'President Lula is perhaps the most elusive figure to have reached the top of Brazilian politics, and Richard Bourne's fine study of the man and his background is a well-researched and illuminating report. This is a trenchant, warts-and-all account of Lula's career.' Richard Gott 'Richard Bourne has produced a clear-eyed and eminently readable biography; this book is a fine introduction to the politics of modern Brazil.' Hugh O'Shaughnessy 'A much-needed full-length portrait of the latest South American political phenomenon. Timely reading for anyone seeking to understand Brazil's newest experiment in democracy.' Thomas E. Skidmore, author of Politics in Brazil, 1930-1964: An Experiment in Democracy 'Essential reading for anyone interested in Latin America's new left and the emergence of Brazil as a regional power, and maybe in the future a world power.' Nelson Franco Jobim