Overview

Showcasing more than 80 high-resolution, mostly never-before-published, official White House photographs and documents, Bill Brockett's memoir, ""Follow The Yellow Line: A soldier's journey from the Selective Service Induction Center to the White House Oval Office"", tells a most unique story of a Vietnam-era Army draftee who became a trusted confidante of the President of the United States. Assigned to the White House Communications Agency one month before President Richard Nixon's resignation, Bill is believed to be the only person, living or dead, to have physically attended all four major events at the White House on August 8-9, 1974...Mr. Nixon's resignation speech, his farewell address to the White House Staff the following morning, the Nixon's final South Lawn helicopter departure, and the swearing in of the new president, Gerald Ford. By November of 1974, Bill had taken on the additional duty of training the president's new 8-month-old puppy, a Golden Retriever named ""Liberty."" In early 1975, the president called Bill at home, very excited about breeding Liberty and raising a litter of puppies in the White House. Although just a sergeant in the Army at the time, Bill emphatically told the president ""No"" when asked if he would help, explaining that liberty was far too young to be bred. Three days later, after a very brief meeting with Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld, Bill met privately with Mr. Ford and was offered a third job, that of unofficial personal advisor to the president. ""Fascinating, fun to read. For presidential historians, dog lovers, and all the rest of us. ""- Pavel Palazhchenko, Soviet interpreter for Mikhail Garbachev

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Reviews

From the biographer of the vice presidents...As a biographer to three Vice Presidents, a historian and a national security expert who has spent decades studying the American presidency, I approach White House memoirs with a critical eye. Most fall into predictable patterns - political posturing, score-settling, or name-dropping dressed up as history. Follow The Yellow Line by Bill Brockett is none of those things, and that is precisely what makes it extraordinary. Brockett's journey - from Vietnam-era draftee to trusted confidante of President Gerald R. Ford - is one of the most genuinely surprising and human stories to emerge from the modern White House. What gives this memoir its remarkable power is its authenticity. Brockett was not a politician, not a strategist, not a career Washington insider. He was a soldier who trained a dog and, in doing so, earned the trust of a President at one of the most consequential and turbulent moments in American history. But beyond the history, this is a beautifully told personal story, and the dozens of never-before published White House photographs seal it. This is the kind of book that reminds you why firsthand history matters. Highly recommended. - Charles Denyer, charlesdenyer.com From an Amazon review...This historical memoir blends humor, history, and heartfelt storytelling into a uniquely intimate portrait of life inside the White House during the presidency of Gerald Ford. What makes this book so captivating is not political drama or grand historical events, but the small, human moments witnessed by someone who stood just slightly outside the spotlight-yet right at the heart of it all. His surprising and charming role as a trainer for the First Family's dog placed him in an unusual and privileged position. He was neither policymaker nor press corps, yet he had access to the rhythms of daily life behind the scenes. Through his eyes, we experience the West Wing not as a distant symbol of power, but as a living workplace filled with personalities, pressures, humor, and humanity. The storytelling is warm and immersive. Brockett writes with the ease of someone recounting memories to a friend-never self-important, always observant. His anecdotes about navigating White House protocol, interacting with staff, and managing the challenges of training a presidential pet are filled with subtle wit. At the same time, there is an undercurrent of reverence for the institution and the people who serve within it. It's an engaging read for history enthusiasts, dog lovers, and anyone curious about the human side of presidential life. - Emily Lunt

Author Information

Bill Brockett is a former U.S. Army sergeant who served in the White House Communications Agency during one of the most dramatic transitions in American history-the resignation of President Richard Nixon and the swearing-in of Gerald Ford. While stationed at the White House, Brockett witnessed historic events firsthand and developed an unexpected friendship with President Ford after being assigned to train the Ford family's Golden Retriever, Liberty. His unique experiences-ranging from historic presidential moments to life behind the scenes in the White House-provide a rare insider perspective on leadership, history, and the human side of the presidency.

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