world watched as the shuttle was destroyed in a fiery explosion. all seven crew members perished. >> i know it's hard to understand sometimes painful things like this happened. it's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. it's all part of taking a chance of expanding man's horizons. the future doesn't belong to the fainthearted. it belongs to the brave. the challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we will continue to follow. >> on the evening of january 302000, 1968, at the at the height of the war in vietnam north vietnamese forces launched a courtney attack across south vietnam known as the tet offensive. the u.s. repelled the assault at the cost of heavy losses about men and public public support for the ongoing war. >> that's a look at what happened this month in history. american history tv has programs on all of these topics in our archives. you can watch them online at

c-span.org/history. >> this evening and welcoming you under our roof here at historic decatur house which is the home of the white house historical association. we are honored to occupy this orproperty that is owned by the national trust for historic preservation whateverk wonderful partners in a work and it's terrific to have them here. we have three members of our board of directors were here this evening, martha kumar is here. i've seen martha. anita mcbride will be here shortly, issues that are already. and david ferriero is ex officio on our board here over on the right. so it's an honor to have all of you here as well as several minutes of our national council of white house history, which were always grateful to have. this evening it is my honor and privilege to introduce a reallyf terrific friend of mine, and as a friend of the white house historical association, mark updegrove serves as the president and the ceo of the lbj

foundation in austin, texas. he is a presidential historian for abc news and also an accomplished author. mark is actually authored five books on the presidency, including this book that we'rele celebrating this evening, "incomparable grace - jfk in the presidency." and i had the privilege of recording a podcast this afternoon with mark which we will release later in the month when the book is officially released, and it was a faceting conversation. i really enjoyed our time with mark and i think you're going to enjoy theer time with him here this evening. he has also written for the "new york times", "politico", national geographic, time, the daily news, "usaai today," and most recently he's p been the executive producer for cnn's original series, lbj, triumph and tragedy. and if that is not enough, marcus had the privilege to be the envy of every journalist and historian who was interviewed exclusively seven american presidents throughout his career. well, it was 61 years ago that a

young john f. kennedy was sworn into the office about the capital, and by his side was jacqueline kennedy whosh would become our first lady, at yourself would go down in history as being one of our most influential first ladies. we have a particular reverence for her here at the white house historical association. but it was later that day when on inauguration day when president and mrs. kennedy ended up at the white house and mrs. kennedy realized this was a home, the people's house, as she would call it, that wasn't badly, , badly in need of histoc restoration. she believed that the white house should represent the very best of america, artisans, craftsmen,rt decorative arts, fe arts, furnishings. and so she took that on as a project over the course of the next three years, cut short tragically by the assassination of p president kennedy, but once you put in place of dan is still the legacy of her influence of historic preservation at the white house, acquisition for the

collection, and actually education. it's a key part of our mission. and we are the sith kennedy's living legacy at the white house today. well, it was those 61 years ago that we were founded by her and today we continue to undertake the work. my colleague, my colleague the national center for widest history which is really the educational part of our work, and we publish books. we publish a quarterly magazine. we have conferences, symposia, what events like this some publishing and storytelling is a vital part of what we do. and encouraging friends who can unpack these stories, i asked mark earlier, another book on john kennedy andnd we really ned another book on john kennedy? but then whenea i read it, theel book myself and it reads like a novel. and it's insightful and inspiring and i am finding

myself reoriented in a really to the kennedy presidency and a think we can fake parts of it i know you will all reading the book. well, it was 1792 that the cornerstone for the white house was laid just about 200 yards from where we're sittinghi tonight, and a whole lot of white house history has taken place in those years since 1792. and tonight we are going to focus on three years of the history, a very important three years. anything marked this evening is amna nawaz. she served as "the pbs newshour" chief correspondent and primary substitute anchor. she is been honored with an emmy award for nbc news special inside the obama white house. a society for future journalism award. she's a recipient of of international reporting projectt fellowship, and in 2019 received the peabody award for news our series on the global plastic problem. tonight she's going to discuss

with mark this terrific new book which remarkably re-examines the kennedy presidency forsi us, and that is so often been trapped behind the myth of camelot, if you will, and this will be a portrait of the kennedyio presidency, its divisions, flaws, charm, its triumphs, failures, and certainly its grace. so bringing those stories to life for ushe this evening, plee welcome amna and mark to the stage. thank you all. [applause] >> hello, everyone. nice to be in person with people, especially with you, mark. thanks so much i've been here. >> thanks for doing this. wow. i got amna. that's big step. >> here's one thing i'll say before we delve into question. i have no personal connection to

