Douglas Brinkley

Douglas Brinkley
Brinkley in 2023
Born	(1960-12-14)December 14, 1960 Atlanta, Georgia,U.S.
Occupation	Historian
Alma mater	Ohio State University(BA) Georgetown University(MA,PhD)
Genre	Nonfiction

Douglas Brinkley(born December 14, 1960) is an American author, Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities,and professor of history atRice University.Brinkley is a history commentator forCNN,Presidential Historian for the New York Historical Society, and a contributing editor to the magazineVanity Fair.He is a public spokesperson on conservation issues. He joined the faculty of Rice University as a professor of history in 2007.Brinkley joined the board of directors for the National Archives Foundation in 2023.

Early life

Brinkley was born inAtlanta,Georgiain 1960, but after his father was transferred to the Toledo, Ohio headquarters of Owens-Illinois in 1969, did his remaining elementary and secondary schooling inPerrysburg,Ohio.His mother was a high school English teacher. In fourth grade Doug memorized the Presidents, their vice presidents, as well as the opposing presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Education

Brinkley was educated atPerrysburg High School,followed byOhio State University,from which he earned a B.A. (1982), andGeorgetown University,earning an M.A. (1983) and Ph.D. (1989) in U.S. diplomatic history. He has been on the faculty ofHofstra University,theUniversity of New Orleans,Tulane University,andRice University.

He received an honorary doctorate for his contributions to American letters fromTrinity Collegein Hartford, Connecticut.

Life and career

Brinkley in 2007

During his time in Georgetown, Brinkley worked as the night manager at Second Story Books in DC. During the early 1990s, Brinkley taught American Arts and Politics for Hofstra aboard the Majic, Bus, a roving transcontinental classroom, from which emerged the bookThe Majic Bus: An American Odyssey(1993). In 1993, he left Hofstra to teach at theUniversity of New Orleans,where he taught the class again using two natural-gas fueled buses.According to the Associated Press, "...if you can't tour the United States yourself, the next best thing is to go along with Douglas Brinkley aboardThe Majic Bus."

Brinkley worked closely with his mentor, historianStephen E. Ambrose,then director of the Eisenhower Center for American Studies at the University of New Orleans. Ambrose chose Brinkley to become director of the Eisenhower Center, a post he held for five years before moving toTulane University.

Brinkley's first book wasJean Monnet:The Path to European Unity(1992). His second wasDean Acheson:The Cold War Years(1992). He then co-edited a monograph series withArthur Schlesinger, Jr.andWilliam vanden Heuvelin the 1990s. Brinkley also edited a volume onDean Acheson and the Making of US Foreign PolicywithPaul H. Nitze(1993). In 1999, he publishedThe Unfinished PresidencyaboutJimmy Carter's active and influential post-presidency.

Brinkley is theliterary executorfor his late friend, the journalist and authorHunter S. Thompson.He is also the editor of a three-volume collection of Thompson's letters. Brinkley is also the authorized biographer forBeat generationauthorJack Kerouac,having edited Kerouac's diaries asWindblown World(2004).

In 2004, Brinkley releasedTour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War,about U.S. SenatorJohn Kerry's prior military service and anti-war activism during theVietnam War.The 2004 documentary movie,Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerryis loosely based on Brinkley's book.Brinkley also wrote theAtlantic Monthlycover story of December 2003 on Kerry.

Brinkley's bookThe Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coastis a record of theeffects of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast.The book won the 2007Robert F. Kennedy Book Awardand was aLos Angeles TimesBook Prizefinalist. He also served as the primary historian for Spike Lee's documentary about Hurricane Katrina,When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.Critic Nancy Franklin inThe New Yorkernoted that Brinkley made up a "large part" of the film's "conscience."

Brinkley's biography ofWalter Cronkite,Cronkitewas published in 2012.It was also selected as aWashington PostBook of the Year.

Brinkley andJohnny Deppwere nominated for a Grammy for their co-authoring of the liner notes to the documentary:Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.He also co-edited with Johnny Depp the long lost novel ofWoody GuthrietitledHouse of Earth.

