Welcome to our ongoing celebration of the Library of Congress National Book Festival. Each weekday, we will feature a video presentation from among the thousands of authors who have appeared at the National Book Festival and as part of our new year-long series, National Book Festival Presents. Mondays will feature topical nonfiction; Tuesday: poetry or literary fiction; Wednesday: history, biography, memoir; Thursday: popular fiction; and Friday: authors who write for children and teens. Please enjoy, and make sure to explore our full National Book Festival video collection!
Presidential historian Michael Beschloss came to the 2019 Library of Congress National Book Festival’s Main Stage to be interviewed by David Rubenstein, the festival’s co-chair. Beschloss discussed his recent book, “Presidents of War,” and told his interviewer that “I wanted to be a historian – no joke – since I was 10 years old.” When questioned about what he would ask Lyndon Johnson if the two had dinner together, Beschloss replied, “Why did you feel so compelled to get more deeply in the Vietnam War when you knew that it was going south fast?”
The 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival will celebrate its 20th birthday this year. You can get up-to-the-minute news, schedule updates and other important festival information by subscribing to this blog. The festival is made possible by the generosity of sponsors. You too can support the festival by making a gift now.