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The American Presidents #39
Jimmy Carter
The maverick politician from Georgia who rode the post- Watergate wave into office but whose term was consumed by economic and international crises
A peanut farmer from Georgia, Jimmy Carter rose to national power through mastering the strategy of the maverick politician. As the face of the "New South," Carter's strongest support emanated from his ability to communicate directly to voters who were disaffected by corruption in politics.
But running as an outsider was easier than governing as one, as Princeton historian Julian E. Zelizer shows in this examination of Carter's presidency. Once in power, Carter faced challenges sustaining a strong political coalition, as he focused on policies that often antagonized key Democrats, whose support he desperately needed. By 1980, Carter stood alone in the Oval Office as he confronted a battered economy, soaring oil prices, American hostages in Iran, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Carter's unpopularity enabled Ronald Reagan to achieve a landslide victory, ushering in a conservative revolution. But during Carter's post-presidential career, he has emerged as an important voice for international diplomacy and negotiation, remaking his image as a statesman for our time.
A peanut farmer from Georgia, Jimmy Carter rose to national power through mastering the strategy of the maverick politician. As the face of the "New South," Carter's strongest support emanated from his ability to communicate directly to voters who were disaffected by corruption in politics.
But running as an outsider was easier than governing as one, as Princeton historian Julian E. Zelizer shows in this examination of Carter's presidency. Once in power, Carter faced challenges sustaining a strong political coalition, as he focused on policies that often antagonized key Democrats, whose support he desperately needed. By 1980, Carter stood alone in the Oval Office as he confronted a battered economy, soaring oil prices, American hostages in Iran, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Carter's unpopularity enabled Ronald Reagan to achieve a landslide victory, ushering in a conservative revolution. But during Carter's post-presidential career, he has emerged as an important voice for international diplomacy and negotiation, remaking his image as a statesman for our time.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 10, 2010
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About the author
Julian E. Zelizer
38 books61 followersJulian E. Zelizer is the Malcolm Stevenson Forbes, Class of 1941 Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University.
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December 31, 2024
An Outsider President
The words "outsider" and "maverick" come readily to mind in Julian Zelizer's short biography of the 39th United States president, Jimmy Carter. Carter (b. 1924) served a single term as president from 1977 -- 1981, losing his bid for reelection in a landslide to Ronald Reagan. Although judgments must be cautious for a still-recent presidency, Carter's administration has been viewed with disfavor and is likely to remain so. Zelizer, a widely respected author and professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, has written a carefully measured account. Zelizer shares the negative view of Carter's presidency while he recognizes certain strengths. He offers a fair minded balanced study in this short biography, written as part of the American Presidents Series. This series offers good brief overviews of each of the American presidents together with insights about the varied characteristics of leadership. Carter's presidency can be approached by thinking about what it means to be an "outsider" and a "maverick".
Born in the town of Plains, Georgia, Carter enjoyed a distinguished career in the Navy before returning home to Georgia in 1953, He gradually entered state politics, winning election as the Governor of Georgia 1n 1970 on a moderate, ambiguous platform. He became a dark horse vice presidential candidate in 1972 but George McGovern rebuffed him. Carter soon determined to seek the presidency on his own. In 1973, he appeared on a popular television show "What's my Line" and the panelists (who sometimes wore blindfolds on the show but not in Carter's case) had the greatest difficulty in identifying him as a governor. In 1976, with the scandals of Watergate, the still raw wounds of Vietnam, and rampant inflation, the leading Democrats declined to run for president. This opened the way for Carter, who ran a skilled, organized, personal campaign and won many primaries even though few voters showed a strong commitment to him. Carter ran avowedly as an "outsider" to official Washington and its corruption and inability to solve problems. Other candidates since have adopted the stance of "outsider" but none as effectively as Carter.
In the presidential campaign of 2008, the Republican candidate, John McCain, was dubbed a "maverick" and the term is at least as apt for Carter. As Zelizer shows, Carter was an individual of formidable intellect and independence. He resisted easy categorization under the terms "liberal", "conservative" and "moderate" and seemed to adopt pragmatic problem-geared approaches. He did not follow a party agenda but tried in an political world to steer his own course. On occasion he succeeded. More often, Carter seemed to lack any sense of purpose or program while alienating both his own potential supporters and his opponents.