In January 2022, Brinkley compared the2021 United States Capitol attackto theHolocaust,theSeptember 11 attacks,and theAttack on Pearl Harbor."I think it is like December 7th Pearl Harbor it is like the 9/11 tragedy", said Brinkley.

Congressional hearing

On November 18, 2011, during his testimony before a Congressional hearing on drilling in theArctic National Wildlife Refuge,Brinkley had a heated exchange with Rep.Don Young.Young, who had not been present during Brinkley's testimony, nonetheless characterized it as "garbage" and addressed Brinkley as "Dr. Rice." In response, Brinkley stated, "It's Dr. Brinkley.Riceis a university. I know you went toYuba Collegeand couldn't graduate. "Brinkley also noted that Young's comments were made even though Young had not been present during his testimony.

Brinkley continued to argue with Young throughout the hearing until the committee chairman threatened to have Brinkley removed.

Critical reception

Stephen Ambrose called Brinkley "the best of the new generation of American historians."Brinkley and Ambrose had co-authored three books.Patrick Reardon of theChicago Tribunecalled Brinkley America's "new past master."In addition, during the 2013 inauguration coverage, CNN referred to him as "a man who knows more about the presidency than just about any human being alive."In contrast, in 2006, historianWilfred McClayin theNew York Sunappraised Brinkley's scholarship as one that has failed to "put forward a single memorable idea, a single original analysis, or a single lapidary phrase."Similarly, authorBill Brysoncharacterized Brinkley as "a minor American academic and sometime critic whose powers of observation and generosity of spirit would fit comfortably into a proton and still leave room for an echo".

Awards and honors

• In the spring of 2024, Brinkley was a fellow at theUniversity of Southern CaliforniaCenter for the Political Future.
• In 2023, Brinkley won a Grammy Award for “Fandango At The Wall In New York” by Arturo O’Farrill andThe Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra,featuring the Congra Patria Son Jarocho Collective (Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album).
• In 2022, Brinkley was nominated for two Grammy Award categories; for co-producing two projects: “Black Men Are Precious” byEthelbert Miller(Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album), and “Fandango At The Wall In New York” by Arturo O’Farrill andThe Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra,featuring the Congra Patria Son Jarocho Collective (Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album).
• On April 25, 2022, Brinkley received the Frank and Bethine Church Award for Public Service from theFrank Church InstituteofBoise State University.
• In the summer of 2021 Brinkley was named the inaugural historian in residence at theTheodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
• In 2021, the Garden Club of America awarded Brinkley the Frances K. Hutchison Medal for his distinguished service to conservation efforts.
• In 2020, Brinkley won anAudie Awardfor his book American Moonshot, in the History/Biography category.
• In 2020, Brinkley's bookAmerican Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Racewas given the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction (Longlist).
• in 2018 Brinkley was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from St Edwards University.
• In 2017, Brinkley was named Presidential Historian for New York Historical Society, helping to advance and articulate the mission, goals, and activities of the Historical Society's Presidency Project.
• In 2017, Brinkley won a Grammy AwardBest Large Jazz Ensemble Albumfor co-producingPresidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedomby theTed NashBig Band.
• In 2016 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded him their Heritage Award.
• In 2015 he was awarded the Robin W. Winks Award for Enhancing Public Understanding of National Parks by the National Parks Conservation Association.
• Cronkite(2012), a biography ofWalter Cronkite,received theAnn M. Sperber Prizefor 2013.
• Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America(2009) received the National Outdoor Book Award in the History/Biography category 2009.
• Driven Patriot(1992), a biography ofJames Forrestal,received the Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt Naval History Prize.
• Brinkley received an honorary doctorate from Hofstra University at commencement in May 2012.
• In 2004, Brinkley was given the Humanist of the Year award by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.
• In 1995 he was awarded the Stuart L. Bernath Lecture Prize from the Society of Historians of American Foreign Relations (Ceremony: Chicago, Illinois, April 1996).

Personal life

Brinkley lives inAustin, Texas.He and his wife Anne have three children, Johnny, Benton, and Cassady. He is a member of theCentury Association,theCouncil on Foreign RelationsandSociety of American Historians.

