The author of two previous non-fiction books (The Unmaking of Americans and Our Oldest Enemy), John J. Miller has worked for The New Republic and National Review (he has also contributed to Reason). Now he has published a novel, The First Assassin, which bestselling author Vince Flynn has said is "like Day of the Jackal set in 1861 Washington." Rich in historical detail, the story takes place as "a new president takes office, a nation begins to break apart—and Colonel Charles Rook must risk insubordination to stop a mysterious assassin who prowls a nervous city. He will need the help of an ally he does not even know he has: Portia, a beautiful slave who holds a vital clue, hundreds of miles away." Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie recently sat down with Miller to talk about contemporary politics, his novel, and his decision to publish the book via Amazon's CreateSpace program, which represents a new step in self-publishing. Filmed by Dan Hayes and Meredith Bragg; edited by Hayes. Approximately 8 minutes. For downloadable versions of this and other Reason videos, go to http://reason.tv (less info)