Jimmy Carter: A Life from Beginning to End

Jimmy Carter defied every expectation. Dismissed as a failed one-term president, he transformed defeat into a remarkable second act that spanned nearly half a century. When he left the White House at 56, few could have predicted that this farmer from Plains, Georgia, would become America’s most impactful as well as longest-lived ex-president. He wielded a hammer for Habitat for Humanity well into his 90s, eradicated diseases in some of the world’s poorest regions, and conducted freelance diplomacy that sometimes frustrated—and often aided—sitting presidents. From negotiating with North Korean leaders to monitoring elections in developing nations, Carter redefined what it means to serve after serving.

This book traces Jimmy Carter’s journey from his Depression-era childhood on a Georgia farm to his naval service under the legendary Admiral Rickover, from his improbable rise to the presidency during the post-Watergate era to his groundbreaking humanitarian work that earned him a Nobel Peace Prize. This is his life—this is his story.