Author Daniel Silva on 'Glenn Beck'

This is a rush transcript from "Glenn Beck," July 21, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GLENN BECK, HOST: Two things bother me about Barack Obama's recent trip to Russia that I haven't seen anybody really talk about. First, he got a one-hour lesson from Vladimir Putin on the Cold War — that's according to the White House — from "Mr. KGB" himself. Wish I could have been a fly on the wall. Of course, then again, the president is pretty good at...

Also, the second thing that bothers me is this video. See the president here and he does look like he is introducing — now, they're walking down the aisle. And President Obama will introduce and then he'll reach out to shake hands.

I have talked to people where he reaches out and shakes hands, where is it? Now, is he shaking hands or just introducing? You tell me.

Daniel Silva — he is the best-selling author. His 12th novel "The Defector," which is all about Russia, comes out today. And I have read it and it is absolutely fantastic. It is one of these books that you're like, "I hate you, Daniel" — because it keeps you up at night.

DANIEL SILVA, BESTSELLING AUTHOR: My opinion on the videotape?

BECK: Yes.

• Video: Watch Beck's interview

SILVA: I'm not a body-language specialist by any means but it's possible that the president was introducing Medvedev to that delegation. And that's why it had the appearance that he was — this is getting into the Zapruder tape stuff here.

BECK: Back and to the left. Back and to the left. You're right.

SILVA: But I believe he was introducing and that there was —

BECK: Very good. Very good. You know, this thing is circulating and people are saying —

SILVA: Well, you and I — we can end the speculation here and now -

BECK: Right now?

SILVA: I believe —

BECK: He is introducing them. Who is he introducing them to?

SILVA: This could be a part of the American delegation.

BECK: Let's go with McDonald's workers.

SILVA: OK.

(CROSSTALK)

BECK: OK. Yes, so there you go, America. There it is. You have been over to Russia when you actually did your research for this. You didn't go back because you were actually —

SILVA: I was afraid. That's exaggerating it a little bit, but I spent several weeks in Russia researching my last book, "Moscow Rules"...

BECK: Which was fantastic.

SILVA: Thank you so much. And in the interim, the Russians are — the government is proposing a new state of state treason laws, as they referred to them, that are extremely draconian. And I looked at all the conversations that I conducted in Moscow and St. Petersburg for "Moscow Rules." And if interpreted by the letter of the law, they can be regarded as treasonous.

And, the Russians are, you know, very suspicious about Americans coming over there and asking questions about silly little things like human rights and democracy.

BECK: Those crazy —

SILVA: And why do critics of the Kremlin keep getting blown away on the street.

BECK: Real quick — we have go into a break here. And I'll spend more time with you. But I just have to ask you this: My theory is that we're not a capitalist country right now. We're kind of almost adrift right now.

We haven't become something else, but we are transforming the way the Soviet Union — it didn't collapse. It transformed into something else. Do you think it's possible that we're transforming — good or bad — we're just transforming into something else and we don't know what it is yet?

SILVA: I think that there is no question that our innate faith as Americans, our faith in capitalism, was shaken by the meltdown. But I believe we're still a center-right country, that Americans are still instinctively capitalists. And that's why the president's poll numbers are starting, in my opinion —

BECK: Yes, to go down.

SILVA: To go down.

BECK: More with Daniel Silva. The name of the book again is "The Defector." And I couldn't recommend it highly enough. It's great. More with Daniel Silva, coming up in just a second.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECK: If you're a longtime listener of mine, you know that I read a ton of books. And most of them are like these — like really boring things like your professor used say, "Read this book." And you're like, "Oh no, please. I'd rather hang myself."

But I also, at night, read novels. This is... let me introduce you to my friend, best-selling author Daniel Silva. This is his 12th novel. It's called "The Defector." It comes out today and it is absolutely a page-turner. You will absolutely love it.

It's a continuation, really, kind of, the last book, but you don't have to read the last book.

SILVA: You really don't. It's the first true sequel I have ever written. And one thing I wanted to do with the book is to make sure that it stood up on its own. And I had people read it just for that who had never read anything else before and to make sure that it stands up on its own.

BECK: Can I ask you a question? Because I read this book and it is like, killing. And there's like, you know, a Putin character. I mean, there are all these people in it. This is really intense.

And then, you know, I talk to you and you're like, "Yes. Well, I wanted to write something." Where does that come from? Do you like change into — do you ever sit at like, your computer and just go...

(LAUGHTER)

SILVA: No. I'm a mild-mannered person.

BECK: Do you have a dark side?

SILVA: I don't have a dark side at all. I just like violence. I'm not comfortable around guns.

BECK: Really? Remind me not to invite you to my house.

SILVA: I'm a buttoned-down fellow who lives in Georgetown surrounded by all your people. All your people.

BECK: All my people. Where did — we have 30 seconds. And so where did this come from? Where is this coming from in you?

SILVA: Look, all writers have a — I don't fantasize that I am my characters. But I have a rich fantasy life.

BECK: Let me tell you something. This is what he wants you to believe. It is all true.

SILVA: It's all true.

BECK: The central character — him, I'm telling you.

SILVA: Oh, yes. The guy —

BECK: The central character and Daniel together at a party, have you? No, you haven't.

SILVA: The guy with the Hickey Freeman suit, an Israeli assassin.

BECK: He seems to be the last guy that you would expect.

Content and Programming Copyright 2009 FOX News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Transcription Copyright 2009 CQ Transcriptions, LLC, which takes sole responsibility for the accuracy of the transcription. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No license is granted to the user of this material except for the user's personal or internal use and, in such case, only one copy may be printed, nor shall user use any material for commercial purposes or in any fashion that may infringe upon FOX News Network, LLC'S and CQ Transcriptions, LLC's copyrights or other proprietary rights or interests in the material. This is not a legal transcript for purposes of litigation.