Jimmy Carter in Plains by Robert Buccellato

The following are new promotional images for the Book Jimmy Carter in Plains by Arcadia Publishing

New Promotional images for Jimmy Carter in Plains

Jimmy Carter in Plains: Robert Buccellato valdosta daily news article

“Jimmy Carter in Plains” is mostly a picture book filled with photographs of the 39th President and his family in their Georgia hometown.

Charles W. Plant provides the mother lode of photos. Robert Buccellato provides the words.

The book is part of the Images of Modern America series.

There are plenty of photographs of all of the Carters from the period when he was running for President of the United States: Brother Billy, mother Lillian, wife Rosalynn, etc.

The book reveals Carter’s small-town roots and his outsized ambition to move from the office of Georgia governor to the White House.

Ironically, as the book is filled with Plains photos and remains true to the title “Jimmy Carter in Plains,” the cover is a photograph of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter walking the streets of Washington, D.C., during the presidential inauguration.

With dozens of photos, the book is an interesting look, literally and figuratively, into the small town that fueled the rise of Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential campaign. The same town that serves as his home and inspiration today.

Author Interview from the Front Porch - Jimmy Carter In Plains

Here is my interview with the blog "From the Front Porch" the official podcast from the great south Georgia book store "The Book Shelf" of Thomasville.
mouse over the title and click Play. Open iTunes to download and subscribe to podcasts.
Description
Welcome to "From the Front Porch," a collection of conversations on books, small business, and life in the South. Each week, we share stories from the shop and happenings from our small town in South Georgia, all recorded from the comfort of Annie's front porch settled among the streets of downtown Thomasville. Follow along our adventures in store ownership, and eavesdrop into quirky conversations from our staff's day-to-day behind the counter. We'll introduce you to Thomasville's diverse cast of characters and share our favorite books of the season.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/from-the-front-porch/id906463114?mt=2

The book, my event in plains, and to a smaller extent myself was featured in the Albany herald




heres the link
http://www.albanyherald.com/features/arts_entertainment/president-carter-revisits-campaign-for-presidents-day-in-plains/article_388b755c-010c-5871-a099-0faa39c4b7f6.html

the article name is President Carter revisits 1976 campaign for Presidents Day in Plains
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter will share experiences and sign books Monday

it covers the weekend celebration for the 40th anniversary of the 1976 election.

Jimmy Carter In Plains : An Amazon bestseller

For the third time since it went on pre-sale
the book has become the #1 New Release in Photography History
It has remained within the top ten all week long and according to the publisher, as sold over half of its first edition. Oh and did I mention the book was only released two days ago.



Get the acclaimed book while you still can, apparently Amazon has had to order another set of books so they won't get sold out.

http://www.amazon.com/Jimmy-Carter-Plains-Images-America/dp/146711541X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1454535253&sr=8-1&keywords=robert+buccellato

Florida Squeeze Author Interview - Robert Buccellato

Heres the link 

http://thefloridasqueeze.com/2016/01/25/interview-robert-buccellato-author-jimmy-carter-in-plains-the-presidential-hometown/

January 25, 2016 · by Kartik Krishnaiyer

Robert Buccellato the author of Florida Governors Lasting Legacies has penned another book this time about President Jimmy Carter and his hometown of Plains, Georgia. The new book Jimmy Carter in Plains: (Images of Modern America) is on sale now for release on February 1. The book is a unique look at the relationship between President Carter and his hometown. Exclusive photographs from Charles Plant in this book weave a motif of Carter and his family in the town of Plains. In a far ranging interview, Kartik Krishnaiyer sat down with the author to discuss Carter’s relationship with both his mother and father, his upbringing in segregationist South Georgia, his naval service and a discussion about how his retail politics honed in Plains helped him win the New Hampshire Primary in 1976 en route to the Presidency. We also discuss at length President Carter’s post White House life, his interactions with other members of the exclusive fraternity of US Presidents.

Brother Billy and Miss Lillian

When asked about his family, Billy without missing a beat let off one of the best quips of the entire election cycle: "My mother went into the Peace Corps when she was sixty-eight. My one sister is a motorcycle freak, my other sister is a Holy Roller evangelist and my brother is running for president. I'm the only sane one in the family."

