. But i think what is different is there is a clear emergent majority wants to see a more progressive America Fighting that was to progress. The Structural Racism in america. And starting with our law enforcement. In the believes we have to empower people and eggs and the liberties and deal with issues of inequity, health and equity economic inequity. And certainly expose that. And so i some place more hopeful today that i was at the end of 1968 having lived through those turbulent times. So having said that, i think frankly the president and his approach to issues and governors represents a clear challenge to the continuation of constitutional democracy in america. I really do. I say that as a member of Congress Living within every day. Has to be addressed in the selection or we are going to go in a very different direction than that envisioned by our founders Abraham Lincoln. And by lots of us. A lot of who care about the country. Peter and finally we talked to your colleague and friend representative tom cole republican of oklahoma yesterday. And he said that we usually talk about books quite often. Connolly tom is a great guy. He is a very thoughtful member of congress. Hes also just has kneejerk reaction ideologically or in a partisan way. Every issue that comes his way. Ive enjoyed our friendship. We do share thoughts on books. Once in a while we share a cigar. Peter democrat from virginia, thank you for joining us of a tv. Connolly thank you peter. If youre interested in hearing more about the books, members of congress are reading these books, booktv. Org and search what are you reading. At the top of the page. Tonight is expensive, the communicators is next with a look at the role of telemedicine during the coronavirus pandemic. This week on the communicators a discussion about a growing form of telecommute occasions