the kennedys. my family had not even set foot on the shores at the time that he was president, and yet i was fascinated by this book. stewart is right. it actually reads like a novel. and id can't wait for everyone else to get a chance to read it, too. but let's go through some of my burning questions first. here's where this is going to work. i've got about 20 minutes with you and they would love to open it up for the rent for any questions you might have as well. if you see me check my focus on because i have somewhere to be. because what picture i'm respectful of everyone's time. ass stewart mentioned, there are a few books about jfk out there, right? some series, some films. i watched all of them. why jfk? why did you decide to do the? >> it's a wonderful question. before i answer let me just thank you again for doing this. you have as i understand you have an eating job. at "the pbs newshour" so it's so good of you to make time for this.

huge admirer of the work to do so thank you so much. thank you my friend stewart mclaurin andca all the people and white house historical association for running this marvelous institution. thank you to my friend lauren leader for helping to organize this with a mutual friend kimball stroud. and thank you friends old and new for coming tonight. i'm soe grateful for you being here. there are certainly people i would like to recognize the one in particular fma, and it really needs to your question and answer your question. the weight of the queue psyd was allegedly present launcher for time t magazine. i had the great privilege of working with hugh and got to know and and cute through the years. i will tell you hugh was a present of the white house historical association some 20 years ago. so this place means a great deal, meant a great deal to hugh. hugh. but you spent time with john f.

kennedy. and duringg crucial hours of his presidency. and i heard from hugh who john f. kennedy was be on the camelot myth. that can be intrigued about john f. kennedy. hugh and i worked on a joint oddity of the cult the time in the presidency and he started the project talking about john f. kennedy and who he was and what he met to this country. while there been many books at a been written, there's an overexpression, write the book you want to read. this is a book i wanted to read about john f. kennedy. i tried to make it a very briskg narrative that make you feel that you're going to the third tumultuous, very triumphant in many ways, , very tragic in others, days of the kennedy presidency. and that you y are here within y in and day out, , as he wrestles with one issue or another. and so it's episodic in a way that they didn't see the other

kennedy treatments. and i also wanted to wrestle with the camelot myth which overshadows kennedy in so many respects. it deprives him in so many ways of his humanity. so that was important to me, too. there's so many books with an agenda. my only agenda was to capture this indelible president and what he meant to the country and the momentous decisions they came across his desk. >> i mean, the country is still so fascinated by him and by the family, this myth of camelot, right? it still really grips americans to this day. why do you think that is. >> with you and i were just talking about this. >> i'm still trying to figure it out. >> i get that. i think it g g boils down to th. john f. kennedy was and continues to be how we want to see ourselves in the world. useful, ambitions, elegant, intelligent, compassionate, and

instilling the notion or embodying the notion of service over self. that is the image that he diffused abroad at the time what i think we were the envy of the world in many respects, and i think that's the way we want to see ourselves. he's of the personification in many ways, and so is to an extent of the vivacious kennedy family, of how we want to be seen. >> did you learn something new about them in writing the? >> i learned a lot nato, and one of the things, i thought i knew this history pretty well and you and i talked about talking about civil rights as being a a very important aspect of the kennedy presidency but one of the things i found, why did he move on civil rights 1 as he did in 196? he's resting was civil rights in many ways. there was the freedom rides in 1961. there is a integration of ole miss with the matriculation of james meredith in 1962.

the same thing happens at university of alabama and 63 d then there's the civil rights movement direct action campaign in birmingham. during the course of that campaign when martin luther king is taken to jail and writes the famous letter from a birmingham jail, the weight of the civil rights cause is coming down onct kennedy and it looks like he's riot act. he's very reluctant to act come to do anything except to protect civil rights marchers. i've always wondered what he did at that moment. it turns out that bobby kennedy who was his brothers chief aide, most trusted and close advisor, goes downn south alabama and meets with the george wallace and meets with just horrific resistance down there. people are hurling epithets at him and treating him for cet like easy attorney general ofut the united states, but interesting enough a more poignant episode for bobby kennedy comes when heom meets wh

james baldwin, a novelist, and a group of african-american entertainers anarchists at bobby kennedy's fathers penthouse in manhattan. and it is a very uncomfortable situation where they are confronting bobby kennedy with the racism that the kennedy administration has not addressed. add they are unrelenting in their criticism of him, and it has this searing impression on him. and he goes back to the white house and at first he criticizes those who were atar the party, u know, he talks about baldwin and how horrible t he is and he's gy and oh, my god what horrendous -- this was another time obviously. and he says you know what? if i were in those shoes i would be saying the same thing. i think he had a marked

