Havel oozed democracy and had seen totalitarianism up close, nobody thought Havel, a playwright, could end up being a great world leader, and he did. Douglas Brinkley More Quotes by Douglas Brinkley More Quotes From Douglas Brinkley People will have to endure the fact that President Trump is there, but it's good that President Trump's there. Douglas Brinkley top-news I was only 8 years old on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong, 38-year-old commander of 'Apollo 11,' descended the cramped lunar module Eagle's ladder with hefty backpack and bulky spacesuit to become the first human on the moon. Douglas Brinkley eagleoldladdermoon It's very important that we keep these special, wild places. It defines the United States. Imagine our country without our national parks and our monuments. Here in California, imagine if you didn't have in Southern Cal the Channel Islands or the great Highway 1, Big Sur up to Point Reyes up to the Redwood country. Douglas Brinkley greatyouimportantcountry Stubbornness is a positive quality of presidential leadership - if you're right about what you're stubborn about. Douglas Brinkley youqualityleadershippositive It's Nixon who created the Environmental Protection Agency. Clean Air and Water Acts. Endangered Species Act. Promoted affirmative action. One could go on and on with Nixon as a New Deal liberal on domestic policy and a hawk, but one with great geo-political skills. Douglas Brinkley greatenvironmentalactionwater What I was most curious about was why Armstrong, a top U.S. Navy test pilot, flying the most advanced aircraft in the world, would want to join the astronaut corps in 1962, which included chimpanzees and monkeys. Douglas Brinkley pilotflyingwantworld One thing 'not right' on the 50th anniversary of the Selma marches is the sad fact that the Edmund Pettus Bridge hasn't been renamed the John Lewis Bridge. Douglas Brinkley bridgerightsadanniversary To Armstrong, constantly speaking about 'Apollo 11' only diminished the magic. That's why he worked overtime to avoid notice, living a quiet life in Indian Hill, Ohio. Douglas Brinkley hillmagicquietlife Ever since Willie Nelson brought rednecks into an alliance with hippies back in the psychedelic '70s, Austin has milked its quirky libertarian spirit for a worldwide bonanza of free publicity. Douglas Brinkley freebackpsychedelicspirit For years, I longed to hear Armstrong describe what it was like to contemplate Earth from 238,900 miles away. Former Space Center director George Abbey once told me that many NASA astronauts felt that looking at Earth was akin to a religious experience. Douglas Brinkley lookingmeexperiencespace If D-Day - the greatest amphibious operation ever undertaken - failed, there would be no going back to the drawing board for the Allies. Regrouping and attempting another massive invasion of German-occupied France even a few months later in 1944 wasn't an option. Douglas Brinkley greatestgoingbackdrawing In Austin, the eco-capital of Texas, residents tend to favor native plants and wildflowers to the sculpted lawns of the Palm Springs variety. Douglas Brinkley palmplantsfavortexas The world of high-stakes international diplomacy can be rough and tumble, but it's more often than not a procession of suits and summits, protocol sessions and photo ops. Douglas Brinkley morediplomacysuitsworld I'm not a partisan. Douglas Brinkley partisan Entertainers have an edge, because they're able to communicate with people in a time of crisis. That's what you need most. Douglas Brinkley He's not a naturally gifted salesman, in order to be a transformational president, he first has to be a restorational one. Douglas Brinkley Biden has the opportunity to be a restorational president. Douglas Brinkley It has been a long political year, and there is fatigue out there, the relief of having a new president will alleviate a lot of anxiety. Douglas Brinkley The smell of violence was in the air. Douglas Brinkley Trump built a coalition out of white supremacists, conspiracy theorists and bigots. Douglas Brinkley