In his study, Zelizer gives a good brief portrayal of Carter's early life and political career in Georgia, his presidential campaigns in 1976 and 1980, his administration, and his long post-presidential career, in which Carter has continued as a gadfly and as a maverick and outsider for good and ill. Zelizer finds that Carter "left the Democratic Party in shambles" largely through his status as an outsider and maverick. Zelizer writes "in essence, Carter's interest lay in the challenges of presidential leadership rather than the challenges of being a party leader. He was willing to use his political position to push the nation through difficult choices, but he was less interested or successful in taking the steps that were needed to leave his party more united and in a stronger political position by the 1980 election".
Zelizer argues that Carter faced problems that would have taxed the skills of a stronger leader, including runaway inflation, ideological and polarizing divisions in both parties, and the aftermath of Watergate and Vietnam. Although he had some successes, including a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, Carter did not offer strong, decisive or convincing leadership. Within his own party, his presidency foundered in a dispute with Ted Kennedy over health care, an issue which strongly divided Americans in earlier administrations and continues to do so. His foreign affairs policies waffled. Carter remains best-known for the manner in which he handled the hostage crisis with Iran, the most important issue which doomed his presidency.
This book was painful for me to read because many of the issues and divisions which vexed the United States and Carter's administration remain with us today. On July 15, 1979, deep in the problems of his administration, Carter gave a famous televised speech about difficulties in the national condition. Zelizer quotes the following passage:
"It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation. The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America."
Opinions vary about the speech. Carter may well have diagnosed a national condition that remains with us even while he proved singularly proving inept in governance. Zelizer's study of the Carter presidency tells a sad story but one that might help Americans understand their present and work towards their future.
Robin Friedman
The words "outsider" and "maverick" come readily to mind in Julian Zelizer's short biography of the 39th United States president, Jimmy Carter. Carter (b. 1924) served a single term as president from 1977 -- 1981, losing his bid for reelection in a landslide to Ronald Reagan. Although judgments must be cautious for a still-recent presidency, Carter's administration has been viewed with disfavor and is likely to remain so. Zelizer, a widely respected author and professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, has written a carefully measured account. Zelizer shares the negative view of Carter's presidency while he recognizes certain strengths. He offers a fair minded balanced study in this short biography, written as part of the American Presidents Series. This series offers good brief overviews of each of the American presidents together with insights about the varied characteristics of leadership. Carter's presidency can be approached by thinking about what it means to be an "outsider" and a "maverick".
Born in the town of Plains, Georgia, Carter enjoyed a distinguished career in the Navy before returning home to Georgia in 1953, He gradually entered state politics, winning election as the Governor of Georgia 1n 1970 on a moderate, ambiguous platform. He became a dark horse vice presidential candidate in 1972 but George McGovern rebuffed him. Carter soon determined to seek the presidency on his own. In 1973, he appeared on a popular television show "What's my Line" and the panelists (who sometimes wore blindfolds on the show but not in Carter's case) had the greatest difficulty in identifying him as a governor. In 1976, with the scandals of Watergate, the still raw wounds of Vietnam, and rampant inflation, the leading Democrats declined to run for president. This opened the way for Carter, who ran a skilled, organized, personal campaign and won many primaries even though few voters showed a strong commitment to him. Carter ran avowedly as an "outsider" to official Washington and its corruption and inability to solve problems. Other candidates since have adopted the stance of "outsider" but none as effectively as Carter.
In the presidential campaign of 2008, the Republican candidate, John McCain, was dubbed a "maverick" and the term is at least as apt for Carter. As Zelizer shows, Carter was an individual of formidable intellect and independence. He resisted easy categorization under the terms "liberal", "conservative" and "moderate" and seemed to adopt pragmatic problem-geared approaches. He did not follow a party agenda but tried in an political world to steer his own course. On occasion he succeeded. More often, Carter seemed to lack any sense of purpose or program while alienating both his own potential supporters and his opponents.
In his study, Zelizer gives a good brief portrayal of Carter's early life and political career in Georgia, his presidential campaigns in 1976 and 1980, his administration, and his long post-presidential career, in which Carter has continued as a gadfly and as a maverick and outsider for good and ill. Zelizer finds that Carter "left the Democratic Party in shambles" largely through his status as an outsider and maverick. Zelizer writes "in essence, Carter's interest lay in the challenges of presidential leadership rather than the challenges of being a party leader. He was willing to use his political position to push the nation through difficult choices, but he was less interested or successful in taking the steps that were needed to leave his party more united and in a stronger political position by the 1980 election".
