RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - The governor who helped set the stage for today's Republican Party leadership is the focus of a new biography.

Written by author John Hood, "Catalyst: Jim Martin and the Rise of North Carolina Republicans" focuses on Martin's role in turning the state from solidly blue to a battleground state where Republicans control the General Assembly and governor's seat.

Martin served as governor from 1985 to 1993.

"His blending of pro-growth tax policies with a coherent strategy for improving core public services -- an approach Martin called 'constructive conservatism' -- served to give an entire generation of Republicans the tools they needed not only to win elections for local and state offices later on but also to govern effectively," writes Hood.

Martin and Hood will travel the state this fall making joint appearances to discuss the book, which is published by Blair Publishing.