One morning in 1976 Billy Carter was driving his pickup truck through Plains when he spotted Jimmy walking with Senator John Glenn of Ohio, a possible Vice-Presidential choice who was in town for an interview with the Democratic nominee. As the nominee introduced the Senator to Billy Carter, the younger brother reached into the car seat, chose a can of beer and popped the cap. Jimmy Carter seemed to shudder.

Brother Billy had the now famous main street sign hung originally in 1966. It proclaimed at the time that plains was the “Home of our next governor.” He changed it in 1970 be erasing with paint the word “next.” In 1975 Billy once again hired painters to change the sign so that it read “Home of the Next President.” Of course the morning after the 1976 general election, painters were again called to change the sign.

A new water town erected in the town during the summer of 1976. A group out of Albany was contracted to dismantle the old water tower piece by piece. The town hadn’t used the rusty tower for years. But according to Billy Carter its dismantling was necessary, “There were people climbing up it. One fellow got up to the top and wouldn’t come down.”

With the primary season over the democratic nominee returned home to plains to rest before the customary start of the fall campaign during Labor Day. The press of course followed him wherever he went, to fish fry, the family pond house to fish with his mother, and the train depot.  This was also when the first tourist shuttles and vans began to operate in the town. Before long there seemed to be new and bigger news circulating throughout the town each day. Brother Billy eventually hired an agent and t-shirts reading “Billy Who 1984” were being sold in town.

According to Richard Hyatt author of The Carters of Plains “Miss Lillian held Court at the Depot like the Queen mother.” There was always a constant stream of people wanting to touch her and reach out to her. She finally put up a sign that said “Don’t touch me! Just talk and Keep moving.”
Following Watergate honest was one of the key qualities many Americans claimed they were looking for in a presidential candidate. This lead Jimmy Carter to declare that he would “Never tell a lie or make a miss leading statement.” Miss Lillian told him repeatedly that such promises were impossible to keep. Whenever reporters would question her about the candidate’s plead she would often times make humor out of it. “Jimmy says he'll never tell a lie. Well, I lie all the time. I have to - to balance the family ticket. “

 “Should we believe your son when he tells us he won’t lie to us?” one reporter asked during an in-depth interview with Miss Lillian. “Well,” she said to the reporter, “Jimmy tells White lies.” When the reporter asked Miss Lillian to explain what that meant she replied with relish, “Remember how when I met you at the door I told you I was glad to see you?”

At the age of 66 Miss Lillian went to India as a Peace Corps volunteer. As a registered nurse she spent the next two years working in a clinic outside of Bombay. She worked on the presidential campaign full time and became a notable guest on the talk show circuit of the day. Upon her return home, the Carter children built her this pond house

Miss Lillian strongly disliked the commercialization of the town, and soon gave up her daily journeys to the depot. Billy Carter actually moved away from Plains to a town 19 miles away. The increased interest in Plains meant that it attracted to its doors some of the best and worse kinds of people. Often Billy Carter’s service station was filled with strangers looking to rub elbows with him or in some cases promote strange cases.One crafty idea to help promote the city was to purchase off one square inch of land near the depot to interested buyers. Complete with a signed certificate anyone could purchase for five dollars a piece of plains.

 In the summer of 1976, as the press gathered around Plains to get acquainted with the Democratic nominee and his family, Billy Carter quickly became a national celebrity. "I got a red neck, white socks, and Blue Ribbon beer," Billy would say with a grin.  His service station was always packed with an odd mix of regulars and journalism royalty.

Some felt the tiny town took on the aura of an old Hollywood set on election night. By midday crowds pouring into the town. Candidate Carter appeared at around 5 o’clock to speak on a make shift platform to address the thousands that now gathered around it. Once the Carters left for Atlanta to await their electoral fate the crowds only grew larger.

The final vote that election night was 50.1 percent for Carter and 48 percent for Ford. It took some time for the voters in Mississippi to put Carter over the top, which didn’t take place until 3 am. Carter would receive over 90 percent of the African American vote and most of the rural vote.

The small town was packed with supporters and the bright pink sunlight of the early morning cropped up over the buildings of Main Street and bathed those on the depot platform with a warm sunshine. Jimmy Carter returned home to say thank you.

After climbing up the crowded depot he embraced his mother, brother, and sisters. He was given a copy of the Columbus Enquirer from cousin Betty Pope that read “Carter Wins” and held it up triumphantly to the crowd.

