Preacher and the Presidents

In this extraordinary book, TIME's Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy unwrap the tale of how one preacher came to know every president from Harry Truman to George W. Bush. No other figure in American history managed to dow hat evangelist Billy Graham did: he counseled them all, prayed with them all, knew their spouses, their children, their aides- and played a role in almost every presidential election between 1952 and 2000.

The presidents called for comfort and asked the simplest questions: How do I know if I'll go to heaven? Eisenhower wanted to know. Do you believe in the Second Coming? Kennedy wondered. Will I see my parents when I die? Johnson asked. Both Bill and Hilary Clinton needed help with forgiveness. George W. Bush asked if some sins are worse than others.

Graham also offered shrewd political counsel and a sharp read on the American mood. But the friendships posed a challenge: how could any president resist taking political advantage of one of the world's most admired men? For Graham, how did he resist the temptations that come when power, faith and fame collide? And what did he learn from being allowed to look inside the hearts of the presidents and the workings of the White House?

With unrivaled access to both Graham and the presidents he knew, Gibbs and Duffy have uncovered a story of trouble and triumph, sin and forgiveness that goes a long way toward explaining why our faith and our politics are knit so tightly in America.

NANCY GIBBES and MICHAEL DUFFY are both twenty-two-year veterans of TIME and have written more than one hundred cover stories on politics, religion, national security, and social trends and values.

"This riveting, masterful, and immensely readable work sheds a new and powerful light not only on Billy Graham but on each of the presidents with whom he forged an unforgettable series of intriguing relationships."

-Doris Kearns Goodwin, Author of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

"For half a century, American presidents have turned to Billy Graham at key moments in their lives. Eisenhower's decision to run for the White House, Johnson's decision to leave it, Nixon's reentry into national politics, George W. Bush's decision to mend his ways- all these and more bear the imprint of Graham, their friend and counselor. In this revealing account, Gibbs and Duffy illuminate these intimate relationships- how they were shaped both by a search for spiritual blessing and a fascination with power... A first-rate read."

-David Gergen, Former White House adviser and professor, Harvard University

"Billy Graham's characteristic integrity and humility shine through, even in the midst of his mistakes. There are many important lessons here for Christians who seek to engage their faith with politics."

-Jim Walls, Author of God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It

"A fascinating, incisive, and impressively researched account of the relationship between religion and American political life."

-Michael Beschloss, Author of Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789-1989

"Long before Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson roiled politics from the edges, Billy Graham towered over the centers of political and religious power, and presidents genuflected before his influence. THE PREACHER AND THE PRESIDENTS tells the story that needed to be told and tells it splendidly. Gibbs and Duffy write with a shrewd sense of how politics works, a sure grasp of history, and a genuine appreciationg for the power of religious faith."

-E. J. Dionne, Author of Why Americans Hate Politics

"A fascinating book that exposes the many dangers when representatives of the kingdom 'not of this world' become too close to representatives of an earthly kingdom."

-Cal Thomas, Syndicated columnist