Zelizer argues that Carter faced problems that would have taxed the skills of a stronger leader, including runaway inflation, ideological and polarizing divisions in both parties, and the aftermath of Watergate and Vietnam. Although he had some successes, including a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, Carter did not offer strong, decisive or convincing leadership. Within his own party, his presidency foundered in a dispute with Ted Kennedy over health care, an issue which strongly divided Americans in earlier administrations and continues to do so. His foreign affairs policies waffled. Carter remains best-known for the manner in which he handled the hostage crisis with Iran, the most important issue which doomed his presidency.
This book was painful for me to read because many of the issues and divisions which vexed the United States and Carter's administration remain with us today. On July 15, 1979, deep in the problems of his administration, Carter gave a famous televised speech about difficulties in the national condition. Zelizer quotes the following passage:
"It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation. The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America."
Opinions vary about the speech. Carter may well have diagnosed a national condition that remains with us even while he proved singularly proving inept in governance. Zelizer's study of the Carter presidency tells a sad story but one that might help Americans understand their present and work towards their future.
Robin Friedman
December 26, 2018
Excellent book! Carter's lasting legacy will be what he did out of office.
June 7, 2011
3.5 stars. A good, digestible Carter biography. Zelizer maybe dwells more on Carter's campaigns than on his actual service in office. The book moves swiftly and covers a lot of ground in just 150 pages of text (the rest is references and indexing). Facts are all backed up by references, and the books comes off as an honest and fair portrayal of Carter's public life to date, focusing primarily on his Presidency, of course, since this book is part of a series on the American Presidents. Carter is framed as a maverick politician, beating the odds and the party machinery to clinch the Democratic nomination. He rides the wave of Watergate cynicism into the office, but then never manages to master governance as President, with fractious relationships with his party and key Democratic constituencies. These relationships are further frayed as political crises unfold, such as the Iran Hostage Crisis, which in many ways defined Carter's Presidency as a failure and cost him a chance at a second term. Zelizer tries to contextualize a bit, giving a sense that perhaps any Democrat would have had a similarly challenging ride in that era. The party itself was reeling from inner divisions, economic troubles were severe with few answers that anyone was agreeable to (much like now - 2011), and the Iran Hostage Crisis and Soviet invasion of Afghanistan were viewed through lenses clouded by Cold War thinking, which is a "cloudy" view, I suppose, only in retrospect. A final chapter and epilogue describe Carter's unusually active and controversial post-presidency. Personally, I think he comes off as a better post-president than a President. A total idealist, reveling in his freedom from political restraints. Overall, a nice quick read, but not unfair in its brevity.
January 2, 2025
I picked this up at a used book store following the news of Carter's passing. I don't consider myself knowledgeable in US history, especially post-WWII up to the early 2000s, and wanted to understand some of the critiques of Carter's presidency and the state of the country prior to Reagan.
To me, Carter seemed a great person, led by genuine morals and a willingness to not cater to any given political ideology. He believed in what he felt was right and did what he could to make the world a better place, but unfortunately he struggled to be an effective politician during his presidency.
This book is a great summary of Carter's early life, his early political career and his fairly successful presidential campaign, followed by a fairly lackluster and ineffective presidency. Carter came into office in a difficult time for a Democratic candidate, especially one so defined by being outside of established politics. In the post-Watergate era, there was heavy skepticism around the executive branch and a reemphasis on balance of power within the government. This, paired with economic troubles, the Iranian hostage crisis, and Carter's own stubborn, overly flexible, yet idealistic style produced a presidency with good ideas, an emphasis human rights in foreign policy, but a failure to effectively work within the legislative landscape and to accomplish many of the goals he set out to achieve. This blundering paired with a reconstruction and surging unification of the Republican party led to a historic defeat in the 1980 presidential election.
Carter's career after his presidency demonstrated his commitment to justice and human rights, with his commitment to free and fair elections in Panama and Nicaragua as well as his attempts to broker peace in the Middle East and to avoid military conflict where possible. His emphasis on negotiation and open communication models what diplomacy should ideally look like.
All in all this was a short, approachable biography and I feel much better versed on Carter and his life. I admire Carter as a person who struggled to play the political game but ultimately was led by righteous morals and a commitment to good in the world. RIP Jimmy Carter.
To me, Carter seemed a great person, led by genuine morals and a willingness to not cater to any given political ideology. He believed in what he felt was right and did what he could to make the world a better place, but unfortunately he struggled to be an effective politician during his presidency.
