In The Long Gravel Road, Darold Herdes tells his life story in the context of the overarching events that shaped the course of American history during his lifetime. Herdes shares the details of the rural life he experienced growing up with his twin brother on an Illinois farm in post-World War II America. He describes the transitions he underwent with his family, friends, and career over an eighty-year period that extends into the twenty-first century. His reflections provide following generations a window into his life and may offer older readers a renewed perspective on their experiences during this era. The Cold War was the primary focus of his career with the Central Intelligence Agency, and Herdes includes a decade-by-decade synopsis of US domestic and foreign affairs that influenced the Agency's mission and his role as an intelligence officer. Herdes' autobiography exemplifies the role that youths from rural America played in the transformation of US economic, social, and governmental institutions during the last half of the twentieth century.