One of our nationās most prominent writers discovers the truth about how to live a long and happy life from the centenarian next door in this āoriginal and highly readable account of a splendid American lifeā (The Wall Street Journal).
When a veteran Washington journalist moved to Kansas, he met a new neighbor who was more than a century old. Little did he know that he was beginning a long friendshipāand a profound lesson in the meaning of life. Charlie White was no ordinary neighbor. Born before radio, Charlie lived long enough to use a smartphone. When a shocking tragedy interrupted his idyllic boyhood, Charlie mastered survival strategies that reflect thousands of years of human wisdom. Thus armored, Charlieās sense of adventure carried him on an epic journey of the Jazz Age, racing aboard ambulances through Depression-era gangster wars, improvising techniques for early open-heart surgery, and cruising the Amazon as a guest of Peruās president.
David Von Drehle came to understand that Charlieās resilience and willingness to grow made this remarkable neighbor a master in the art of thriving through times of dramatic change. As a gift to his children, he set out to tell Charlieās secrets. The Book of Charlie is a āgenuinely original, formula-shatteringā (Bob Woodward) gospel of gritāthe inspiring story of one manās journey through a century of upheaval. The history that unfolds through Charlieās story reminds you that the United States has always been a divided nation, a questing nationāa nation of Charlies in the rollercoaster pursuit of a good and meaningful life.