This book is a great summary of Carter's early life, his early political career and his fairly successful presidential campaign, followed by a fairly lackluster and ineffective presidency. Carter came into office in a difficult time for a Democratic candidate, especially one so defined by being outside of established politics. In the post-Watergate era, there was heavy skepticism around the executive branch and a reemphasis on balance of power within the government. This, paired with economic troubles, the Iranian hostage crisis, and Carter's own stubborn, overly flexible, yet idealistic style produced a presidency with good ideas, an emphasis human rights in foreign policy, but a failure to effectively work within the legislative landscape and to accomplish many of the goals he set out to achieve. This blundering paired with a reconstruction and surging unification of the Republican party led to a historic defeat in the 1980 presidential election.
Carter's career after his presidency demonstrated his commitment to justice and human rights, with his commitment to free and fair elections in Panama and Nicaragua as well as his attempts to broker peace in the Middle East and to avoid military conflict where possible. His emphasis on negotiation and open communication models what diplomacy should ideally look like.
All in all this was a short, approachable biography and I feel much better versed on Carter and his life. I admire Carter as a person who struggled to play the political game but ultimately was led by righteous morals and a commitment to good in the world. RIP Jimmy Carter.
June 9, 2023
An ineffective President because he refused to put party interests over his own convictions. Sometimes his convictions were wrong and didn’t work, but sometimes they did. Nevertheless, he remained consistent throughout his post-presidential career that he was willing to do things without the support of either party.
“…after (his loss) in 1981, his maverick tendencies were less of a hinderance as he no longer had to answer to voters, Congress, or the Democratic Party.”
“…after (his loss) in 1981, his maverick tendencies were less of a hinderance as he no longer had to answer to voters, Congress, or the Democratic Party.”
December 2, 2022
If you're looking for a counterpoint to the prevailing narrative about Jimmy Carter - that he was a lousy President but a great ex-President - then you might as well skip this biography, in which Mr. Zelizer nonsensically claims that the man from Plains was a better chief executive than his reputation suggests while providing example after example of Skippy's missteps, obtuseness, obliviousness and inability to express any philosophy of government or form lasting alliances. The historical detail is nice, though, even if it reminds you of an era you've tried hard to forget.
February 22, 2025
I initially read this for a class but then got into it and finished the whole thing. I love U.S. history!!!
January 6, 2019
The last few bios from this series ware lacking; they had left me wanting for more in depth, breadth, and scope. Yes, I know they are surveys but still, there had to be more meat than there was written.
So with this biography of Jimmy Carter I can answer the question "Where's the Beef?"
This illumination of the failed president but successful statesman and dedicated humanitarian gave me what I wanted in a survey bio. I always knew, and taught as much, about the failed presidency of our 39th president James Earl Carter. His failings were primarily that he was not a politician in the way we would understand that term. He was a maverick before it was "fashionable" to be one (I am looking at the late John McCain, with all respect), but he was not a deal maker, could not shake the sense that he was right and everyone else was wrong (which was the case many times) and could not bring himself to be a legislative leader and to work with Congress. Had he been governor of Georgia longer, had someone counseled him more, or better, in the art of the deal, he may have had a second term and he may be remembered as a great president as well as a great former president. Unfortunately, he will have to settle for being a respected (and yet still failed) former president and near-model elder statesman.
So with this biography of Jimmy Carter I can answer the question "Where's the Beef?"
This illumination of the failed president but successful statesman and dedicated humanitarian gave me what I wanted in a survey bio. I always knew, and taught as much, about the failed presidency of our 39th president James Earl Carter. His failings were primarily that he was not a politician in the way we would understand that term. He was a maverick before it was "fashionable" to be one (I am looking at the late John McCain, with all respect), but he was not a deal maker, could not shake the sense that he was right and everyone else was wrong (which was the case many times) and could not bring himself to be a legislative leader and to work with Congress. Had he been governor of Georgia longer, had someone counseled him more, or better, in the art of the deal, he may have had a second term and he may be remembered as a great president as well as a great former president. Unfortunately, he will have to settle for being a respected (and yet still failed) former president and near-model elder statesman.
