The Old Man and the Harley: A Last Ride Through Our Fathers' America

Ride with a father and his son on an amazing journey through America's past.

In the summer of 1939, with the nation balanced between the Great Depression and the gathering winds of war, young Jack Newkirk set off on a rickety Harley to see both the New York and San Francisco World's Fairs. He had no way of knowing it was to e the autumn of his youth, and that his entire generation would soon be thrust into the most devastating conflict in history.

Seven decades later, author John J. Newkirk retraces this epic ride with his father, Jack, in a silent hope the old soldier will still be proud of the America he fought for. Each mile brings discovery as the author learns of his namesake, the heroic Squadron Leader of the legendar Flying Tigers, and of his father's life on the road and in the jungles of the South Pacific during World War II.

The result is quintessential Americana, a sweeping portrait of the grit, guts, ingenuity, and sacrifice that defined a nation, and a timely lesson from the Greatest Generation on how we can overcome our most pressing challenges and reclaim the American Dream.

John J. Newkirk is a 1983 graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York where he received 1st Prize in the McKinney Writing Competition from author Donald Barthelme. He currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Leadership Program of the Rockies, a public policy think tank chaired by former Congressman Bob Schaffer. In 2006, Newkirk submitted testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. A native New Yorker, Newkirk is married to the former Melissa Powell and lives on a ranch west of Denver with their two young daughters.