impression on his brother as well, and finally his brother decides when george wallace, the segregationist governor of alabama, blocks the auditorium, stewart went to the membership alabama siu knows this will, locks and administrative building so that to african-americans can't matriculate the institution, kennedy says i'm not s going to let them have the stage, or i'm going to go on television talk about civil rights. bobby encouraging him to do that and he doesn't andy elevates civil rights to a moral issue. the interesting thing is they do have enough time to make an address. sort and kept that i don't have enough time to give you a proper address. lobby tells his brother to speak extemporaneously. speak from your heart. so that speech which is one of his high point, most of it is ask extempore. how we came to embrace the civil

rightsts movement as a moral issue. >> best acid and you listen to his brother over the advice of most of his advisor come right? >> exactly right. his advisers how not to do it. bobby says youou feel the kumqut until the american people how you feel. >> one of the things the fasting me about the book is way you broken it up. you've got fourrt parts. you call the torch, the fire, the brink and the peak. explain that all of it. why break it up that way? what do each of those new? >> each i think take you to the kennedy presidency. the torch we all know is the torch has been passed, that famous passage from his inauguration speech, the torch was passed to a brand-new generation of americans. the oldest president in history to that point dwight eisenhower is leaving of the youngest president elect in herio history is coming in. that's a generational shift so the torch has been passed. at that point that kennedy is captioned imagination of thepe american people. bear in mind john f. kennedy

only wins the presidency by two-tenths of a percentage point. by the time he'ss inaugurated ad gives that soaring eloquence at his inauguration the american people are autolink on john f. kennedy. so much so that when he meets the fire of his presidency, , so the torch of been passed but then the fire has yet to come, and the fire comes with the bay of pigs and a number of other things that john f. kennedy simply can't anticipate. but he said something about kennedy and the american people at the time, and our country, and another era, that when kennedy suffers this huge black eye inexpressibly with the bay of pigs quagmire where over 100 cuban nationals are killed in the incursion of cuba and 1200 are taken captive, and the american people approve of john f. kennedy to the tune of 83%. only 5% of americans disapprove of john f.va kennedy's job

approval at that time. we rallied around our young present at a a time when we we fighting hearts and minds with the soviet union. we know how important it was to put all we had behind this junk and many ways inexperienced council president eric so that's the fire. the peak, sorry, the brink comes in 1962 with the cuban missile crisis where we find itself on the brink of possible nuclear holocaust where we stare i to eye with the soviet union as they are bringing missiles into cuba, largely as a result of the failed incursion of cuba with the bay of pigs that emboldens nikitas khrushchev. kennedy's counterpart in the soviet union. we, as close as we've ever come to the brink of nuclear disaster. 13 harrowing days. i was talking aboutd my friend, they talk to me about meeting

with john f. kennedy at the height of the cuban missile crisis. it was at night and ended up, kennedy and hugh had a long conversation until office and the kennedy decides he wants toi go skinny dipping in trenches and i don't hep c. he says you don't need one. but he lays, try to leave the white house that i come goes through those black gates not known whether this going to be a tomorrow.. that's how dark those days were. so that was at the brink. and then the peak comes after that in 1963 way kennedy stands at the the peak of his presidency. he has resolved the cuban missile crisis peacefully against all odds. and he gained the esteem of the world when he standing at his peak winds cut down in his prime. >> that slim margin of victory, i don't think it's talked about enough. >> it's amazing. >> you try to measure whatd that would look like if it happened today and it would be a very different reaction i think.

so how did he maintain that kind of popularity, that sort of approval rating? was at him? was aware the country was at the time, a combination? >> part of it, people ask you alll the time why joe biden cant be another lbj, and the answer is because the world has changed, our nation has changed fundamentally. john f. kennedy has two-thirds majority in the house in the senate. he's battling civil rights, at least battling his own party in the south but nonetheless they are pretty handsome and respect and be the landscape was far more narrow, m even though as mh as any, it's come there wasn't a proliferation and fragmentation of media. we have three networks, nbc, abc, cbs. pbs would come along much later in 1967. we had just a few newspapers. there was ath more centrist view of the world. and again, it says something major that kennedy would be as

