History has a way of jumping up and biting you when you least expect it. Just ask Bob Kerrey, who had to confront his demons in Vietnam several decades after he left the killing fields. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, truth, lies and history. Also, biographer David McCullough restores John Adams to his full glory.
Historian Michael Ignatieff teaches human rights at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He talks with Steve Paulson about dealing with the atrocities in a nation's past. He says admitting the truth is the place to begin. Post WWII Germany has done a good job, while Americans are still struggling with slavery and Vietnam.SEGMENT 2:
Bernie Rosner survived Auschwitz. His friend Fritz Tubach was the son of a Nazi officer. Together they're the authors of "An Uncommon Friendship: From Opposite Sides of the Holocaust." They tell Anne Strainchamps how they became friends and how their friendship forced each of them to come to terms with his past.SEGMENT 3:
Natalie Zemon Davis wrote "The Return of Martin Guerre," and acted as technical advisor on the film. Her new book is "Slaves on Screen." It's an analysis of how movies like "Spartacus," and "Amistad" have portrayed slavery. Davis tells Steve Paulson that getting the history right is important. Also, historian David McCullough has written a new biography of John Adams. He tells Jim Fleming that Adams doesn't get the respect he deserves, and describes the long and tangled relationship between Adams and Jefferson. And we hear excerpts from their correspondence.Cassette copies are available at 1-800-747-7444. Ask for program number 01-06-10-A.
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