This is my second book of The American Presidents series, which I feel is better suited for one-term presidents. Normally a prefer a more granular history. With that said, the book sparks interest for further reading, e.g. neo-liberal economics, or middle east peace negotiations.

A decent, concise history. ( )

This account of the Carter presidency begins and ends by saying nice things about Carter, which meseems are belied by the book's main focus, which is on Carter's fraught relationship with his own party. Carter came to Washington fixed with a stubborn determination to break congressional old bulls such as Jack Brooks, Thos. O'Neill, and Edward Kennedy. Although he won some legislative victories, especially at first, he made enemies who eventually came back to haunt him, especially with Kennedy, who challenged him for the 1980 nomination, turned that convention into a gigantic Kennedy rally despite not having enough votes to attain the nomination, and, perhaps most crucially, when Carter's briefing book for his debate with Republican Dutch Reagan turned up in the Republican camp, it seems to have been the work of a vindictive Kennedy staffer. O'Neill even made a point of calling a Carter aide on election night and said, "You guys came in as jerks, and you're going out as jerks" when Carter conceded before the West Coast polls had closed. Meanwhile, Carter had also alienated many if not most groups of the traditional Democratic coalition who turned apathetic if not hostile to his re-election campaign. The book is very readable throughout most of its length, with its laser focus on the politics of the campaigns and his battles with Congress, but ends unfortunately with an uninteresting, longish coda on Carter's post-presidential humanitarian and diplomatic endeavors. ( )