Walking the red line Book

If you were fortunate enough to work at Saudi Aramco in the 1980's you would have at almost every site, however remote--Dhahran, Udhaliya, Ras Tanura, Abqaiq, etc., at your disposal a modern American library. I was there a decade and was able to begin planned reading programs in such a library.

Time somehow stands still when you are isolated abroad. It was a nice way to relax, while staying cool in the hot Saudi weather, to ease into the quiet air-conditioned library among tall date palms to load up with several weeks' reading.

Having discovered Flexner's biography of George Washington one summer night, I realized that a good way to study American history would be through the biographies of its presidents. I was lucky to have discovered Flexner's series on our first president. This led me later to other presidential biographies which I have continued to do wherever I might be.

I had thought that American history was boring while in high school and at university, but when I realized over the years that I was participating in one of the most unique experiments and adventures in human history, U.S. history became a burning interest of mine. One of the best ways for young students to understand where their place is in history is to latch on to well written presidential biographies, of which this one certainly is.