December 12, 2020
Within the pages of the biography, it reads "Arkansas governor Bill Clinton told Carter that voters in his state had less of a sense of who [Carter] was in 1979 than in 1976." Honestly, that line perfectly matches how I feel about this biography. The bio does a disservice to Carter. Almost from the moment that he stepped into the White House, it stopped being a biography and became a history book. It was only at the end of his presidency that it became a biography once again. Now, it should be expected for there to be a focus on the political side of Carter as he was a politician and the President. HOWEVER, so much effort and focus went into describing what was happening, why it was happening, and how things happened during Carter's presidency that there seemed to be little difference between this text and what could be found in an article from a political science journal. Even though I enjoyed learning about what Carter did after his presidency, all in all, it was pretty dry which made me much more appreciative of its short length.
September 19, 2010
A nice addition to this series of brief biographies of American presidents. The focus here is Jimmy Carter. The author has no reservations about being critical where such is appropriate, so the book has a bit of an edge (but not inappropriately so, in my judgment). The book begins by outlining Jimmy Carter's background, his first efforts at politics, his success as a candidate for governor, and his strategic approach to running for president.
Then, his presidency. From a promising beginning to more difficult sledding. Finally, the problems of the last part of his presidency, including the hostage crisis and the economic stagnation facing the country. Unlike many presidents, there has been an active, visible, and controversial post-presidential career.
The book, overall, does a good job of presenting Jimmy Carter, assessing his body of work, and doing so in rather brief fashion, making this accessible to people who do not want a one thousand word biography.
Then, his presidency. From a promising beginning to more difficult sledding. Finally, the problems of the last part of his presidency, including the hostage crisis and the economic stagnation facing the country. Unlike many presidents, there has been an active, visible, and controversial post-presidential career.
The book, overall, does a good job of presenting Jimmy Carter, assessing his body of work, and doing so in rather brief fashion, making this accessible to people who do not want a one thousand word biography.
May 29, 2019
After deciding that President Carter: The White House Years was too terrible to continue, I found myself once again turning to "The American Presidents" series.
This was a serviceable but fairly conventional view of Carter's life and presidency. It's too short to go into much depth. I suppose eventually someone will capture a comprehensive picture of Carter's life, but in the meantime, we'll make due where we can.
This was a serviceable but fairly conventional view of Carter's life and presidency. It's too short to go into much depth. I suppose eventually someone will capture a comprehensive picture of Carter's life, but in the meantime, we'll make due where we can.
December 8, 2013
Not a big carter fan, but we'll written.
January 20, 2020
Jimmy Carter is the thirtieth-eighth book in The American Presidents series – a biographical series chronicling the Presidents of the United States. Julian E. Zelizer wrote this particular installment and edited by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. and Sean Wilentz.
James Earl Carter Jr. is an American politician, philanthropist, and former farmer who served as the thirty-ninth President of the United States from 1977–1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a Georgia State Senator from 1963–1967 and as the seventy-sixth Governor of Georgia from 1971–1975. Since leaving the presidency, Carter has remained active in the private sector and in 2002 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in co-founding the Carter Center.
In a nation still reeling from Watergate, Carter's 1976 campaign stressing freedom from Washington politics propelled him to the presidency. Zelizer regretfully points out that outsider status may win elections but exercising power requires traditional insider arm-twisting which Carter was slow to learn. His successes including the SALT II arms treaty, the Egyptian-Israeli Camp David peace accords, and a Social Security tax increase.
Zelizer feels Carter's hardest fought victory, passage of the Panama Canal treaty, damaged him by energizing his enemies without increasing his popularity because few Americans cared. They cared about inflation and unemployment, and Carter managed to anger both liberals and conservatives by rejecting both expensive social programs and massive tax cuts.
Few blame him for Iran's revolution or the hostage-taking at the American embassy, but no presidential reputation could survive their long captivity or the bungled rescue attempt. Zelizer concurs with other historians' lukewarm opinion of Carter but adds that many problems were beyond his control.
All in all, Jimmy Carter is a good, albeit concise biography of the thirtieth-ninth President and it is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series of presidential biographies, which I plan to read in the very near future.
James Earl Carter Jr. is an American politician, philanthropist, and former farmer who served as the thirty-ninth President of the United States from 1977–1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a Georgia State Senator from 1963–1967 and as the seventy-sixth Governor of Georgia from 1971–1975. Since leaving the presidency, Carter has remained active in the private sector and in 2002 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in co-founding the Carter Center.
In a nation still reeling from Watergate, Carter's 1976 campaign stressing freedom from Washington politics propelled him to the presidency. Zelizer regretfully points out that outsider status may win elections but exercising power requires traditional insider arm-twisting which Carter was slow to learn. His successes including the SALT II arms treaty, the Egyptian-Israeli Camp David peace accords, and a Social Security tax increase.
