The World's Best Book Summaries
What were Jimmy Carter’s parents like? Why did he speak with an African-American accent as a child? Jimmy Carter made it to the White House—a far cry from where he began. In the book His Very Best, biographer Jonathan Alter paints a vivid picture of Carter’s formative years that set the stage for an extraordinary life. Keep reading to learn about Jimmy Carter’s early life and how it shaped him.
What did Jimmy Carter learn from Admiral Rickover? What did Carter do during the Civil Rights Movement that he later regretted? What dominated his last year in the White House? In His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life, Jonathan Alter presents a fresh perspective on the complicated history of the person he suggests is one of the US’s most underrated presidents. He chronicles the life of Jimmy Carter, from his childhood to the decades after his presidency. Continue reading for an overview of this book that asks us to see Jimmy Carter’s presidency in a different light.
Who influenced Jimmy Carter as much as his parents did? Why did his naval service end prematurely? We all think of Jimmy Carter as a president and humanitarian, but sometimes we forget that he served in the US Navy in the first part of his career. Biographer Jonathan Alter recounts Carter’s naval service in his book His Very Best. Read more to learn about Jimmy Carter in the Navy.
Why didn’t Rosalynn Carter accept Jimmy’s first marriage proposal? How did this couple redefine the role of the First Lady? In His Very Best, biographer Jonathan Alter tells the story of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. He discusses their courtship and their time together while Jimmy served in the US Navy, the White House, and beyond. Read on to learn about the shared life of this historic couple.
What was Jimmy Carter’s earliest relationship with the Black community like? How and why did his public position on segregation change over time? Biographer Jonathan Alter discusses Jimmy Carter’s civil rights history and legacy in the book His Very Best. Alter describes a man who succumbed to the social and political pressure to keep quiet about his true beliefs—but only for a while. Read on to learn about Jimmy Carter, civil rights, and this pivotal time in American history.
What shook Jimmy Carter’s faith early in his political career? What did he do in response? For Jimmy Carter, religion is a guiding light in life. In his biography of Jimmy Carter, Jonathan Alter describes the former president as a devout Christian with a complicated history regarding civil rights and a legacy of selfless humanitarian work. Continue reading to learn about the role of faith at various points in Carter’s life and career.
What was Jimmy Carter’s campaign strategy when he ran for president? Why was it effective? In His Very Best, biographer Jonathan Alter presents a fresh perspective on Jimmy Carter’s life and career. One major chapter in Carter’s story is his successful run for president in 1976. Keep reading to learn about Jimmy Carter’s campaign strategy and how it succeeded.
Why did Iran take American hostages in 1979? Why did it take so long to free them? What should President Carter have done differently? Biographer Jonathan Alter can’t ignore the crisis that defined much of the presidency of Jimmy Carter—the Iran hostage crisis. Alter details the road to the crisis, Carter’s resistance to using military force, and the final push to free the hostages just as Carter’s presidency came to its end. Read on to learn about this dark chapter in American history.
What were Jimmy Carter’s foreign policy successes? What personal principles undergirded his global approach? On the global stage, Jimmy Carter distinguished himself as a president who would eschew the use of military strength except as a last resort. Instead, he prioritized maintaining and promoting peace at any cost, including political damage to himself. Read more to learn about the key successes and failures of Jimmy Carter’s foreign policy.
How did Jimmy Carter’s political career start? What are some of the defining moments that shaped his career and formed his legacy? Biographer Jonathan Alter takes us on a journey through Jimmy Carter’s political career that starts well before his presidency. Alter discusses what drew Carter to politics in the first place, and he describes the various stops on the winding road that ended at the White House. Read more to learn about Carter’s career from the Georgia State Senate to the US presidency.