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Best of the National Book Festival: Douglas Brinkley, 2019

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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!

The eminent historian Douglas Brinkley came to the 2019 History & Biography stage of the Library of Congress National Book Festival to discuss “American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race.” The book was written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of America’s moon landing, on July 20, 1969. David Rubenstein, the festival’s co-chairman and chief benefactor, interviewed Brinkley and begins by asking, “Where did the moon actually come from?” Brinkley’s reply: “Nobody is quite sure where the moon comes from.”

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.