 “In 22 months I haven’t been choked up...But when we drove into town, and saw so many people foolish enough to be out in Plains. All the others running for President didn’t have people helping them who would stay up all night in Plains.”

Amy Carter

Let me tell you a story
There was once a girl named Amy
At the age of seven her parents moved her from the City and the Governor's mansion to the Country. This particular was a self proclaimed City Girl and enjoyed being the First Daughter of the state of Georgia. However in no time at all she found that she rather enjoyed Rural life. Her parents were off running for President or some such thing that she wasn't very interested in, and she was living almost full time with her two grandmas. These woman spent most of their days spoiling Amy and her cousins, and this new slightly independent, mostly indulgent, and totally freeing lifestyle was everything to young Amy. Having a small grouping of Male Cousins as Friends and acres of wildlife for a playground, the once metropolitan Amy became a tomboy.

Once her father started becoming famous, the press began to seek out Plains. They started asking her Uncle Billy and Her grandmother Lillian for interviews. Amy however was early on spared by her grandmother from giving interviews, not because she was trying to shield her grand child, but because in her own words "she smells terrible and refuses to take a bath."

As her father became the Democratic Front Runner Amy became friends with the young Children of the many reporters who were sent to cover plains. Many a columnist or news anchor would find themselves buying Amy and their own daughter a hamburger at a skating ring, while her father was trying to win a far off Primary.

Once her father became his Party's nominee Amy's freedom was largely suspended by the inclusion of a Secret Service Agent that had to follow her everywhere. That and all the miles of trees she use to climb, and the main street she use to race through with her bike was now congested with people, strangers, some nice, some strange, all of them getting in her way.

This was when the Carter brain and it's talent for Entrepreneurship started to take hold and Amy decided to go into business for herself. Now she did what any young girl her age would do in this situation she opened up a lemonade stand. Journalist Richard hyatt once described her as "Lemonade and Freckles." The budding business owner and her friend john served sandwiches and lemonade to the people who flocked to Woodland Drive to take a peak at the Carter Residence. With members of the National press being her best customers.

Now it didn't take long for Amy to learn the golden rule of road side economics "supply and demand" and the price for a cup of lemonade was soon raised from a dime to a quarter. Some Reporters actually used this minor raise in a satirical article.  When one reporter jokingly teased the Candidate about his daughter's price gouging, Carter without missing a beat replied with a smile that reporters should pay double. They had expense accounts.
Its stories like this that make American History interesting and its this kind of story that makes Plains so interesting. It was a moment in time when the historic met the ordinary. When America Came home. When a retiree like Lillian Carter got into a mud fight after a fish fry with a member of journalistic royalty like Sam Donaldson. When people who wrote articles to a national audience across the wide expanse of the 1970s news media, would soon find themselves sharing a beer with a mud covered daily laborer at Billy's service station.

The Plains Train Depot

There is a historical pull to this place and it’s become manifested in the tiny green and white painted train depot at the center of town. For myself, this humble structure has always held such romantic attachment. This was where Jimmy Carter pulled it off.  Where he, along with his neighbors and family staged the most improvable and captivating Presidential campaign in history, forever changing the political landscape of the nation and how we pick our presidential nominees.

Once you enter the depot, long devoid of frequent activity, a single video can be heard echoing throughout the building. It is a video that Charles Plant put together on the 1976 election. The images are old and the voices heard are those that use to fill the television screens in countless homes decades earlier. The nightly news anchors of the past; Cronkite, Harry Reasoner, and John Chancellor, can be heard.  The desired effect is easily achieved, transporting visitors back to a time when this depot was packed with locals and campaign workers and primary nights would turn into local vigils and tailgate festivals, as several TVs were installed to witness the results of so many past contests, when their favorite son was trying to achieve the impossible. 

. Two rocking chairs, used frequently by America’s First Mother, Lillian Carter, can still be seen.  Today, a sign proudly and humorously recounts the fact that “Behind this closed door” is the reason why the depot was selected as the campaign headquarters. It was the location of the only available public bathroom in town. Today the bathroom is closed and visitors are prevented from entering this historic lavatory. 