popular as he was just shortly intoto his presidency when he wasn't doing so well on the world's stage. >> you know a thing or two about lbj, , it's fair to say. talk to me about the relationship. what was itpl like? >> people talk about the kennedys and lbj, and the kennedys were noton monolithic. there were different kennedy's and the different relationships but the relationship between jack kennedy and lyndon johnson was very amicable. there was mutual respect, big a drink at times,em but mitchell respect. john kennedy remembered when he wanted to get something done as a senator from massachusetts, largely a backbencher who didn't achievet a whole lot relative to the peers he had in the upper chamber, but he remembers here to go to lyndon johnson, the all-powerful senate majorityy leader. his father joe kennedy the candy patriarch had enormous respect for lyndon johnson. in fact, he toldt us on don't take the secod spot on the 1956 democratic

ticket and less lyndon johnson is the presidential nominee. and he even offers to fund the campaign of lyndon johnson chooses to run. so there was great respect there. the confusion about this comes where bobby kennedy comes in. bobby kennedy despised for lyndon johnson, lyndon johnson didn't feel any a differentlype about bobby kennedy. they were just fundamentally different people. but i think john f. kennedy realize, he picked lyndon johnson to go on the ticket for two reasons. one was political. he needed something balance on the ticket. what that a balanced and lyndon johnson from austin, texas? i can come who it so much power. but the second one was he picked the vice president because he was, the person who is most capable in his view of operating in president trump in the presidency should something happen to them. and that wasas the case. >> i mean, when you look back on it now there's so much

reflection on his abbreviated presidency, right, but it was an incredibly eventful presidency, too. just that short tenure. you mentioned thehe cuban missie crisis, of course what we were actually facing at the time. is it fair to say that was sort of the darkest hour? was at the worst that it got? was that the greatest triumph for him also? >> no question in my mind that is the darkest moment battle in, the kennedy presidency may be the darkest moment in human kind. kind. to come that close to nuclear annihilation. they're in mind, the majority of the american people at that point in time the lead that there was going to be a nuclear exchange imminently. that's how tense the was between the soviet union and the united states of america. it's interesting because there's a transition meeting between eisenhowerho and kennedy the second of two meetings that they have. this one takes place on january 191961, the day before

kennedy is on grid as president. and they talk about troubled spots in the world all the trouble spots of which there are many. and you can see eisenhower's almostr relief in relinquishing these problems and giving them over to jack kennedy. kennedy leaves the white house and as a limousine is the part he looks at an eight in the backseat and says of eisenhower, how can he stay or in the face of disaster was such equanimity? but it's equanimity which defined kennedy and that most darkof hour, and that most desperate hour of his presidency in the cuban missile crisis. he is calm. there's almost preternatural, comes over jfk. he is measured. he doesn't panic. he doesn't pay himself into a corner and is desperately looking for a way out. >> that is the publicc kennedy, right, that we all know, grace under pressure as you say in the title. was it like that inhehe privates

well all the time? >> i think so. as come he was very compartmentalized. different people saw a different jack kennedy. people say the same thing about lyndon johnson.e but there was a certain vitality that he had. would look at him as being so vigorous, so useful, but he had battled illness his whole life. i think he saw the tenuous in this of human life. he had been in world war ii. he lost his brother. he lost his sister soon thereafter. his sister rosemary had had a lobotomy because of retardation. she was something -- so he saw the fleeting hope of the life had any tried to make the most of his life. but i think in those hours, really crucial hours, the cerebral kennedy kicked in and he was really thoughtful about what the best approach would be going forward. he washe determined to avoid

military conflict. in laos when the berlin wall went up and, of course, during the cuban missilecr crisis. he wanted peace, and i think that calm, not reacting in anger, not reacting passionately, not listening to the jingoistic military advisor who were telling him that he needed to engage. that defines kennedy and his best moments in the presidency. >> what about today, six years later, what's his legacy on the party, on the presidency, on the country? >> you know, i'm going to read a passage from my book, if i may. i would bastardized this if i really thought about this, how did i want to of the book. and what his legacy looks like, and here's what i came up with. throughout the course of his restless a bridge running in the white house, he dealt with the pressures of the office standing on feet of clay at times showing flashes of greatness at others,

but as he did and does an audit and edging out recklessness and abandon, calling forth the best of all of us. i think at so many ways kennedy, again, he h personifies that notion of service over self. the phrase when most remember about john f. kennedy is asking not, ask not what your country can do for you. a ask what you can do for your country. that's become this timeless expression of anes american ide, that we should all be reaching the on ourselves, and kennedy at his rhetorical height gets us to get. >> i could get going another hour but i will stop here and opened it up to the room. anyone who is a question. first hand went up. >> i was intrigued when you began the conversation by the reference to the new society. a member of the media astonishing new society, and i

