When was the first time you thought about writing this . Hendrik in 1989, i was contemplating a biography. I had done a biography of my grandfather. I was looking around for another idea. I am a field fiction writer and poet. I could not create, but i could explore and explain. I was talking with a friend of mine who said i keep running across his name. Some professor back in 1970 published the first of what was supposed to be a twovolume of Arthur Vandenberg. The world does not need two biographies of vandenberg. Said ive got to fill said ive got d to fill out my agenda. Why dont you come and talk about some episode in Arthur Vandenbergs life. I gave a little lecture on the debate over the repeal of the arms embargo in 1939, before world war ii. Eight weeks later, i get a call from the daughter of this professor who is said to be working on the second volume of his biography. Turns out he had a difficult life, had been very ill, and had died. His adult daughter was responsible for sel