Zelizer feels Carter's hardest fought victory, passage of the Panama Canal treaty, damaged him by energizing his enemies without increasing his popularity because few Americans cared. They cared about inflation and unemployment, and Carter managed to anger both liberals and conservatives by rejecting both expensive social programs and massive tax cuts.
Few blame him for Iran's revolution or the hostage-taking at the American embassy, but no presidential reputation could survive their long captivity or the bungled rescue attempt. Zelizer concurs with other historians' lukewarm opinion of Carter but adds that many problems were beyond his control.
All in all, Jimmy Carter is a good, albeit concise biography of the thirtieth-ninth President and it is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series of presidential biographies, which I plan to read in the very near future.
February 20, 2023
I have been interested in learning about President Carter for a while - especially since I've only learned bits and pieces about him over the years. Thus, I decided to check out "Jimmy Carter (The American Presidents, #39)" (which I checked out from my library before I found out he entered hospice care). I was not disappointed.
The book gives an overview of President Carter's early years, his work as state senator and governor, his campaigns, presidency, and post-presidency. We get to see his campaigning style and leadership style. I wish there was more information about his governorship - and more details about his challenges and successes as governor. Nonetheless, there is some good information about both as well as his governing style.
The bulk of the book covered his presidency. It discussed his foreign policy initiatives as well as the difficulties he faced with the Iran hostage crisis, negotiations with the Soviet Union, and the economy. It also covered his relations with Congress and governing style. Zelizer's overview is high-level but informative. I also felt that his coverage of Carter's presidency was evenhanded and it gave a good overview of his successes and shortcomings.
The last part of the book discussed his post-presidency years. Zelizer covered Carter's diplomacy and efforts for human rights and peace around the world as well as a bit of information about his efforts at home. I think it would have been helpful if there was more detail about his humanitarian work as well as work domestically, but it was a good overview overall.
Altogether, this is a good book and a decent introduction to learning more about President Carter's life. There are some areas that I think could have had more information. Still, it gives a lot of good information in just 150 pages.
The book gives an overview of President Carter's early years, his work as state senator and governor, his campaigns, presidency, and post-presidency. We get to see his campaigning style and leadership style. I wish there was more information about his governorship - and more details about his challenges and successes as governor. Nonetheless, there is some good information about both as well as his governing style.
The bulk of the book covered his presidency. It discussed his foreign policy initiatives as well as the difficulties he faced with the Iran hostage crisis, negotiations with the Soviet Union, and the economy. It also covered his relations with Congress and governing style. Zelizer's overview is high-level but informative. I also felt that his coverage of Carter's presidency was evenhanded and it gave a good overview of his successes and shortcomings.
The last part of the book discussed his post-presidency years. Zelizer covered Carter's diplomacy and efforts for human rights and peace around the world as well as a bit of information about his efforts at home. I think it would have been helpful if there was more detail about his humanitarian work as well as work domestically, but it was a good overview overall.
Altogether, this is a good book and a decent introduction to learning more about President Carter's life. There are some areas that I think could have had more information. Still, it gives a lot of good information in just 150 pages.
February 5, 2022
Jimmy Carter grew up in a fairly successful family farming business. On the heels of Nixon and fords presidencies marred by political corruption, carter was looked upon as a maverick, a person who would not lead the us with more corruption and foreign diplomatic issues. First 90 days of his term, he had a higher approval rating than Reagan and Obama. His brother would be involved in a political mess of sharing info with Libya and getting paid of which carter would later acknowledge he knew about. But quickly the us would get involved in foreign affairs which missteps would result, the big one being us hostages in Iran. He did win re-election in the democratic convention but Ted Kennedy continued in the race to the end, which highlighted the lack of unity in the Democratic Party as Kennedy did not show party support. Iran would not release hostages until carters term was over and Reagan was sworn in. Really a gut punch to carter to ensure his presidency got no credit for this release. Reagan would win the presidency with one of the largest electoral vote counts in history. Carter won maybe 9 states. Incredible to see the steep decline in 4 years of carters support and ratings. During this time radio and talk shows really became popular as a forum to discussing politics. Post presidency at age of 56 he did a lot of good things. he won the Nobel peace prize, traveled extensively overseas with a lot of success in foreign affairs. He did upset other presidents in expressing his strong opinions of what the us should do. Strong friends with Ted turner who allowed him ample air time on turner television. The carter center through his efforts have achieved great results through humanitarian efforts.