recall katharine graham memoir in which shehe examined the relationship between the media, the press, and the presidency, and how close it was. to talk about hugh going swimming with the president in the pool on the night that seems so dark. lbj comes along and a tragic murder. how did that relationship change, and in what way? is seems to me and i like to hear you talk about this, whether or not john kennedy's profile with the press heightens his profile around the world. and whether a change relationship had an effect on l lyndon johnson's profile.. >> my friend riley temple. a great question, riley.

john f. kennedy was a journalist himself. he worked for hearst newspapers during the cycle will tour briefly he came back from combat. and admired journalist. he thought in fact, in his post president that he might buy a newspaper or might become an editor that was, anything that was distinct possibility would of done that. heat appreciated the fourth este is being a fundamental part of american democracy. he also knew the value in cultivating those relationships. i can tell you in talking to hugh who had a few scars probably on his calves from the kick, at least metaphorically, by john f. kennedy a timer to force coverage, that kennedy has enormous respect for hugh and what he did. he had respect for the profession of journalism. he also knew the clout of "time" magazine. "time" magazine was a behemoth at the time. i think that things start to fade when, during the johnson presidents. bear in mind, john f. kennedy

creates this liberal tide that's liberal in the most literal sense, that flows into the johnson presidency. faith in governmentt in 1964 stint at 77%, and that's largely because of john f. kennedy i think having us believe in ourselves and pollute our government. but lyndon johnson wally takes advantage of that and puts to the loss of the great society, mostly 1965 after he's elected to the presidency in his own right, faces a quagmire of vietnam. and he is not necessarily truthful with the american people, maybe by his own doing or because he's been misled by his advisors. and as one becomes more and more controversial, the press becomes more and more critical. and i think that's when things sort of start to slide. but you know, all presidents

have a mixed relationship with the press. barack obama came to the abuja library where there's a quote from lyndon johnson, if i walked acrossom the potomac, the headle in the next day "washington post" would be, president can't swim. [laughing] that never changes come right? there's always some, what of an adversarial relationship but john f. kennedy i think, he beguiled the press about his well as in president we've had. thanks, riley. >> we worked our way across the room. >> thank you. thank you for beingng here. and the lbj special is really lovely. congrats on that. >> thank you. .. gain? i'm so sorry. what do you look for in a president? you as like a scholar of the presidency.

you know, i i've been asked this before and i think at the end of the day all presidents are different, you know, they come in with different skill sets and experiences that come in with different visions and outlooks on the world. and i think they come in with different visions and outlooks of the world and it's hard, any leader with the same, we should expect different things from different leaders because not everyone is capable of the same thing. the best we can expect from our president's they love the country and do their best. most of the president in my view have held up to the idea, they did their best. john f. kennedy certainly fits that criteria as does lyndon johnson and so many others but honestly i don't know that we could ask for anything else. john kennedy looks so much different than eisenhower and franklin roosevelt and ronaldd reagan.

those presidents were the top ten of all but for gary very different reasons but if you love your country and give your veryry best, things are probably going to wind up pretty well from the country. >> i think the microphones working your way around here. >> thank you very much, your books are great, four-part juries with lbj's great it's a wonderful occasion. two questions, number one is we all learn character is primary, very important. it's very odd kennedys character of public service was so exemplary and inspiring in his personal character was not so inspiring this seems to be a

split between public service he did and the values he had in private values he had which are pretty despicable if you look back at it now. second is your right, the crisis, a tremendous triumph, sherman has a book out that is terrific on the. the way kennedy handled it was terrific but when you look back theus kennedy presidency you wonder what was lasting about it? what did he do in those years that lasted? you are in charge of the lbj library foundation and there are so many things as we celebrate on the 50th anniversary that were lasting and every day we see lbj programs that benefit all of us. it's hard to think of one from kennedy.

