EAGLES AND EVERGREENS
Robert B. Charles
Robert B. Charles
NON-FICTION
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Robert (Bobby) Charles grew up among “eagles and evergreens” in rural Maine. His enchanting, sometimes arresting, tales convey inspiration from place and people, love of a small town, influence of aging veterans. His stories take readers to unexpected places, often swirl to unexpected endings.
Over four seasons, he describes Maine half a century ago – smelting and rescuing ice houses, moose encounters and indoor ermine, raising mischievous rabbits and conversing with pigs, hunting a legendary “football-sized emerald” and learning from legendary World War II vets. He takes readers down through thin ice, and up spires of one-match fires. He lollygags Dead River and confronts hair-raising disorientation out on the open sea. He rolls from distance running to downhill skiing, comedy to calamity, whimsy to courage with a fluid pen. Gratitude pervades this volume. Light shines from each essay. Along the way, bits of illumination, encouragement, humor and reflection paint a bigger picture. Like a pointillist, he dabs the canvas gently, turning discrete dots into a cogent, uplifting whole. The impression left is redeeming, the celebration of self-reliance and interdependence, together the essence of all Maine towns. He reminds readers of timeless contentment in nature and human connectivity, both ultimately restorative. At heart, his vignettes celebrate freedom, and honor those who risked their lives to preserve it. The author credits good neighbors, good fortune, and thoughtfully taught good humor for his later doings. From Maine’s woods and lakes, Charles found his way to Dartmouth, Oxford and Columbia Law School. From there, he clerked, entered law practice, spent time in two White Houses, conducted oversight for Congress and taught. Along the way, he became a Navy Intelligence Officer, and served as Assistant Secretary of State to Colin Powell. He and his wife have two children. Living “away,” he has stayed close to the town he still calls “home.” |
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“This inspirational book by Bobby Charles of stories honoring veterans from rural Maine speaks beautifully to America’s core values of both greatness and goodness. Bobby has captured the essence of small-town American virtues which we are losing too quickly and need to remember and appreciate. --William S. Cohen, US Secretary of Defense, 1997-2001, US Senator from Maine, 1979-1997
“Having gone to summer camp in Maine, 1939 to 1945, air combat in Korea, Nuclear alert in Germany, then to the Moon with Neil Armstrong, this book took me back again to the woods of Maine. In Eagles and Evergreens, I rediscovered why I love Maine’s own Sea of Tranquility.”
-- Buzz Aldrin, Gemini 12, Apollo 11
“This book reminds me of its author: deeply thoughtful and patriotic, charitable, and a great pleasure to know. You will find Yankee wisdom in these pages. You will find whimsy and poetry. You will find serious matters, too. Above all, you will find America. You should read it.”
-- Richard Leiby, The Washington Post
“Robert (Bobby) Charles is well known as a thoughtful analyst, but who knew he had such heart? His nod to America’s aging veterans and small town values – people and values he grew up with – is powerful. What a book! Give your life a lift, give this book a read. And fall in love with America, all over again!” --Tony Dolan, Chief Speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan (1980-88)
“Anyone who loves rural Maine, or just the incomparable charm of small towns across America, will enjoy this book. It will warm your heart.” --George Mitchell, Former U.S. Senator (Maine)
“Eagles and Evergreens underscores the complexity of human relationships, importance of land stewardship, and intrinsic beauty of Maine’s rocks, water, and woods.” --Theresa Kerchner, Kennebec Land Trust, Maine
“Having gone to summer camp in Maine, 1939 to 1945, air combat in Korea, Nuclear alert in Germany, then to the Moon with Neil Armstrong, this book took me back again to the woods of Maine. In Eagles and Evergreens, I rediscovered why I love Maine’s own Sea of Tranquility.”
-- Buzz Aldrin, Gemini 12, Apollo 11
“This book reminds me of its author: deeply thoughtful and patriotic, charitable, and a great pleasure to know. You will find Yankee wisdom in these pages. You will find whimsy and poetry. You will find serious matters, too. Above all, you will find America. You should read it.”
-- Richard Leiby, The Washington Post
“Robert (Bobby) Charles is well known as a thoughtful analyst, but who knew he had such heart? His nod to America’s aging veterans and small town values – people and values he grew up with – is powerful. What a book! Give your life a lift, give this book a read. And fall in love with America, all over again!” --Tony Dolan, Chief Speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan (1980-88)
“Anyone who loves rural Maine, or just the incomparable charm of small towns across America, will enjoy this book. It will warm your heart.” --George Mitchell, Former U.S. Senator (Maine)
“Eagles and Evergreens underscores the complexity of human relationships, importance of land stewardship, and intrinsic beauty of Maine’s rocks, water, and woods.” --Theresa Kerchner, Kennebec Land Trust, Maine
