When veteran Washington journalist David Von Drehle moved to Kansas City, he met a new neighbor who was more than a century old. Little did he know that he was beginning a long friendship—and a profound lesson in the meaning of life. The Book of Charlie is a “genuinely original, formula-shattering” (Bob Woodward) gospel of grit—the inspiring story of one man’s journey through a century of upheaval. The history that unfolds through Charlie’s story reminds you that the United States has always been a divided nation, a questing nation—a nation of Charlies in the rollercoaster pursuit of a good and meaningful life.
David Von Drehle is Deputy Opinion Editor and a columnist at The Washington Post. He joined The Washington Post in 2017 after a decade at Time, where he wrote more than sixty cover stories as editor-at-large. He is the author of a number of books, including the award-winning bestsellers Triangle: The Fire That Changed America and Rise to Greatness: Abraham Lincoln and America’s Most Perilous Year.
Part of the Kennedy Center's fall 2023 lecture series, "Preserving and Transforming Culture."