Graham wasnβt born with a mandate to become the face of modern evangelism. Growing up, he wasnβt much different from other boys in his town. Billy was more interested in going to the movies than the moving of the Holy Spirit, and he spent more time chasing girls than God. But at a revival meeting the day before his sixteenth birthday, Graham committed himself to Christ and never looked back. That day, he started on the path that would make him the most influential Christian leader in American history.Β
In Billy Graham: His Life and Influence, acclaimed author David Aikman probes critical episodes of Grahamβs life that help explain his profound impact, both on the public life of America and other nations and the private lives of their cultural and political leaders.Β Β From the racial upheaval of the civil rights movement to the social turmoil of the cold war, Aikman traces Grahamβs profound influence on a nation as it went through wrenching changes over the span of more than a half century.Β Through vivid anecdotes and fascinating details, Billy Graham: His Life and Influence tells the story of how a country boy from Charlotte with a heart for God grew up to help shape the world.
David AikmanΒ is former Senior Correspondent forΒ TIME magazine. He has written numerousΒ TIMEΒ cover stories, including three "Man of the Year" profiles.Β Aikman has also written for theΒ Weekly StandardΒ andΒ Christianity Today.Β He is the author ofΒ Great Souls, When the Almond Tree Blossoms, Jesus in Beijing, and the bestsellerΒ A Man of Faith: The Spiritual Journey of George W. Bush.