Reviews
"This beautifully written book will take its place alongside other superb one-volume biographies of American presidents. The Outlier will raise readers' estimates of Jimmy Carter's term in office." --Robert Dallek, New York Times bestselling author of Franklin D. Roosevelt and An Unfinished Life "A grand work of revisionist history, prodigiously researched and gracefully written, The Outlier tells the story of a singular man and a unique presidency at a critical point in American and world history." --David Nasaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Million "Bird tells the story with sympathy, intelligence, and a wealth of marvelously organized information. The Outlier is a pleasure to read." --Vivian Gornick, author of Fierce Attachments "Kai Bird's brilliant biography doesn't just capture Jimmy Carter's decency and courage. It reminds us what America can still learn from him today." --Peter Beinart, author of The Crisis of Zionism "Books about presidents are often fat and dull--not this one. Bird has talked to everybody and written a compelling account of the most underrated president in American history." --Thomas Powers, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Killing of Crazy Horse "It's time that Jimmy Carter gets his due, and Kai Bird's biography is a giant step in that direction." --Richard Moe, author of Roosevelt's Second Act, "An 'outlier' among politicians, Carter shows what democratic politics could be, if the power-hungry, dishonest figures would just get out of the way. Bird's book offers a rich and compelling account of Carter's sincere efforts to make American policies match the nation's ideals." -- The Washington Post "In Kai Bird's latest masterpiece, a book that models the virtues of the biographer's craft, Jimmy Carter receives his due. Deeply empirical and exquisitely sculpted, The Outlier . . . is a landmark. . . . Bird's treatment gives Carter's presidency the deep analysis it deserves." -- Foreign Policy "A bracing reminder that the 39th president was a man of probity, decency, high hopes, and high moral standards . . . Bird's take on whom he calls 'our most enigmatic president' is relentlessly fair-minded. [ The Outlier ] redeems [Carter's] presidency and reminds us of how callous we might have been during his years in office." -- The Boston Globe "This is superior history, superbly researched and marvelously written." --Douglas Brinkley, New York Times bestselling author of American Moonshot "This beautifully written book will take its place alongside other superb one-volume biographies of American presidents. The Outlier will raise readers' estimates of Jimmy Carter's term in office." --Robert Dallek, New York Times bestselling author of Franklin D. Roosevelt and An Unfinished Life "A grand work of revisionist history, prodigiously researched and gracefully written, The Outlier tells the story of a singular man and a unique presidency at a critical point in American and world history." --David Nasaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Million "Bird tells the story with sympathy, intelligence, and a wealth of marvelously organized information. The Outlier is a pleasure to read." --Vivian Gornick, author of Fierce Attachments "Books about presidents are often fat and dull--not this one. Bird has talked to everybody and written a compelling account of the most underrated president in American history." --Thomas Powers, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Killing of Crazy Horse "Incisive . . . Bird is a keen biographer of political figures, and he offers a welcome reminder that Carter's liberal impulses were correct while his missteps were often the result of events he could not fully control . . . [ The Outlier is] the best study to date of the Carter era and a substantial contribution to the history of the 1970s." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) ". . . a lucid, penetrating portrait that should spur reconsideration of Carter's much-maligned presidency." --Publishers Weekly "A readable, masterful biography of a complex leader . . ." --Booklist (starred review), "An 'outlier' among politicians, Carter shows what democratic politics could be, if the power-hungry, dishonest figures would just get out of the way. Bird's book offers a rich and compelling account of Carter's sincere efforts to make American policies match the nation's ideals." -- The Washington Post "In Kai Bird's latest masterpiece, a book that models the virtues of the biographer's craft, Jimmy Carter receives his due. Deeply empirical and exquisitely sculpted, The Outlier . . . is a landmark. . . . Bird's treatment gives Carter's presidency the deep analysis it deserves." -- Foreign Policy "Bird's nuanced study not only sets the record straight on Carter's misunderstood presidency, it brings him to life in a way that few other biographers have been able to thus far." -- Variety "A bracing reminder that the 39th president was a man of probity, decency, high hopes, and high moral standards . . . Bird's take on whom he calls 'our most enigmatic president' is relentlessly fair-minded. [ The Outlier ] redeems [Carter's] presidency and reminds us of how callous we might have been during his years in office." -- The Boston Globe "This is superior history, superbly researched and marvelously written." --Douglas Brinkley, New York Times bestselling author of American Moonshot "This beautifully written book will take its place alongside other superb one-volume biographies of American presidents. The Outlier will raise readers' estimates of Jimmy Carter's term in office." --Robert Dallek, New York Times bestselling author of Franklin D. Roosevelt and An Unfinished Life "A grand work of revisionist history, prodigiously researched and gracefully written, The Outlier tells the story of a singular man and a unique presidency at a critical point in American and world history." --David Nasaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Million "Bird tells the story with sympathy, intelligence, and a wealth of marvelously organized information. The Outlier is a pleasure to read." --Vivian Gornick, author of Fierce Attachments "Books about presidents are often fat and dull--not this one. Bird has talked to everybody and written a compelling account of the most underrated president in American history." --Thomas Powers, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Killing of Crazy Horse "Incisive . . . [ The Outlier is] the best study to date of the Carter era and a substantial contribution to the history of the 1970s." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) ". . . a lucid, penetrating portrait that should spur reconsideration of Carter's much-maligned presidency." --Publishers Weekly "A readable, masterful biography of a complex leader . . ." --Booklist (starred review), "This beautifully written book will take its place alongside other superb one-volume biographies of American presidents. The Outlier will raise readers' estimates of Jimmy Carter's term in office." --Robert Dallek, New York Times bestselling author of Franklin D. Roosevelt and An Unfinished Life "A grand work of revisionist history, prodigiously researched and gracefully written, The Outlier tells the story of a singular man and a unique presidency at a critical point in American and world history." --David Nasaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Million "Bird tells the story with sympathy, intelligence, and a wealth of marvelously organized information. The Outlier is a pleasure to read." --Vivian Gornick, author of Fierce Attachments "Kai Bird's brilliant biography doesn't just capture Jimmy Carter's decency and courage. It reminds us what America can still learn from him today." --Peter Beinart, author of The Crisis of Zionism "Books about presidents are often fat and dull--not this one. Bird has talked to everybody and written a compelling account of the most underrated president in American history." --Thomas Powers, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of The Killing of Crazy Horse "It's time that Jimmy Carter gets his due, and Kai Bird's biography is a giant step in that direction." --Richard Moe, author of Roosevelt's Second Act "Incisive . . . Bird is a keen biographer of political figures, and he offers a welcome reminder that Carter's liberal impulses were correct while his missteps were often the result of events he could not fully control . . . [ The Outlier is] the best study to date of the Carter era and a substantial contribution to the history of the 1970s." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Bird skillfully paints Carter as a mix of genuine idealism and 'clear-eyed ruthlessness' behind a folksy facade, and shrewdly analyzes the forces of stagflation, deindustrialization, and U.S. imperial decline . . . that hobbled him. The result is a lucid, penetrating portrait that should spur reconsideration of Carter's much-maligned presidency." --Publishers Weekly "A readable, masterful biography of a complex leader . . . Bird does a magnificent job characterizing the many strong and fiery personalities in the Carter administration, making them all individuals with virtues and flaws." --Booklist (starred review)
