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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Richard Stolley

Aired November 25, 2001 - 08:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: When President Roosevelt declared December 7, 1941 "a date which will live in infamy," few Americans would ever think that those haunting words could describe another tragedy on U.S. soil. They did. The attack on Pearl Harbor and the attacks of 9-11 are decades apart and now, two new life -- "TIME LIFE" books that is, take a look at both sides of the tragedy.

"One Nation" remembers September 11 and "World War II" is a picture history of the conflict.

Richard Stolley joins us now from New York to talk about the books and the events. He's the senior editorial adviser for "TIME."

Thank you, sir. Did I say your name correctly? Is that right?

RICHARD STOLLEY, SENIOR EDITORIAL ADVISER, "TIME": Stolley, that's it.

SAVIDGE: All right. OK, thank you, sir. I wanted to be sure.

It is amazing as we look at December 7, 1941, November 11, 2001 (sic), the similarities that have been spoken of, the surprise attack, the loss of live although in the first attack, obviously, it was a military target. This was a civilian target. Is this why the two books, you brought them out simultaneously because of that interesting connection?

STOLLEY: That was total coincidence. We've been working on a World War II book since January and it came out just about three weeks before the attack. But as soon as it came -- as soon as September 11 occurred, it struck me and the coincidences, the method of attack, the kamikazes of the Pacific War in World War II and the airliners filled with gasoline like bombs smashing into buildings. I think there's the anger that America felt after Pearl Harbor, which we see reflected today.

SAVIDGE: You have worked on a number of books that have dealt with the former generations and many our parents dealing with World War II. And there was a genre, which we were going through, which we sort of questioned ourselves -- if we were faced with that kind of challenge today in modern times, could we deal with it? Now, we suddenly are thrust into a very similar situation. I was wondering what that was like for you, compiling both history and modern day events. STOLLEY: Well, we looked back at World War II and see that this really was America's finest hour too. Churchill said it of England. It was too of America. We mobilized. Kids collected scrap. I mean men went off to war. Women went into the war plants. It was a total mobilization of the civilian populous. And we subdued a monstrous tyranny as a result.

Now, 60 years from today, which is the vantage point of looking at World War II -- 60 years from the day, how are we going to look back and see how America measured up? I'm afraid -- militarily, I think we are -- we will be able to look back and say militarily, at least at this point, we did the right thing. As far as the civilian population is concerned, how serious they are going to get about all of this, I don't think we know yet.

SAVIDGE: All right, we are looking at some of the pictures that are coming from the book, "One Nation." These are images of faces, people watching the horror as it unfolded. These ghostly images, monochromatic as the people sort of emerge from the debris and dust. As you went through this book, what was perhaps one of the most striking images for yourself?

STOLLEY: I think the image that I remember is how -- first of all, you see these civilians. They look like residents of Honolulu, frankly, after the attack on Pearl Harbor because some bombs did land in civilian areas, certainly was this method of attack. And I think it was the total civilian mobilization -- the kids coming in with scrap and paper, the seriousness of leaders, Churchill and -- Churchill's stirring words, Roosevelt's more reassuring ones and I think Mayor Giuliani and President Bush have measured up extremely well.

I find myself comparing all elements of that crisis with those of today. And it's a little eerie how similar what we're going through is in many respects.

SAVIDGE: One of the criticisms that could be made is that this book was obviously put together in the aftermath, but it comes out just in time for Christmas. What is a person supposed to do with a book like this? It hardly seems appropriate to set it on the coffee table.

STOLLEY: Well, first of all, some of the proceeds of this book are going to the September 11 charities. Do you put it on the coffee table; I hope you don't stick it away. I mean this is history. Both of these books take us through a period of intense American history. Two periods unlike any other certainly in the 20th century and so far, in this century.

These are books to be looked at not perhaps dwelt on the horror or the pictures because there are very grim pictures in both of these books. But this is what happened in our lifetime. And I think this is no time for head in the sand. We should be very exquisitely aware of what is happening, what happened then, what is happening now, what the parallels are and what our future mission ought to be. SAVIDGE: That's very true. The two books, "One Nation" recollecting what happened on September 11 and the other book is "World War II."

We want to thank you Richard Stolley for joining us this morning. You are the senior editorial adviser for "Time." Books probably do better on the mantel place than they would be on the coffee table. Thank you very much sir for joining us this morning.

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