The edited, annotated diary of President Jimmy Carter--filled with insights into his presidency, his relationships with friends and foes, and his lasting impact on issues that still preoccupy America and the world Each day during his presidency, Jimmy Carter made several entries in a private diary, recording his thoughts, impressions, delights, and frustrations. He offered unvarnished assessments of cabinet members, congressmen, and foreign leaders; he narrated the progress of secret negotiations such as those that led to the Camp David Accords. When his four-year term came to an end in early 1981, the diary amounted to more than five thousand pages. But this extraordinary document has never been made public--until now. By carefully selecting the most illuminating and relevant entries, Carter has provided us with an astonishingly intimate view of his presidency. Day by day, we see his forceful advocacy for nuclear containment, sustainable energy, human rights, and peace in the Middle East. We witness his interactions with such complex personalities as Ted Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, Joe Biden, Anwar Sadat, and Menachem Begin. We get the inside story of his so-called "malaise speech," his bruising battle for the 1980 Democratic nomination, and the Iranian hostage crisis. Remarkably, we also get Carter's retrospective comments on these topics and more: thirty years after the fact, he has annotated the diary with his candid reflections on the people and events that shaped his presidency, and on the many lessons learned. Carter is now widely seen as one of the truly wise men of our time. Offering an unprecedented look at both the man and his tenure, White House Diary is a fascinating book that stands as a unique contribution to the history of the American presidency.
Reviews with the most likes.
I was in my early 20's when Jimmy Carter was President and my feeling was that he was not a very good President. In fact, I had much more respect and admiration for him AFTER he left the White House due to his work with Habitat for Humanity and the status he attained as an elder statesman.
That being said, reading his daily diary entries of his 4 years as President of the United States has given me a little bit better insight into what he was trying to (and, in many cases) accomplish. Carter shows both his good and bad sides as a President and has the courage to address his shortcomings in some of his dealings with other elected and appointed officials and with foreign heads of state. The entries on his work and dealings with Begin and Sadat to attain the Camp David Accord were some of the most interesting to me.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the inner workings of the Carter presidency.