C-SPAN Bookshelf

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BN+: Giles Tremlett, "El Generalísimo" Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

Giles Tremlett is a biographer, a narrative historian, and a journalist based in Madrid, Spain. He was born in Plymouth, England, in 1962, but since graduating from Oxford University has almost continuously lived in Spain. His latest book is titled "El Generalísimo," a biography of the late Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. Supported by Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, Franco rose to power by defeating the loyalists in the Spanish Civil War that lasted from 1936 to 1939. He then controlled the Spanish government until his death in 1975. He was a strong supporter of national Catholicism and a strong opponent of democracy.

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Q&A: Jennifer Levasseur, Space History Curator Smithsonian Institution's National Air & Space Museum Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

The Smithsonian Institution National Air & Space Museum's Jennifer Levasseur discusses the history of the 135-mission Space Shuttle program (1981-2011), its accomplishments, and two tragic failures that led to the deaths of 14 shuttle astronauts. Ms. Levasseur, the curator in charge of the Space Shuttle Discovery at the Air & Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia, where this interview took place, also takes us on a tour of the shuttle orbiter.

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AW: Reagan's Invasion of Grenada During the Cold War Apr 05, 2026

Show notes

Newsmax host John Bachman talked about the 1983 U.S. invasion of the island of Grenada and the overthrow of its People's Revolutionary Government. This event was hosted by The Right Book Club in Palm Beach, Florida.

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BN+: Tom Wells, "The Kissinger Tapes" Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

Author and editor Tom Wells opens his 600-page book titled "The Kissinger Tapes" this way: "Henry Kissinger is one of the most polarizing figures in recent American history…He is hailed by many as a master in the art of diplomacy and realpolitik…" Tom Wells, who has a PhD in sociology from the University of California at Berkeley also writes this: "[M]any critics consider his diplomacy overhyped and some condemn him for committing war crimes…" Mr. Wells' book is subtitled "Inside His Secretly Recorded Phone Conversations." These recordings cover the years 1969 through August of 1974, the end of the Nixon presidency.

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Q&A: Lloyd Blankfein on “Streetwise,” Goldman Sachs, and the 2008 Financial Crisis Mar 29, 2026

Show notes

Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, author of the memoir "Streetwise," discusses his upbringing in public housing in Brooklyn, being educated at Harvard, and rising through the ranks of one of the world's largest investment banks. He also talks about the 2008 financial crisis, which happened during his tenure as CEO, and the power and influence of Goldman Sachs executives within the U.S. government going back decades.

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ABC: Beverly Gage on J. Edgar Hoover Biography & American History Road Trip Mar 29, 2026

Show notes

Historian and Yale University Professor Beverly Gage joins David M. Rubenstein to discuss her Pulitzer Prize winning biography of former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and her road trip across America visiting historic sites.

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The Jewish Entrepreneurs Who Created the Toy Industry in America Mar 29, 2026

Show notes

Author Michael Kimmel discussed the first-generation Jewish American toymakers who manufactured now-famous children's toys, including the Teddy Bear and the Rubik's Cube. P&T Knitwear in New York hosts this event.

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BN+: Michael Hastings, "The Operators" Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

As a follow up to the most recent Booknotes+ featuring Seth Harp on his book "The Fort Bragg Cartel," we are replaying an interview from June 12, 2012. The guest on Q&A, the television program, was 31-year-old Michael Hastings, author of the book "The Operators," which he said is what the special forces call themselves. It is based on a Rolling Stone article that allegedly led to the dismissal of General Stanley McChrystal, who was commander of the Joint Special Operations Command from 2003 to 2008. One year almost to the day after our interview with Michael Hastings, he was killed in an automobile accident in Los Angeles at 4:25 in the morning.

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Q&A: New York Times Photographer Doug Mills on Covering the White House Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

New York Times staff photographer Doug Mills has won 3 Pulitzer Prizes for his work covering the White House & Washington, Super Bowls, Olympics, and many other major events. He tells us that he's taken over one million photographs of President Trump alone. In our conversation, he talks about some of the events he's covered going back to the Reagan administration. He talks about being in the Oval Office and on Air Force One, photographing the Clinton/Gore campaign in 1992, accompanying President George W. Bush on September 11, 2001, and taking the photograph of the attempted assassination of President Trump in 2024, which won him his third Pulitzer Prize.

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AW: The Impact Of Wealth Concentration On Society And Politics Mar 22, 2026

Show notes

Chuck Collins discussed his book Burned by Billionaires where he examines the impact of wealth concentration on society and politics. The event was hosted by Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C.

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