Works

Title	Year	ISBN	Publisher	Subject matter	Interviews, presentations, and reviews	Comments
Original works
Driven Patriot: The Life and Times of James Forrestal	1992	ISBN9780394577616	Alfred A. Knopf	James Forrestal		Written withTownsend Hoopes
Dean Acheson: The Cold War Years, 1953–71	1992	ISBN9780300047738	Yale University Press	Dean Acheson	New York TimesBook Review by Evan Thomas, November 8, 1992
The Majic Bus: An American Odyssey	1993	ISBN9780151556946	Harcourt	Describes Brinkley's experiences taking groups of college students on tours of historic sites around the U.S., and at least partly inspired theC-SPAN Bus program	Booknotesinterview with Brinkley onThe Majic Bus,April 18, 1993,C-SPAN
Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy since 1938	1997	ISBN9780140268317	Penguin Books	Foreign policy of the United States		Written withStephen Ambrose
FDR and the Creation of the U.N.	1997	ISBN9780300069303	Yale University Press	Franklin D. Roosevelt,History of the United Nations,Declaration by United Nations	Presentation by Hoopes and Brinkley onFDR and the Creation of the U.N.,April 29, 1997,C-SPAN	Written withTownsend Hoopes
American Heritage History of the United States	1998	ISBN9780670869664	Viking Press	History of the United States
The Unfinished Presidency: Jimmy Carter's Journey Beyond the White House	1999	ISBN9780670880065	Viking Press	Post-presidency of Jimmy Carter
Witness to America: An Illustrated Documentary History of the United States from the Revolution to Today, Volume 1	1999	ISBN9780062716118	HarperCollins	History of the United States	Presentation by Ambrose and Brinkley onWitness to America,October 30, 1999,C-SPAN	Written withStephen Ambrose
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: The Life of Rosa Parks	2000	ISBN9780297607083	Weidenfeld & Nicolson	Rosa Parks	Presentation by Brinkley onRosa Parks,June 7, 2000,C-SPAN
The Mississippi and the Making of a Nation: From the Louisiana Purchase to Today	2002	ISBN9780792269137	National Geographic Society	The Mississippi River	Presentation by Brinkley onThe Mississippi and the Making of a Nation,October 30, 2002,C-SPAN	Written withStephen Ambrose
Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress, 1903–2003	2003	ISBN9781422354568	Viking Penguin	Henry Ford,The Ford Motor Company	Presentation by Brinkley onWheels for the World,May 2, 2003,C-SPAN
Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War	2004	ISBN9780060565237	William Morrow and Company	Military career of John Kerry	Presentation by Brinkley onTour of Duty,February 28, 2004,C-SPAN, Interview with Brinkley onTour of Duty,October 11, 2004,C-SPAN
Voices of Valor: D-Day, June 6, 1944	2004	ISBN9780821228890	Bulfinch Press	D-Day		Written with Ronald J. Drez
The World War II Memorial: A Grateful Nation Remembers	2004	ISBN9781588342102	Smithsonian Books	National World War II Memorial
The Boys of Pointe du Hoc: Ronald Reagan, D-Day, and the U.S. Army 2nd Ranger Battalion	2005	ISBN9780060565275	William Morrow and Company	D-Day,2nd Ranger Battalion (United States),Ronald Reagan	Interview with Brinkley onThe Boys of Pointe du Hoc,June 2, 2005,C-SPAN
Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism	2006	ISBN9780060776848	William Morrow and Company	Michael J. McGivney	Presentation by Brinkley onParish Priest,January 19, 2006,C-SPAN	Written withJulie M. Fenster
The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast	2006	ISBN9780061124235	HarperCollins	Hurricane Katrina	Washington Journalinterview with Brinkley onThe Great Deluge,May 26, 2006,C-SPAN, New York TimesBook Review by Michiko Kakutani, May 16, 2006 Presentation by Brinkley onThe Great Deluge,June 7, 2006,C-SPAN, Presentation by Brinkley onThe Great Deluge,September 30, 2006,C-SPAN
