"History has become extremely politicized" A conversation about American political myths with Julian Zelizer

With the Bark Off: Conversations on the American Presidency

Julian Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. He is also a contributor to CNN, and the author of numerous books including “The Fierce Urgency of Now,” and “Burning Down the House.”

His new bestselling book, which he edited with Kevin Kruse, is entitled “Myth America: Historians Take on the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past,” and is comprised of essays that take aim at many of the distortions and manipulations of our history that have led many Americans to believe fiction over fact.

We talked to Julian about the myths and legends that have shaped American consciousness, how they arose, and why they need to be dispelled in order for us to get a truer sense of who we are as a nation.