Jonathan Alter

Johnathan Alter’s His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life is a fascinating account of the 39th President of the United States. As a boy he grew up in Georgia in a home without electricity or running water. Carter lived on a farm with his family where he worked doing basic chores. As a young man he became a Christian in the Baptist church, and later joined the navy where he became a nuclear engineer.
In retirement after his father’s death, he moved back to Plains, Georgia, with his wife Rosalynn, and ran the peanut business. Carter entered politics, became governor of the state, and eventually won the national election against Gerald Ford to be President. As a former Southern governor, he had to deal with the politics of race. At first, he was lukewarm, tried to stay out of the fray, but eventually came to champion human rights.
Carter was known for his strong Christian faith. His administration was progressive, and was instrumental in brokering an Israel-Palestine peace, environmental achievements, and improved relations with China. His downfall came with his handling of the Iranian crisis. Rosalynn made her mark as a presidential advisor, ambassador to Latin America, and work on mental health. He was eventually defeated in the national election by Ronald Reagan.
In retirement Carter continued to work on the national and international scene. He would teach Sunday school classes. Habitat for Humanity has been a glowing success. The Carter Center has monitored elections in several countries around the world. It has received philanthropical support for humanitarian projects in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Thousands of lives were saved with the eradication of water-borne diseases in countries of Africa.… (más)

Magisterial biography of Jimmy Carter - a sober reminder of the level of racism existing in the Democratic Party, before JC's election as Governor of Georgia, as well as in society at large. Jimmy Carter's success in bringing a degree of peace to the Israeli-Arab confrontation, at least between Egypt and Israel, is well known but the scale of his involvement and the risks involved are properly highlighted. JC has his fair share of human flaws, and his outright political skills are minimal, yet this tome takes a positive view overall, which should improve JC's standing in the pantheon of American presidents.… (más)