Mr. Foote Interview

[jeffboyrd]

Thought you all might find this interesting. Mr. Foote was a phenomenal human being, author, historian and gentleman. If you have time, it's worth the three hour listen and if you haven't read Mr. Foote before, I recommend you get started. I cued it up as he starts to speak about old age. Enjoy.
https://youtu.be/QT994xlpDoE?t=9025

 

[warren]

"The Civil War" trilogy is a must for American Civil War libraries. His novels are so-so in my opinion but, I'm not a small town Southerner. I think those are who would most appreciate and understand his fiction writings. As a chronologist of American history he is right up there with Bruce Catton. Easy read, nuts and bolts, concise presentation are all Shelby Foote hallmarks.

 

[stanlaurel]

A great man. I've read the trilogy. I need to read it again. Thanks for posting.

 

[dutch65]

Jeff, hope you don't mind me adding this.
Here is a link I found from an article written back in 2011 for Memphis Magazine, which relates a story about one of Shelby Foote's meerschaum pipes. What a fantastic memory this story must be for the author to relate, and to own this gorgeous pipe which belonged to Foote.
http://uurrff.blogspot.com/2011/01/shelby-footes-pipe.html

 

[johnnyreb]

Yes he truly was...and terribly missed still. I had only seen bits & pieces of this interview, & never in it's entirety until Hunter posted a link last yr or so. I've watched it several times since. I have two sets of his trilogy and am constantly reading & referring back to them.
Among my favorites to hear him tell is his story about his interviewing some yrs ago the elderly granddaughter of Nathan Bedford Forrest, and her telling of what they thought of Mr. Lincoln in her household while she was growing up just like it was yesterday.

 

[jeffboyrd]

Among my favorites to hear him tell is his story about his interviewing some yrs ago the elderly granddaughter of Nathan Bedford Forrest, and her telling of what they thought of Mr. Lincoln in her household while she was growing up just like it was yesterday.

When he delivers the "We never thought much of Mr. Lincoln in my household..." is perfect. What a story, actually much more than a story.
Dutch65, what a great read, and what high advice from Mr. Foote towards young writers.
It's nice to see others hold Mr. Foote in such high regard. I fear the history of the civil war and its significance in shaping just what the United States has become today is being lost very rapidly. We need to understand our history now, more than ever, or we'll be surely doomed to repeat it.

 

[deathmetal]

It's nice to see others hold Mr. Foote in such high regard. I fear the history of the civil war and its significance in shaping just what the United States has become today is being lost very rapidly. We need to understand our history now, more than ever, or we'll be surely doomed to repeat it.

I agree. And from my old history teacher: history gets repeated when lessons do not get learned. These are usually not the lessons most people think they are, and often involve victory being defeat.

 

[thefalcon]

I had the privilege of speaking with Mr. Foote on several occasions over the Telephone, a great gentleman he was. We talked about his Civil War A Narrative, William Faulkner as well as Pipes and Tobacco. What amazes me after The Ken Burns series and he became a famous personality, he still kept a listed Telephone number,he didn't want to be different and not have it listed. Thanks for sharing, I have watched it several times over the years, very nice tour of his estate.
Eric

 

[okiescout]

I loved to listen to him in the Civil War Documentary. He was a special person and had a wonderful way about him. Great to know he liked Canadian style pipes.
I purchased his books at a used book shop about 4 months ago, but have not read them as yet. It is on my list.

 

[huntertrw]

Here's a link (Shelby Foote, The Art of Fiction No. 158) to a published interview of Mr. Foote by Messrs. Carter Coleman, Donald Faulkner, and William Kennedy featured in "The Paris Review." It is interesting to note the authors' comment on the pipe-tobacco blend which Mr. Foote smoked during the interview.

 

[mso489]

Most recently, I've read his "Vicksburg." He did a masterful job of depicting both the agonies of the standoff, still capturing the oddity of the relatively humane way the siege was stepped down in what could have been a bloodbath and a massacre, in the heat of that war. Mr. Foote's appearance in the Ken Burns documentary famously resulted in numerous wedding proposals from women throughout the viewing audience, not to mention the excellent image of the pipe smoker he projected. I don't know, but certainly have the impression that the public attention changed him as a person not one iota.

 

[thefalcon]

It is interesting to note the authors' comment on the pipe-tobacco blend which Mr. Foote smoked during the interview.

Hunter wasn't able to access the link, but I am sure you already know this, but I will throw it out anyway, Mr.Foote smoked Edward G. Robinson blend with a blend he purchased from Memphis Tobacco Bowl called Swinger by the proprietor, and later when it was no longer available he purchased another blend to cut with the EGR, the name of this shop Blend eludes me at the moment. He mixed in the rough cut as he felt the EGR was to fine a cut and packed to tight in the Pipe to smoke alone. Along with the help of Jim Amash we determined this Swinger blend as to which I still had a sample to be Barking Dog. He smoked this blend for over 50 years exclusively and I must say I enjoy it as well. He would mix in 1/3rd of the rough cut to 2/3rds of the EGR. All the best!
Eric

 

[derfatdutchman]

Thanks for the link. PBS has been rerunning The Civil War series, listening to his commetary is one of my favorite parts of the program.

 

[huntertrw]

I am reposting the link (Interview of Shelby Foote) to the aforementioned interview - hopefully this one will work.

 

[okiescout]

Jeff, thank you so much for the interview. I have been listening to it having been ignorant of its existence. Great, great interview.

I am going to start reading his Trilogy this week end. Thanks again, Jeff.

 

[davet]

I have the last chapter to read in Volume One of the trilogy and I'm hoping Santa brings volume two. A great read and it's an easy read as well.

 

[thefalcon]

I am reposting the link (Interview of Shelby Foote) to the aforementioned interview - hopefully this one will work.

Thanks Hunter look forward to reading it.
Eric

 

[thefalcon]

During the interview, Foote sat at his desk or paced to and fro in his slippers, frequently refilling his pipe from a humidor with a mixture of Half & Half and Edward G. Robinson tobacco.

Hunter, at the time of this interview he was using Half and Half, one of the times I spoke with him he mentioned this to me that years ago he would use whatever was available, H&H, PA or Sir Walter Raleigh as he just wanted it for the roughness of the cut, not so much the Flavor. He told me the EGR was cut too fine and he had a problem with packing it too tight, so he would cut it just enough to roughen it up. After he started dealing with Memphis Tobacco Bowl he would by the rough cut house blend named Swinger then later Mellow Mix from them as well as 3-5 tubs of EGR at a time. I love the interview you linked, probably my favorite.
Cheers,--Eric

 

[johnnyreb]

I agree with his point made in this interview about the credibility, accuracy & provenance of resource material taken from the Internet.

 

[fnord]

There was a fine gentleman who posted here several years ago. He'd interviewed Mr. Foote several times and was privy to his burners of choice. Mr. Foote smoked Dunhill's exclusively on their visits and he violently emptied them on the side of his desk wastebasket, rapping them out to hell and gone.
Why not?
Mr. Sinatra used to soak his feet in JD Black Label, much to the astonishment of Gregory Peck. "How can you not like a man like that?"
Fnord