[[ASIN:0849917026 Billy Graham: His Life and Influence]]
David Aikman, former Time Magazine senior correspondent, has written a very readable and comprehensive life of the famous evangelist. Graham's progress from farm boy to friend and counselor for presidents is an American success story on one level. On another, his career illuminates the Protestant religious temper of a majority of the people in the United States during the twentieth century. That temper contributed to Graham's success, but as an evangelist, Graham also shaped the spirit and direction of his times.

The book is well balanced. Aikman notes both Billy Graham's strengths and weaknesses as he chronicles Graham's life and its impact on society in America and in other nations over more than fifty years. He also portrays Ruth Graham Bell, Billy's remarkable wife, and gives the reader insights into the partnership which enabled Graham to succeed.

The book is fascinating reading whether one is a devoted Graham admirer or not since it offers a remarkable analysis of Graham's influence on culture and events during the last century