Booknotes

Mr. O'Brien talked about his book, "The Long Affair: Thomas Jefferson and the French Revolution, 1785-1800," published by the University of Chicago Press. He talked about Jefferson's strong commitment to democracy at any price as evidenced by his unflinching support of the excesses of the French Revolution and his stance on race relations. He argued that Jefferson was not as reserved and controlled in his defense of liberty as most people who cite his legacy believe.

President Clinton spoke about his book, Between Hope and History: America's Challenges for the 21st Century. It outlines the accomplishments of his first term and his agenda for the next four years as a mixture of various political ideas and ideologies. The title comes from an Irish poem. He also talked about other topics, including his personal reading habits, his relations with the press and his goals for his life after his presidency.