An Outdoor Journal
by Jimmy Carter, 1988

No matter how demanding his responsibilities, there has never been a time when Jimmy Carter did not retreat into the natural world, even if only for a few hours, to be renewed in strength and perspective.

Author of three national bestsellers, former President Jimmy Carter has written his most personal book: a delightful, intimate journey through the seasons of fishing, hunting and hiking, from his childhood in Plains, Georgia, to the White House and beyond.

Jimmy Carter's greatest thrill as a boy was to be summoned by his father, long before daylight, to go out into the still darkness with the older men, gather around a fire and listen to them compare stories before setting out to hunt or fish in nearby woods, fields and streams.

From his childhood in rural Georgia to his crowded days as President, he has always found solace and relaxation in the outdoors. Today, his pleasure in sport and reverence for nature remain undiminished. Skiing on pristine western trails or fishing during a scorching Georgia day, Carter relishes the challenge of perfecting his skills.

Jimmy Carter's universe is peopled not just by heads of state but by unforgettable characters from all over the country – and the world. There is Rachel Clark, a black woman who could catch more fish than anyone around rural Plains; Mr. Bob, whose good coon hunting dogs might lead by accident to a moonshine still; Wayne Harpster, who each year celebrates simultaneously his birthday and the annual hatch of Green Drake mayflies; and the high lama at Tengboche, Nepal, who wrote a beautiful old prayer book – in a previous life.

To present the proper fly to a rising fish or to become a proficient wing shot demands the greatest determination, study, planning and practice. Over the years, Jimmy Carter has had occasion to fight rattlers, train bird dogs, stalk wild turkeys, hunt ducks and wade chest deep in icy streams in the most unseasonable weather.

With candor and charm, he describes the discomforts and revelations of his encounters with the natural world. His quests for Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, bass and bonefish have taken him – often with his wife, Rosalynn, and a son or grandson – to the lakes and streams near Camp David, to Yellowstone, to Canada's Gaspe Peninsula and to Alaska. He's searched for rhino and Bengal tigers in Nepal – and hunted quail around the corner from home.

Jimmy Carter has gotten lost in the woods only to find his most essential self. And he's done so with humor and resourcefulness. The active sportsperson and the armchair naturalist will find hours of delightful escape – and illumination – in An Outdoor Journal.

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