A behind-the-scenes collection of vignettes, as told by a professor of four decades, shares the story of life at America's second-oldest college from 1950 to 2000. Learn about the remarkable students, faculty, administrators, and alumni who helped bring William & Mary into the 21st century. This compilation of over 50 colorful stories, each accompanied by original illustrations, includes extraordinary achievement, humorous incidents, unique characters, and memories of day-to-day life at the historic university. Holmes uses his own experiences as a professor, along with interviews from alumni and staff, to paint a detailed, fond, and rich picture of this era, which will inspire and amuse anyone with ties to William & Mary.

"The Faiths of the Founding Fathers," an acclaimed look at the spiritual beliefs of such iconic Americans as Franklin, Washington, and Jefferson, established David L. Holmes as a measured voice in the heated debate over the new nation's religious underpinnings. With the same judicious approach, Holmes now looks at the role of faith in the lives of the twelve presidents who have served since the end of World War II.

Holmes examines not only the beliefs professed by each president but also the variety of possible influences on their religious faith, such as their upbringing, education, and the faith of their spouse. In each profile close observers such as clergy, family members, friends, and advisors recall churchgoing habits, notable displays of faith (or lack of it), and the influence of their faiths on policies concerning abortion, the death penalty, Israel, and other controversial issues.

Whether discussing John F. Kennedy's philandering and secularity or Richard Nixon's betrayal of Billy Graham's naive trust during Watergate, Holmes includes telling and often colorful details not widely known or long forgotten. We are reminded, for instance, how Dwight Eisenhower tried to conceal the background of his parents in the Jehovah's Witnesses and how the Reverend Cotesworth Lewis's sermonizing to Lyndon Johnson on the Vietnam War was actually not a left- but a right-wing critique.

National interest in the faiths of our presidents is as strong as ever, as shown by the media frenzy engendered by George W. Bush's claim that Jesus was his favorite political philosopher or Barack Obama's parting with his minister, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Holmes's work adds depth, insight, and color to this important national topic.