Throughout his lifetime, Jimmy Carter held many titles: 39th president of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize winner, philanthropist, humanitarian, artist – and writer.
In his role as an author, Carter wrote mostly nonfiction, on everything from war and peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to faith, personal reflections on his childhood and aging – and even fishing. But he also dabbled in fiction – with a children's book, Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer, illustrated by his daughter, Amy, and a novel, The Hornet's Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War.
Carter published his first book, a campaign autobiography titled Why Not the Best? in 1975. Since then, he's written more than 30 works. "Of all our modern Presidents, Jimmy Carter was America's most protean author," his publisher Jonathan Karp, president and CEO of Simon & Schuster, said in a statement issued in late February 2023. "In all of his books, he maintained a voice of great integrity and intellectual honesty."
Carter wrote books about his life and his beliefs. But writers and historians alike have been fascinated with examining and reexamining Carter as a president, his post-Oval office impact, and his legacy. Here, we look at 10 of the best-known titles by or about Jimmy Carter.
5 of Carter's most widely read books
An Hour Before Daylight: Memoirs of a Rural Boyhood (2002)
Carter's memoir details his childhood in a segregated rural Georgia during the Great Depression. He reflects on living in a sharecropping economy, as he paints a portrait of his community and family.
Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis (2006)
Published in 2005, Carter offers a defense of the separation of church and state, as well as his takes on contemporary issues such as women's rights, abortion, terrorism, and the death penalty.
Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid (2007)
Written post-White House, Carter presents his views on the Israel-Palestine conflict – sharing his knowledge on the history of the Middle East and offering an assessment of solutions towards peace going forward.
A Full Life: Reflections at 90 (2015)
Even at 90 years of age, Carter didn't stop writing. In A Full Life: Reflections at 90, Carter looks back at his long life – from growing up in rural Georgia to realizing causes he's most passionate about – and shares the lessons he's learned along the way.
Faith: A Journey For All (2018)
As a devout Baptist, religion has always been a key pillar in Carter's life. But his book Faith: A Journey For All is about much more than that. In it, Carter explores faith's broader meanings, the different ways that it sustains our lives, and how to find faith even in the darkest of times.
5 of the most-read biographies on Carter
The Unfinished Presidency by Douglas Brinkley (1998)
Brinkley's The Unfinished Presidency focuses on Carter's resurrection after his defeat to Ronald Reagan in 1980. Brinkley provides observations of Carter's complex relationships with international figures, as well as his lifelong commitment to world peace.
Jimmy Carter by Julian Zelizer (2010)
Princeton history professor Julian Zelizer examines Carter's strategy as a maverick politician who was successful at communicating with and rallying voters disaffected by politics, but who faced challenges building a strong political coalition once in office. Post-presidency, Carter remade his image as a key voice for diplomacy and negotiation.
President Carter: The White House Years by Stuart Eizenstat (2018)
Authored by Carter's chief domestic policy adviser, President Carter: The White House Years provides an in-depth look at the Carter administration. The account draws on more than 5,000 pages of notes from meetings, as well as 350 interviews of major players of the time.
His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life by Jonathan Alter (2020)
In His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life, journalist Jonathan Alter traces the evolution of Carter's life – from being raised on a farm to working as a naval nuclear engineer to his presidency and its aftermath – painting a portrait of a president who was flawed but committed to uplifting and serving the American people.
The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter by Kai Bird (2021)
Pulling from interviews with Jimmy Carter, his administration, and relevant documents, Bird's The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter aims to redefine the legacy of the Carter administration, arguing that the 39th president has been largely misunderstood.
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