July 19, 2020
Jimmy Carter's Presidency by any measure was a failure. I truly believe luck has something to do with successful Presidencies or not. Ronald Reagan got extremely lucky while Jimmy Carter his predecessor was not. The Presidents of the 1970s paid the price and dealt with the repercussions of American hubris following the Second World War. No one paid a higher price than Jimmy Carter
Julian Zelizer does an adequate job in this brief book explaining the Carter years. He focuses on his election in 1976 which can be seen as the high point of his career. The problems that Jimmy Carter faced as PResident were a combination of American weakness post Vietnam and self induced by Carter having no natural constituency nor trying to acquire. He attacked energy with a green energy plan just as the oil markets were about to collapse. He was slow to respond to the hostage crisis with the military, due to some advice in his cabinet, and when he did the years of neglect to the military following Vietnam lead to a tragedy.
Zelizer is fair when looking at the post presidency in the last chapter. After early success with his Carter Center he would then work for administrations and Carter's need for peace would disrupt months of preparations done by administrations.
Although it is clear Zelizer likes Jimmy Carter there is not much to be positive about during those year. This was the first book I have read about the Carter Presidency and Zelizer has sparked my interest in learning more about those bad pivotal years.
Julian Zelizer does an adequate job in this brief book explaining the Carter years. He focuses on his election in 1976 which can be seen as the high point of his career. The problems that Jimmy Carter faced as PResident were a combination of American weakness post Vietnam and self induced by Carter having no natural constituency nor trying to acquire. He attacked energy with a green energy plan just as the oil markets were about to collapse. He was slow to respond to the hostage crisis with the military, due to some advice in his cabinet, and when he did the years of neglect to the military following Vietnam lead to a tragedy.
Zelizer is fair when looking at the post presidency in the last chapter. After early success with his Carter Center he would then work for administrations and Carter's need for peace would disrupt months of preparations done by administrations.
Although it is clear Zelizer likes Jimmy Carter there is not much to be positive about during those year. This was the first book I have read about the Carter Presidency and Zelizer has sparked my interest in learning more about those bad pivotal years.
December 2, 2017
Zelizer writes of Carter that he had significant strengths and even achievements, but in the end he had no real constituency, nor was he willing or able to win one. For example, on reporter said of Carter’s 1979 State of the Union Address, “[It was delivered by Carter, who was unable] to lay claim to the unshakeable support of any single constituency. Even theough the legislative branch is filled with members of his own party, they received his speech with almost as little enthusiasm as they showed the pariah Richard Nixon in his last State of the Union….”Carter’s presidency failed because he was stubborn, inexperienced, and idealistic. Unable and unwilling to compromise in ways that could gain support. His presidency was a missed opportunity. The first 50 pages are about Carter’s early life, political beginnings and run for the presidency.
The author is fairly objective in his treatment. His overall tone is sympathetic, but he does not shy away from discussing Carter’s flaws and mistakes. The author does spend a lot of time describing Carter’s troubled relations with Israel and Jewish Americans.
The book contains useful information about Carter’s relations with Congress (pp. 54, 58, 78-79 ); Jewish Americans (pp. 58, 64-65, ) It also highlights Carter’s promising early achievements (chap. 4). There is a helpful section explaining why Carter lacked strong backers on pages 92-95.
The author is fairly objective in his treatment. His overall tone is sympathetic, but he does not shy away from discussing Carter’s flaws and mistakes. The author does spend a lot of time describing Carter’s troubled relations with Israel and Jewish Americans.
The book contains useful information about Carter’s relations with Congress (pp. 54, 58, 78-79 ); Jewish Americans (pp. 58, 64-65, ) It also highlights Carter’s promising early achievements (chap. 4). There is a helpful section explaining why Carter lacked strong backers on pages 92-95.
July 23, 2024
I started this book on Saturday, July 20. Then it looked like the Democrats might be on the verge of another one-term presidency and I wondered, What went wrong with Carter?
In short, his time in office was beset by stagflation, the energy crisis, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the Iran Hostage crisis. He successfully campaigned as an outsider, but attempting to govern as an outsider alienated him from potential allies in Congress and prevented him from keeping the Democratic coalition intact. He touted his honesty and ethics to contrast himself with Nixon, but when his administration behaved unethically, he was indifferent and it made him look holier than thou instead of righteous (Bert Lance alleged financial improprieties). Carter's presidency gave Americans the impression he couldn't lead and couldn't solve their problems.
