I am a big fan of C-Span's Book TV. Every weekend, C-Span2 airs programs about books. These may be interviews with authors, book readings, programs from book fairs around the country, and presentations by authors. This last is my favorite to watch. Each week I look at the listings for the coming weekend and often set my DVR to record one or more shows. I currently have a backlog!
Yesterday, I watched a presentation by Annette Gordon-Reed, who wrote a biography of President Andrew Johnson for the American Presidents series. You may recall that I recently reviewed the biography of Chester Arthur from that series. Ms. Gordon Reed apparently normally focuses on slavery issues (she is African American), and stated in her presentation that she typically avoids the period of Reconstruction because it's very emotional for her. However, she was asked by friends to write this biography for the series and she agreed to do so.
I enjoyed listening to her talk about the process of doing the research and how her feelings about the era influenced her writing. I also learned quite a bit about Johnson from the presentation. Many of us, myself included, know little more than that Johnson was impeached (but escaped conviction by only one vote) and that he is considered among the worst presidents we've had. Ms. Gordon-Reed talked about Johnson's viewpoints regarding society at the time, such as his opinion that whites should always be above blacks, and that he really wan't that in favor of abolishing slavery. Therefore, that colored his view of how to reincorporate the South into the Union, and may have extended the racial issues that didn't even begin to get resolved until the mid 20th Century.
I am very interested to get this book to add to the editions I already have from the series.
If you'd like to view the presentation, it can be found on C-Span's Book TV website at http://www.booktv.org/Program/12207/Andrew+Johnson.aspx
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