After World War II, American statesman and scholar Lincoln Gordon emerged as one of the key players in the reconstruction of Europe. In this biography, Bruce L.R. Smith examines Gordon's substantial contributions to US mobilization during the Second World War, Europe's postwar economic recovery, the security framework for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and US policy in Latin America.

"In this new work, a political economist and former U.S. ambassador to Brazil examines the social, political, and economic history of the country since the 1950s and discusses whether Brazil is ready to assume a place among first world nations. Drawing on his own long-term professional and personal relationship with Brazil, Lincoln Gordon evaluates the country's future prospects through the lens of history and policy. He traces Brazil's development efforts over the past fifty years, highlighting significant missteps as well as successes. Gordon identifies four key policy challenges that Brazil must address: consolidation of macroeconomic stability, poverty reduction, active engagement in the global economy, and political reform."--BOOK JACKET.

"Simply the best book that has been published on this great president's humor and stories...Everyone interested in Abraham Lincoln will want to read this."—William C. Harris, author of Lincoln and the Border States Abraham Lincoln has long been admired for his leadership, honesty, and eloquence. But despite his somber reputation, the sixteenth president was quite funny. With an uncanny ability to mimic others and an irresistible midwestern twang, Lincoln, in fact, could be downright hilarious. Brimming with his funniest quips, jokes, and stories, Lincoln's Gift explores the crucial role humor played throughout his tumultuous professional and private life. Perfect for history buffs and Lincoln enthusiasts alike, this clever and captivating biography reveals how America's greatest president used his lighter side to lead the country through one of its darkest times, the Civil War. "Gordon Leidner ingeniously blends a study of Lincoln's humor with an account of his life, showing how our sixteenth president was not always a 'man of sorrows' but often a man of laughter, capable alike of enjoying as well as telling a good story."—Michael Burlingame, author of Abraham Lincoln: A Life

A number of distinguished biblical scholars and theologians come together in this volume to honour the work of Andrew T. Lincoln. Conception, Reception, and the Spirit reflects Andrew Lincoln's lifelong interest in Christian origins, the reception of biblical texts in believing and scholarly communities, and the embodiment of the Gospel in believing communities made possible by the Spirit. Here, scholars converse with Lincoln's work, engaging with his monographs, Born of a Virgin? and Truth on Trial. These essays examine a wide range of topics such as N.T. Wright's exploration of demonic politics in John and the significance of wine to the Holy Spirit in Ephesians by Lloyd K. Pietersen. These theological interpretations go so far as to question the foundations that make New Testament theology what it is today, with experts like Loveday Alexander and John Goldingay confronting sexuality, spirituality, ethics and memory in Lincoln's work with sensitivity and nuance.

Perhaps more than any other American, Abraham Lincoln has become a global figure, one who spoke--and continues to speak--to people across the world. Karl Marx judged Lincoln "the single-minded son of the working class"; Tolstoy reported his fame in the Caucasus; Tomas Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia, drew strength as "the Lincoln of Central Europe"; racially-mixed, republican "Lincoln brigades" fought in the Spanish Civil War; and, more recently, statesmen ranging from Gordon Brown to Pervez Musharraf to Barack Obama have invoked Lincoln in support of their respective agendas. This fascinating volume brings together leading historians from around the world to explore Lincoln's international legacy. The authors examine the meaning and image of Lincoln in many places and across continents, ranging from Germany to Japan, India to Ireland, Africa and Asia to Argentina and the American South. The book reveals that at the heart of Lincoln's global celebrity were his political principles, his record of successful executive leadership in wartime, his role as the "Great Emancipator," and his resolute defense of popular government. Yet the "Global Lincoln" has been a malleable and protean figure, one who is forever being redefined to meet the needs of those who invoke him. The first study of Lincoln's global legacy, this book tells the unknown and remarkable story of the world-wide impact of one of America's great presidents.

A Pulitzer Prize-winning historian recounts the tale of the unwanted president who ran afoul of Congress over Reconstruction and was nearly removed from office Andrew Johnson never expected to be president. But just six weeks after becoming Abraham Lincoln's vice president, the events at Ford's Theatre thrust him into the nation's highest office. Johnson faced a nearly impossible task—to succeed America's greatest chief executive, to bind the nation's wounds after the Civil War, and to work with a Congress controlled by the so-called Radical Republicans. Annette Gordon-Reed, one of America's leading historians of slavery, shows how ill-suited Johnson was for this daunting task. His vision of reconciliation abandoned the millions of former slaves (for whom he felt undisguised contempt) and antagonized congressional leaders, who tried to limit his powers and eventually impeached him. The climax of Johnson's presidency was his trial in the Senate and his acquittal by a single vote, which Gordon-Reed recounts with drama and palpable tension. Despite his victory, Johnson's term in office was a crucial missed opportunity; he failed the country at a pivotal moment, leaving America with problems that we are still trying to solve.