“You can do what you have to do, and sometimes you can do it even better than you think you can.”
James Earl Carter Jr served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977-1981. Not only is he the oldest living former US president and the longest-lived president, but he remains one of the most interesting figures in the nation’s history. Whilst opinion polls on his time in office are marred by the Iran hostage crisis, stagflation, a widespread energy crisis and a damning landslide loss to Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter represents a humanitarian side to US politics rarely seen in the White House. From opposing racial segregation, pardoning Vietnam draft evaders, promoting human rights and hosting peace talks around the world, his efforts, books and commentaries showcase how there is much more to this former Georgia senator than most historians would have you believe. Join us at What We Reading as we run through all the best books on Jimmy Carter!
His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life – Jonathan Alter
First up on our list of books on Jimmy Carter is perhaps the best biography written on the man, His Very Best. Written by acclaimed journalist, historian, analyst and filmmaker Jonathan Alter, His Very Best is a story of a man of faith who rose from the most humble beginnings to become a global icon. From growing up on a farm with no running water or electricity to leading the United States through some of the most turbulent and challenging events of the twentieth century.
Alter wonderfully captures what makes Jimmy Carter such a fascinating historical figure. A complex figure who has been equally ridiculed and revered, he examines what made Carter a flawed but underrated president, a leader whose staunch belief in telling the truth to the American people came with a striking intelligence, sharp wit and a patented smile. This is the book on Carter to turn to for changing your understanding of the most misunderstood president in American history.
Keeping Faith: Memoirs Of A President – Jimmy Carter
One of the best ways of understanding an American president is through the memoirs they publish after their time in office. Keeping Faith, originally published in 1982, provides one of the most candid accounts of Jimmy Carter’s presidency, from the man himself. From chronically the hostage crisis in Iran, triumphing at the Camp David Middle East peace summit, his relationships with various world leaders to other private details, all the events and moments that defined the Carter administration are recounted here.
Keeping Faith not only provides an eye-opening account of these events but also a poignant exploration of Carter’s character and how that influenced these moments in history. A born-again Christian and a seriously ethical individual, Carter openly shares the challenges he faced, his successes and shortcomings and what life is really like in the Oval Office.
Panic At The Pump: The Energy Crisis And The Transformation Of American Politics In The 1970s – Meg Jacobs
In 1973, the Arab OPEC cartel banned all exports of oil to the United States. As a result, prices and rage shot up across the country. A motto of ‘Don’t be Fuelish’ gave the sense of the US being a nation in decline, where insecurity gripped consumers across the country, something that would only be heightened by the close of the decade following the Iranian Revolution.
In her 2016 book Panic at the Pump, Meg Jacobs explores the effect the oil crisis had on American politics. If Vietnam and Watergate were what taught the people that the government lied, the oil crisis was what convinced them it didn’t work. It was a crisis that had lasting legacies on the presidencies of Nixon, Ford and Carter, with both the Republican and Democrat parties finding themselves distinctly divided over to grapple with the issue. Jacobs offers a lively portrait of Jimmy Carter during this time, painting his approach to the crisis, his party and the American people.
The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency Of Jimmy Carter – Kai Bird
Another one of the best books on Carter that tackles the idea of his single term in office as a failure is Kai Bird’s 2021 biography, The Outlier. Throughout this meticulously researched and brilliantly written work, Bird asserts that not only was Jimmy Carter an outsider, but rather an outlier.
The Outlier establishes the United States Carter inherited, a nation crippled by stagflation, demoralised and forced to re-assess itself in the wake of Watergate and Vietnam. Through his unwavering belief in doing the right thing, Carter would cost himself a second term in office and pave the way for Ronald Reagan’s ascension. The Outlier is one of the best Jimmy Carter books for showing how the issues the 39th President of the US faced are still hotly discussed across America today. From inequality, race relations, national healthcare, and Israel-Palestine, to immigration, Bird shows how Carter appears just as prescient today as he did during his term in office.
Stayin’ Alive: The 1970s And The Last Days Of The Working Class – Jefferson R. Cowie
A winner of the Merle Curti award, Stayin’ Alive by historian Jefferson R. Cowie is a sweeping account of the 1970s decade and its place as a key turning point in American history.
An often misunderstood time in history, Cowie explores the cultural history of the ‘70s, chronically how the working class of America found themselves at their lowest point in the wake of huge economic and cultural upheavals. Jam-packed with countless music, film and television lore, this read charts how the American people themselves jettisoned from rising incomes and optimism during the New Deal to widening economic inequality and the disillusionment present across the country today. Another one of the best books on Jimmy Carter, Cowie’s work helps put the 39th President firmly in the context of his time.
Jimmy Carter In The White House: A Captain With No Compass – Robert K. Green
In the years since leaving office, the scandals and controversies of his successors coupled with his own remarkable achievements have led to a comforting wave of nostalgia for Jimmy Carter’s presidency. One of the best books on Carter and this effect comes from Robert K. Green in his 2024 biography, Jimmy Carter in the White House.
This fresh examination of Carter’s presidency reflects on his domestic record, putting his approach to energy, economy and civil rights under the microscope, whilst also taking aim at some of the misconceptions surrounding his character and leadership. By putting Carter at the crossroads between liberalism under John F. Kennedy and conservatism under Ronald Reagan, readers get their most comprehensive understanding of Carter’s style of leadership and its impact on his administration.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