Now, three days later, the Democrats have a new nominee. I asked ChatGPT for a list of criticisms of the Biden presidency and it spit out a hodgepodge list of left and right. In short: inflation, Afghanistan withdrawal, Ukraine, border, government spending. Will voters rebuke the Biden years? We will see!
In short, his time in office was beset by stagflation, the energy crisis, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the Iran Hostage crisis. He successfully campaigned as an outsider, but attempting to govern as an outsider alienated him from potential allies in Congress and prevented him from keeping the Democratic coalition intact. He touted his honesty and ethics to contrast himself with Nixon, but when his administration behaved unethically, he was indifferent and it made him look holier than thou instead of righteous (Bert Lance alleged financial improprieties). Carter's presidency gave Americans the impression he couldn't lead and couldn't solve their problems.
Now, three days later, the Democrats have a new nominee. I asked ChatGPT for a list of criticisms of the Biden presidency and it spit out a hodgepodge list of left and right. In short: inflation, Afghanistan withdrawal, Ukraine, border, government spending. Will voters rebuke the Biden years? We will see!
March 14, 2021
I love the Presidential Series for providing succinct overviews of each administration from Washington to the present. Knowing very little about Jimmy Carter's administration, I enjoying learning about the factors that propelled his longshot candidacy to the White House. Despite his term becoming synonymous with failed leadership, Carter's post-presidential actions truly bear witness to how his life after DC has become "the unfinished presidency." His detractors should recognize that Carter's historic achievement of creating peace between Israel and Egypt has probably saved tens of thousands of lives since Camp David.
February 17, 2019
Short, well-written, but pretty standard biography on Carter. Zelizer does a nice job of getting of touching on the difficult transition of Carter running as an anti-establishment candidate and then having to govern as the head of the party. There could have been more detailed discussion on many topics, but the short length of this biography precluded this. Overall, a nice intro to Carter's life and presidency.
July 27, 2017
This is my second book of The American Presidents series, which I feel is better suited for one-term presidents. Normally a prefer a more granular history. With that said, the book sparks interest for further reading, e.g. neo-liberal economics, or middle east peace negotiations.
A decent, concise history.
A decent, concise history.
January 2, 2019
An informative Biography
Presidential history is a fascinating topic, and how each president affected the presidency and handled the challenges of their day is a subject every citizen of the United States should study. The author did a great job of detailing the weaknesses of the Carter administration as well as some of the strengths that weren't as obvious back then.
Presidential history is a fascinating topic, and how each president affected the presidency and handled the challenges of their day is a subject every citizen of the United States should study. The author did a great job of detailing the weaknesses of the Carter administration as well as some of the strengths that weren't as obvious back then.
April 3, 2019
It was an interesting read overall. Jimmy Carter seemed like an interesting character overall, especially considering he was elected president. It was a quick read and seemed like a 10,000 foot overview which was just what I was looking for. I would suggest to anyone interested in presidential biographies.
June 22, 2020
A good look at the peanut farmer turned President
I lived through the Carter administration and remember how things went from sugar to shit. This book is a brief but helpful look at what went wrong and how Jimmy Carter turned his post-presidential career into an incredible second act.
I lived through the Carter administration and remember how things went from sugar to shit. This book is a brief but helpful look at what went wrong and how Jimmy Carter turned his post-presidential career into an incredible second act.
July 30, 2023
This is a very well-written short "biography". It focuses primarily on Carter's presidency-his accomplishments and failures. It brings a much clearer picture of the years 1976-1980. There were many crises, including the economy, unemployment, Israel vs. Palestine, the Iran hostage crisis that lasted more than one year. It was the latter that finally led to his undoing.
February 21, 2024
This book is well-written, and gives a fair overview of the life of Jimmy Carter, focusing primarily on his years in the oval office. It is short as biographies go, however, and does not go into nearly the level of detail that I prefer to see in a biography. What it does it does well, but it could stand to be fleshed out more than a bit.
July 4, 2018
Good, concise retelling of Carter's presidency. The narrative describes Jimmy as a maverick, "independent" Democrat who achieved higher office because he was just that, but whose positioning then resulted in difficulties once in office with a Congress controlled by his party.
August 20, 2019
You did that hungry!! I loved it, every twist and turn caught me by surprise!! I can’t wait to read more of your books....
December 2, 2022
he likes peanuts
January 3, 2025
Brief and balanced look at Carter's presidency and legacy
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