White House Diary

Each day during his presidency, Jimmy Carter made several entries in a private diary. He provided unvarnished assessments of cabinet members, congressmen, and foreign leaders, recording his thoughts, impressions, delights, and frustrations. 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 Teddy Kennedy, Henry Kissinger, Joe Biden, Anwar Sadat, and Menachem Begin. Remarkably, 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. Offering an unprecedented look at both the man and his tenure, this fascinating book will stand as a unique contribution to the history of the American presidency.