The Leonard Lopate Show

Life as a War Correspondent

NBC’s Martin Fletcher has spent 30 years as a war correspondent in some of the world’s most volatile spots. In his new memoir, Breaking News, he describes a life dodging bullets on the front lines, and explains how he’s coped with seeing violence up close around the world, from Rwanda to Afghanistan.

Events: Martin Fletcher will be in conversation with Joseph Berger
Tuesday, March 4 at 8:15 pm
92nd Street Y
1395 Lexington Ave (at 92nd Street)
For tickets, go here.

Martin Fletcher will be speaking and signing books
Wednesday, March 5 at 8 pm
Book Revue
313 New York Ave
Huntington, Long Island

Martin Fletcher will be speaking and signing books
Thursday, March 6 at 7:30 pm
Lincoln Center Barnes & Noble
1972 Broadway (at 66th Street)

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True Mafia Tales

Jimmy Breslin tells some fascinating tales of the American mafia, from mistaken identities and crooked cops, to murder. His new book is The Good Rat: A True Story.

Event: Jimmy Breslin will be speaking and signing books
Thursday, March 6 at 6:30pm
New York Historical Society
170 Central Park West (at 77th Street)

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Political Projections: Hollywood's Political Cynicism

From scandals and spin to special interest groups and lobbyists, many Americans are very cynical about the motives of politicians and even the democratic process itself. On Political Projections, we look at how Hollywood has showcased American cynicism about politics.

Connie Schultz, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist at The Cleveland Plain Dealer, is also the wife of Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown and the author of ...and His Lovely Wife: A Memoir from the Woman Beside the Man. Philip Gianos is the Chair of the Department of Politics, Administration and Justice at California State University, Fullerton and the author of Politics and Politicians in American Film.

You can watch the films we've selected and weigh in on the conversation. The three films are:

"Advise and Consent" (1962) – Otto Preminger directed this movie about how a liberal nominee for Secretary of State tries to hide his past.

"Wag the Dog" (1997) – David Mamet wrote and Barry Levinson directed this Clinton-era comedy about a spin doctor’s creation of a fake war to distract the electorate from a presidential sex scandal.

"Bulworth" (1998) – Written and directed by Warren Beatty, a veteran Senator grows weary of the state of politics and begins to speak openly and honestly about his controversial feelings.

Weigh in: How well do you think these 3 movies capture the spirit of political cynicism? Are you cynical about politics during the 2008 election cycle?

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The Birth of the New Hollywood in 1968

Find out what 5 films nominated for Best Picture in 1968 revealed about how Hollywood was changing at the time. Mark Harris’s new book about "The Graduate," "Bonnie and Clyde," and others is called Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood.

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