Co-founder of The Carlyle Group and patriotic philanthropist David Rubenstein takes readers on a sweeping journey across the grand arc of the American story through revealing conversations with our greatest historians.
In these lively dialogues, the biggest names in American history explore the subjects they’ve come to so intimately know and understand.
- David McCullough on John Adams
- Jon Meacham on Thomas Jefferson
- Ron Chernow on Alexander Hamilton
- Walter Isaacson on Benjamin Franklin
- Doris Kearns Goodwin on Abraham Lincoln
- A. Scott Berg on Charles Lindbergh
- Taylor Branch on Martin Luther King
- Robert Caro on Lyndon B. Johnson
- Bob Woodward on Richard Nixon
- And many others, including a special conversation with Chief Justice John Roberts
Through his popular program The David Rubenstein Show, David Rubenstein has established himself as one of our most thoughtful interviewers. Now, in The American Story, David captures the brilliance of our most esteemed historians, as well as the souls of their subjects. The book features introductions by Rubenstein as well a foreword by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to lead our national library. Richly illustrated with archival images from the Library of Congress, the book is destined to become a classic for serious readers of American history.
Through these captivating exchanges, these bestselling and Pulitzer Prize–winning authors offer fresh insight on pivotal moments from the Founding Era to the late 20th century.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“With his legendary passion for American history, David Rubenstein’s conversations with scholars and authors bring our country’s story to life in a new way. The American Story illuminates the humanity, motivations, and lesser-known stories behind some of our country’s most notable leaders with lessons that are important for all of us today.”—Bill Gates
“David Rubenstein draws out compelling stories and unexpected insights in dialogues with some of the most important historians in America. For the reader who loves American history and biography, or for anyone who would like to start, this book is for you.”—Michael Beschloss, New York Times Bestselling author of Presidents of War
“Rubenstein knows in his gut that we can’t know where we’re going without knowing where we’ve been. In The American Story, one of the best interviewers I know interrogates our greatest historians to find out about critical moments in our past that speak directly to our present moment.”—Ken Burns, Director of The Vietnam War
“This book tells the story of our past, but it also can help guide our future. I hope it inspires new generations to learn about our history and defend the democratic values that have always defined what it truly means to be an American.”—The Honorable Madeleine K. Albright, Former United States Secretary of State
“David Rubenstein brilliantly captures the essence of many of our country’s most significant historic figures and the insights of their greatest living biographers. The American Story is truly fascinating—wonderfully readable, substantively compelling, and full of unexpected revelations.”—General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Director of the CIA
“The American Story is yet another of David’s patriotic, philanthropic gifts to our country, its history and its citizens. It’s his enthusiasm that I admire most and that drives these important conversations.”—Mike Krzyzewski, Head Coach, Duke Men’s Basketball
“David’s boundless curiosity and lifelong interest in American history make him an ideal choice to interview our nation’s foremost historians. The lessons in The American Story are as timeless as they are timely.”—Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
“History matters, and these engaging and enlightening conversations show why. David Rubenstein deserves a medal—as a knowledgeable, incisive and witty interlocutor, but also as the creator of these Congressional Dialogues, which present the insights of the past to those responsible for the future.”—Drew Gilpin Faust, 28th President of Harvard University
“Fascinating . . . Rubenstein elicits unexpected biographical nuggets.”—Publishers Weekly
“An excellent introduction to leading historians and the books every engaged American should read.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Amiable yet informative, the interviews helpfully distill what are often massive tomes into an enjoyable collection of revelatory anecdotes, trivia, and bits of wisdom for modern legislators and citizens alike.”—Booklist
About the Author
David M. Rubenstein is a co-founder and co-executive chairman of The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest and most successful private equity firms. Mr. Rubenstein is Chairman of the Boards of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Rubenstein is an original signer of The Giving Pledge and a recipient of the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy and the MoMA’s David Rockefeller Award, among other philanthropic awards. The host of The David Rubenstein Show on Bloomberg TV and PBS, he lives in the Washington, DC area.