Gerald R. Ford	2007	ISBN9780805069099	Times Books	Gerald R. Ford
The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America	2009	ISBN9780060565282	HarperCollins	Environmental movement in the United States,Theodore Roosevelt	Part One ofQ&Ainterview with Brinkley onThe Wilderness Warrior,June 21, 2009,C-SPAN;Part Two ofQ&Ainterview New York TimesBook Review by Jonathan Rosen, August 6, 2009
The Quiet World: Saving Alaska's Wilderness Kingdom, 1879–1960	2011	ISBN9780062005960	HarperCollins		Interview with Brinkley onThe Quiet World,October 23, 2011
Cronkite	2012	ISBN9780061374265	HarperCollins	Walter Cronkite	Q&Ainterview with Brinkley onCronkite,June 3, 2012,C-SPAN, Interview with Brinkley onCronkite,September 22, 2012,C-SPAN, Presentation by Brinkley onCronkite,October 27, 2012,C-SPAN
Rightful Heritage: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Land of America	2016	ISBN9780062089236	HarperCollins	Environmental movement in the United States,Franklin D. Roosevelt,Civilian Conservation Corps	Presentation by Brinkley onRightful Heritage,March 12, 2016,C-SPAN, Presentation by Brinkley onRightful Heritage,September 24, 2016,C-SPAN
American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race	2019	ISBN9780062655066	HarperCollins	Space Race,Apollo program	Washington PostBook Review by Thomas Oliphant, April 4, 2019 Q&Ainterview with Brinkley onAmerican Moonshot,April 7, 2019
Silent Spring Revolution: John F. Kennedy, Rachel Carson, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and the Great Environmental Awakening	2022	ISBN9780063212916	HarperCollins	Environmental movement in the United States,Rachel Carson,Silent Spring	Q&Ainterview with Brinkley onSilent Spring Revolution,November 20, 2022 Washington PostBook Review by Matthew Dallek, November 22, 2022
As editor
The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955–1967	1997	ISBN9780679406952	Villard	Hunter S. Thompson		ed. withHunter S. Thompson
Fear and Loathing in America: the Brutal Odyssey of an Outlaw Journalist, 1968–1976	2000	ISBN9780684873152	Simon & Schuster	Hunter S. Thompson		ed. withHunter S. Thompson
Windblown World: The Journals of Jack Kerouac, 1947–1954	2004	ISBN9780670033416	Viking Press	Jack Kerouac
The Reagan Diaries	2007	ISBN9781616795580	HarperCollins	Ronald Reagan	Interview with Brinkley onThe Reagan Diaries,April 27, 2007,C-SPAN, Interview with Brinkley onThe Reagan Diaries,June 9, 2007,C-SPAN
Jack Kerouac Road Novels 1957–1960	2007	ISBN9781598530124	Library of America	Jack Kerouac,On the Road,The Dharma Bums,The Subterraneans,Tristessa,Lonesome Traveler
The Notes: Ronald Reagan's Private Collection of Stories and Wisdom	2011	ISBN9780062065131	HarperCollins	Ronald Reagan
The Nixon Tapes: 1971–1972	2014	ISBN9780544274150	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt	Nixon White House tapes	Gaddis, John Lewis. "Book Review: 'The Nixon Tapes' by Douglas Brinkley and Luke A. Nichter."The Wall Street Journal,July 25, 2014.	ed. with Luke A. Nichter
The Nixon Tapes: 1973	2015	ISBN9780544610538	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt	Nixon White House tapes	Frankel, Max. "‘The Nixon Tapes: 1973,’ Edited by Douglas Brinkley and Luke A. Nichter."The New York Times,Sunday Book Review, Oct. 19, 2015.	ed. with Luke A. Nichter

External links

• Douglas Brinkley faculty pageArchived2016-03-15 at theWayback Machineat Rice University
• Douglas Brinkley author pageat HarperCollins
• Douglas Brinkley author page and articlesatAmerican Heritage.
• Interview with Douglas Brinkleyby Stephen McKiernan, Binghamton University Libraries Center for the Study of the 1960s, September 27, 1997
• AppearancesonC-SPAN
  • In Depthinterview with Brinkley, December 7, 2003,C-SPAN