Seventy-five individuals of varying ability, vision, and leadership capabilities have served as governor of Alabama during three centuries as an organized governmental entity. This volume, the work of one of Alabama"s best-known writers, traces the evolution of the modern state through the lives, philosophies, and achievements of those who have held its highest office. This collection of biographies, documenting the efforts of governors under French, British, Spanish, and American dominions, provides the background from which the modern state of Alabama has emerged. This volume contains, for the first time in any publication, photographs and portraits of sixty-five Alabama governors. The most comprehensive chapter focuses on George Wallace, three-time governor of the state and an influential force in national and presidential politics for many years. Author John Craig Stewart, novelist and historian, has written extensively on the subject. He is co-author of Know Alabama, a history text used in Alabama since 1957. He is also director of creative writing at the University of South Alabama.