>> thank you. both wonderful observations. it's interesting about your first part, it'sth interesting about this madman thereof president in thisut era, talk about that and put a light to character. by virtue of where we stand in 2022 as much as we have advanced and with kennedy it doesn't look good. just one comment on that, the misconception is whether it was ad zero-sum victory for the u.s, the russians send missiles into cuba. we didn't realize until years later, there's a quid pro quo agreement around that. missiles in turkey we had the were dangerously close to the

soviet posing an existential threat, missiles in cuba 90 miles from american shores so it's a greatat moment for kenney but we realize later as a back channel negotiation we get a flat, a credit to kennedy but not a zero-sum victory. here's my view. second i mentioned thised liberalism can be created and you look at the legacies of john f. kennedy and lyndon johnson and so often you are either side. they have incredibly complementary legacies because john f.et kennedy is thinking beyond themselves and he has faith in government. lyndon johnson is able to

capitalize on that and get through the great society that becomes the foundation of modern america. civilized act of 1963 which kennedy proposed in the speech i was talking about was largely anguishing, he didn't have the legislative will or might to get it through. lyndon johnson did and did that and so many unfinished things, lbj made them bigger but john f. kennedy tried to get through medicaid and failed. john f. kennedy tried and failed.on all these things were on his desk but one thing kennedy does isnd get us thinking about a better america. >> if i can follow up on one thing, from the historian

perspective, what we know now about character and rampant womanizing, does it change as we as a country should view his leadership? >> it is speakable behavior in many respects and you look at the way hee treats and in turn there's a book about john f. kennedy, unfinished presidency in which he reveals there was a white house turn to him, loses their virginity to kennedy at the age of 19 at the first week in the whiteld house and takes r along the country almost as a concubine, it's difficult to excuse his behavior but it didn't his ability to discharge the duties as a presidency, it might have compromise at some

time but it did not. he comes by his womanizing, his father was a womanizer himself kennedy almost keeping score in an odd way john f. kennedy trying to get the most out of life and those on his belt were part of it in a weird way but it's a deficit of character and at the time to think about the fact that the politician was womanizing or abusingol alcohol, it didn't matter if it didn't affect his duties to be a public official so often kennedy knew that to a certain extent i think that there was scrutiny by the press corps. of course that would change later andli should change, we should know that about our politicians.

[inaudible] >> the story was any way that you thought kennedy was no big thing and probably just a young boy and he could be with him. what finally convinced him to back off? was at the missiles in turkey or somehow kennedy had shown him the strength that he would back down for spect? >> i begin the book with john f. kennedy talking to the press and goes back to what you're saying, the relationship between kennedy and the press b but the book begins with a prologue and its john f. kennedy after going model model at the summit and

kennedy goes in and is passionate figure and he goes in thinking he can be exploited in kennedy's performance against this, he leads him to believe he's too weak. sthese endless meetings with him to the american embassy and talks to west and is the reporter from the new york times. the conversation in which kennedy concedess he's savaged and says, he knows he's been emboldened by this encounter and

says until we remove those ideas, there could be real trouble in the world and i think it's that face-to-face interaction with kennedy that emboldens him to make the move in cuba and the resolution of the conflict betweenwe the two that gives t him respect for kennedy for the first time. for the reasons i mentioned the way he talked about it is kennedy was clearheaded in that moment.

>> there are so many fascinating details in this book. i enjoyed reading it and help a chance to read them all. tell your friends. oh to be respectful of everyone's time and i would givr piece of information or a story or nugget from here you think people would find interesting. >> comes from my old friend. kennedy has this wonderful inauguration, the entire world is watching and he goes on "afterwards" and goes to a party in the wee hours of the morning and he goes to the white house in the morning because presidential is motivated, he seems in the gutter and he's asked like to see in his bed?

thank you so much for this conversation. [applause] thank you very much. >> thank you very much for this conversation tonight. i thank you all for joining us hereho and for those of you watching by c-span, thank you for your interest in our work and mission telling these stories of white house history. mark is available to sign, thank you and have a good evening. [applause] recently on american history to become a nephew talk about the kidnapping of daniel boone 13-year-old daughter.

>> there are many distortions of the original event so i don't want to spend real estate explaining to the reader does work but they are fascinating because it's being distorted in one example, part of the story is the rescue of her and her friends and in one distortion is a narrative that one way home from being rescued, jemima and two others get married to the rescuers. the sort of male role in their lives and the first thing that has to happen is they are paired

off with the hero but they have all kinds of agencies in interesting ways and as part of what i thought my responsibly was in a story like this which is often told at the time or after from mail storytellers what i thought my job was, how can i find trouble individuals and warriors involved in this? what were their motivations? what were they grappling with? that attempt to restore perspectives that in this case came together in interesting ways with this chain reaction. >> watch the rest on c-span.org/history.