The Idaho Humanities Council, in partnership with The Community Library in Ketchum, will sponsor a public lecture by historian Douglas Brinkley, author of the new Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America. Books will be available onsite for purchase, which Brinkley will sign following his talk.
A professor of history at Rice University, Douglas Brinkley is one of the most distinguished historians of our time. He is the author, co-author, and editor of more than two dozen books exploring American history and literature, the American presidency, and contemporary culture. In Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America, Brinkley chronicles the 32nd President’s essential yet unsung legacy as the founder of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and premier protector of America’s public lands. The book touches on some of the important work done by the CCC in Idaho.
In recent years, Brinkley has devoted much research and writing to the history of the conservation movement in America. His Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America was a New York Times bestseller in 2010. That book was followed in 2011 by The Quiet World: Saving Alaska’s Wilderness Kingdom, 1879-1960.
Brinkley’s works range from biographies of Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter and histories of World War II, to the compilation of letters and unpublished manuscripts of contemporary literary icons Hunter S. Thompson and Jack Kerouac. He is the official historian for CBS news, a frequent commentator on CNN, and a contributor to the New York Times, Boston Globe, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, American Heritage, and many other magazines, journals, and newspapers.
His other books include The Majic Bus: An American Odyssey; The Reagan Diaries; The Nixon Tapes, 1973; Voices of Valor: D-Day, June 6, 1944; Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War; The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast; Wheels for the World; Rosa Parks: A Life; the recent biography Cronkite, about the longtime CBS News anchor; and more.
Based in Boise, the Idaho Humanities Council is a nonprofit, statewide organization dedicated to promoting greater public awareness, appreciation, and understanding of literature, history, philosophy, anthropology, and other humanities disciplines. It is the hope of the IHC to enlist public support for more projects, programs, and similar events exploring the humanities throughout Idaho.
The event is free, but registration is required: Register Here