Overview

When Hamilton Jordan died of peritoneal mesothelioma in 2008, he left behind a mostly finished memoir, a book on which he had been working for the last decade. Jordan’s daughter, Kathleen—with the help of her brothers and mother—took up the task of editing and completing the book. A Boy from Georgia the result of this posthumous father-daughter collaboration chronicles Hamilton Jordan’s childhood in Albany, Georgia, charting his moral and intellectual development as he gradually discovers the complicated legacies of racism, religious intolerance, and southern politics, and affords his readers an intimate view of the state’s wheelers and dealers. Jordan’s middle-class childhood was bucolic in some ways and traumatizing in others. As Georgia politicians battled civil rights leaders, a young Hamilton straddled the uncomfortable line between the southern establishment to which he belonged and the movement in which he believed. Fortunate enough to grow up in a family that had considerable political clout within Georgia, Jordan went into politics to put his ideals to work. Eventually he became a key aide to Jimmy Carter and was the architect of Carter’s stunning victory in the presidential campaign of 1976; Jordan later served as Carter’s chief of staff. Clear eyed about the triumphs and tragedies of Jordan’s beloved home state and region, A Boy from Georgia tells the story of a remarkable life in a voice that is witty, vivid, and honest.

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9780820348896

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Reviews

Hamilton Jordan was a whip-smart advisor, a great writer, and someone with whom I shared a warm and candid friendship. He witnessed the formation of the civil rights agenda in real time and made it a personal mission to break down racial barriers in hiring staff in the Governor's office and the White House. Hamilton's reflections on his Southern heritage are honest, witty, and as important now as ever before.--Dr. Andrew Young, former Georgia Congressman and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations We owe Hamilton Jordan and his determined, rebellious spirit a standing ovation that reaches the top of Stone Mountain and beyond. Instead of producing a tome on foreign policy, as he was expected to do, he saw his days were numbered and instead produced this mesmerizing memoir of his Georgia years. This is a delightful and inspiring coming-of-age story brimming with funny anecdotes, family mysteries, and political intrigue, but it is much more than one raconteur's personal report of how the scales fell from his eyes. Through Hamilton's stories of his maturation, it is possible, finally, to trace the evolution of a species--the white, southern male--from the muck of Jim Crowism to the embrace of the progressive spirit that is the South's salvation.--Hank Klibanoff author of The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation A wonderful book, and a wonderful set of stories, put together by the daughter of a man who was very involved in American politics, doing a lot of reflecting.--Judy Woodruff PBS Newshour A fine glimpse into the evolution in Washington political history.--Publishers Weekly Your dad was great. This book is great. It`s a great story.--Chris Matthews Hardball with Chris Matthews

A wonderful book, and a wonderful set of stories, put together by the daughter of a man who was very involved in American politics, doing a lot of reflecting.--Judy Woodruff PBS Newshour

This is a delightful and inspiring coming-of-age story brimming with funny anecdotes, family mysteries, and political intrigue, but it is much more than one raconteur's personal report of how the scales fell from his eyes. Through Hamilton's stories of his maturation, it is possible, finally, to trace the evolution of a species--the white, southern male--from the muck of Jim Crowism to the embrace of the progressive spirit that is the South's salvation. --Hank Klibanoff, coauthor of The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation

We owe Hamilton Jordan and his determined, rebellious spirit a standing ovation that reaches the top of Stone Mountain and beyond. Instead of producing a tome on foreign policy, as he was expected to do, he saw his days were numbered and instead produced this mesmerizing memoir of his Georgia years. This is a delightful and inspiring coming-of-age story brimming with funny anecdotes, family mysteries, and political intrigue, but it is much more than one raconteur s personal report of how the scales fell from his eyes. Through Hamilton s stories of his maturation, it is possible, finally, to trace the evolution of a species--the white, southern male--from the muck of Jim Crowism to the embrace of the progressive spirit that is the South s salvation.--Hank Klibanoff author of The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation

Author Information

Hamilton Jordan (1944–2008) was chief of staff under President Jimmy Carter from 1979 to 1980. He was key advisor and strategist for Carter’s successful presidential campaign in 1976, and—at the age of twenty-six—Jordan designed and spearheaded Carter’s successful gubernatorial campaign in 1970. Kathleen Jordan is Hamilton Jordan’s daughter and a television producer and writer living in Los Angeles.

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