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White House Diary Audiobook
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(3.03) - 239 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The edited, annotated New York Times bestselling 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 audiobook that stands as a unique contribution to the history of the American presidency.
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"Since I was only a small kid when Jimmy Carter was president, I found the book very interesting. You're basically reading his daily diary, so you have his personal insights on Congress, particular lawmakers (he and Teddy Kennedy did not get along at all) and issues, like the Panama Canal Treaty and Iranian Hostage Crisis. While he was an evangelical Christian, he was careful to separate religion from politics, and he worked as closely with Republicans as he did Democrats...a skill that has unfortunately been lost in present-day Washington. He was a fiscal conservative who frequently clashed with liberals by vetoing appropriations bills that contained unnecessary spending measures. Unfortunately, many conservatives still regard his presidency as one of the worst in recent history. I, on the other hand, believe he accomplished more than our previous three presidents in just four years and should be regarded as one of the finest individuals to sit in the White House."
— Darryl (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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Now, with his White House Diary, we have amazing access to the nitty-gritty, day-by-day account Carter kept during his four years in office, with the added insight of his annotations and explanatory notes.
— BookPage, part of "Sound advice for gift lists"
White House Diary Listener Reviews
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" didn't finish it. when he wrote these daily entries, he didn't intend for them to be published, which gives you an idea. "
— Marci, 1/30/2014 -
" I have to admit that I quit on the book, which is not something I do often. Maybe it got better, but I didn't find the book at all engaging. I thought Bush's book "Decision Points" revealed something of his thinking at points during his presidency, and I liked Reagan's abridged diary, but the Carter diary was flimsy, filled with random thoughts which were all too brief and without insights. Perhaps I liked Reagan's book more than Carter's because Reagan as a personality is more engaging, and his Presidency was more successful, and therefore what he discussed was by extension more interesting. At any rate, I found the beginning of the book disappointing, which caused me to cut my losses and move on to a book I would find more engaging. "
— Ray, 1/5/2014 -
" I enjoyed the "inside view" of the Carter Whitehouse. "
— Chris, 1/3/2014 -
" This is the greatest book ever written by a former President!!!!!!! "
— Renee.serra, 12/27/2013 -
" I can put it down and pick it back up and don't miss it. It is an interesting account of political life in the late 70's and early 80's. It is also interesting to hear Jimmy Carter's personal insights into events and people. "
— Chris, 12/8/2013 -
" Interesting and revealing history of a president who had a lot of problems to deal with, but who still did as much as he could, and had a very productive post-presidency. Very interesting reading. "
— Hadrian, 10/21/2013 -
" A little dry but fascinating to see what goes on in the daily life of U.S. President. I found it interesting that 30 of his staffers were Evelyn Wood speed readers. So were JFK's staff. "
— Jean, 9/25/2013 -
" I have such a soft spot for Jimmy Carter.It's quite a fascinating look at the Carter presidency from the man himself.I enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in President Jimmy Carter "
— Anna, 9/20/2013 -
" Jimmy Carter is a brilliant writer. What I enjoyed most about this book is how difficult a job being President actually is. He gives an honest account is what he dealt with on a daily basis. "
— Toni, 6/27/2013 -
" This book is slow going because it is a real diary, with updates from Jimmy Carter sprinkled throughout. It is an interesting look at the wide variety of issues a president deals with, and those specifically faced during Carter's term in the White House. "
— Melyssa, 2/7/2013 -
" Interesting but dry. Not my favorite of President Carter's books but good for someone very interested in the time period or presidential history. "
— Kristina, 6/18/2012 -
" Interesting and revealing history of a president who had a lot of problems to deal with, but who still did as much as he could, and had a very productive post-presidency. Very interesting reading. "
— Kaworu, 4/17/2011 -
" ugh - over my head, not ready for such a politically steeped book. I gave it a shot - about 100 pages - but not enough time to sort it all out. "
— Katie, 2/5/2011 -
" This is the greatest book ever written by a former President!!!!!!! "
— Renee.serra, 10/28/2010 -
" I enjoyed the "inside view" of the Carter Whitehouse. "
— Chris, 9/26/2010
About Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter was the thirty-ninth president of the United States, serving from 1977 to 1981. In 1982, he and his wife founded the Carter Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people around the world. Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He is the author of thirty books, including A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety; A Call to Action: Women, Religion, Violence, and Power; An Hour Before Daylight: Memoirs of a Rural Boyhood; and Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis.
About Jimmy Carter
Boyd Gaines is an Earphones Award–winning narrator and an actor whose many film credits include Second Best, I’m Not Rappaport, Heartbreak Ridge, Fame, and Porky’s. He’s won two Tony Awards for performances in the The Heidi Chronicles and the musical She Loves Me. On television he has appeared in A Woman Called Jackie, A Son’s Promise, and in the popular series One Day at a Time.