THE PREACHER AND THE PRESIDENTS is an extraordinary book about an extraordinary man and the people he ministered to.
Gibbs and Duffy deserve high praise for their objectiveness, clarity, and probity. They neither idolize nor vilify their subject and instead present him clear and unvarnished.
It is remarkable that Billy Graham dwelt so long near the flame of power without being burned; singed certainly, but not consumed. He would tell us that it was the Lord that kept him humble, faithful and true, and that he was, above all, forgiven his failings, like everyone who comes to Jesus. Nobody's perfect, not even Billy Graham, and I respect the fact that he is first to set the record straight in that regard.
That message of love has set him apart from other religious leaders, preachers and evangelists. Refusing to enter the fray over "hot button" topics, he presented a message of God's love for everyone he met. His life has been one long crusade to speak that simple truth to millions of people, the poor and the powerful, and intimately to the most powerful people on earth: nine American Presidents.
The book brought full force the legacy of Ronald Reagan and the often-unseen role of faith on his Presidency. I was deeply moved to read of his special relationship with Graham. Also revealing are the accounts of the Clintons, Nixons, Johnsons and others who shaped recent history.
This is a fascinating book and well worth the effort for a deeper understanding of America, her Presidents, and of a Preacher who served them all.
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