As the election of Jimmy Carter became a real possibility, both the candidate and his hometown started becoming big business. Carter’s wide smile began showing up everywhere in town and souvenir makers had a field day turning the town into a household name nationwide. Some, like the N.G. Slater campaign buttons were of high quality, while others were simply made by an endless series of small entrepreneurs looking for an easy buck. Eventually, the massive level of outside guests began to die down. After the Carter Presidency entered the history books, the town and its famous son both shared in parallel struggles to acclimate themselves to life outside the national spotlight. Plains and Carter both took it upon themselves to help preserve the best elements of the 1976 election and its aftermath for posterity. It was not an easy task for them both. But, President Carter threw himself into the task of turning key structures of his hometown into a national park. With the aid of the residents and outside support, the former president succeeded beyond his wildest hopes. 

The town’s train depot was constructed in 1888 and was, for a time, the only building with a public bathroom. This was the primary reason for its selection as the hometown headquarters for the Carter Presidential campaign. It was the site of numerous hometown primary parties and was where candidate Carter would hold interviews whenever in town.  As the 1970s dawned, Plains remained largely unchanged. But, following his announcement for president, the entire landscape of the community began to change. The primary night parties would begin at the depot and quickly took on a church potluck atmosphere. There were said to have been rows of flatbed trucks everywhere and tiny campers. 

This commemorative T-shirt, owned by Plains resident and Peanut Brigadier Ida English. This shirt and other souvenirs were proudly displayed by Jimmy Carter’s supporters to celebrate his victory in the 1976 presidential election. This style of shirt was worn by Peanut Brigadiers on the night of Jimmy Carter's Presidential election. It was the idea of Maxime Reese to have these t shirts made and it wasn't until Jimmy Carter won late in the early morning that those on the platform reveled the t shirts. Miss Lillian raised her tired self from her rocking chair on the Platform to reveal her shirt and suddenly fell down. Laughing she soon recovered and the crowd went wild.

The Town in a short period of time had gone from a sleepy community of 600 people into the capital of American political life. While the nation's major cities were spending millions each year to attract new residences to their communities. The town of Plains was getting up to 10 thousand tourists a day and hadn't spend a dime. But, of-course all of that was soon to change.

The inside of the train depot museum during the 1980s. Following 1979 the crowds in Plains began to die down and once Carter lost re-election the community began to turn sleepy once again. There was till tourists, but never like the glory days. Before the National Park Service became actively involved in preserving the town, the depot served as the town’s visitor center. Today it has interactive exhibits and detailed accounts of the 1976 election. But, when this picture was taken, the citizens of Plains relied almost solely on their own personal memorabilia to fill the museum. 

The Jimmy Carter National Historic site and preservation district was established by an Act of Congress in 1987. The historic site consists of the railroad depot, shown here in the early 1980s, that had fallen into disrepair, the boyhood home, that needed to be purchased, and the Carter compound. The preservation district consists of the historic district and 650 acres of agricultural lands.  

The Depot Museum was designed to retain all the humble charms of its 1970's structure and to also host a grouping of anecdotes from the 1976 election.  In the beginning the town could only depend on the relics they themselves still had in their homes and in shops on Main Street. But, then Carter Presidential Collectors began to make very generous donations to the site and the place became one of the most appealing parts of the historic district. 

Book Blurb by Chris DeRose

I am deeply honored to receive this Book Blurb by the New York Times Bestselling author of "The President's war" and "Congressman Lincoln" Chris DeRose

Let me just go on record and say that he is one of the rising giants of mine generation, in terms of Non Fiction Authors, and it is a great joy to present this to you all


"I loved this book.  Many presidents are associated with a place.  Without understanding the place, you can't understand the president.  Few presidents are tied to a place like Jimmy Carter is to Plains.  Thanks to this excellent book, with its rare and fascinating photographs, we can now understand the small town that raised a president, and thus gain a greater understanding of the man."

Chris DeRose, New York Times bestselling author of "The Presidents' War."  

Jimmy Carter Promos - Reviews

The reviews are in and the book has been very well received
over half of its first edition has already been purchased
 be sure to pre-order your copy now on Amazon, Books a Million, Barnes and Noble, or The Arcadia Website to name a few.

 

Jimmy Carter in Plains book review by Jose Blanco

Jimmy Carter in Plains
Review by José Blanco F.
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois.

Blanco is the author of "Becoming Billy Carter" and was a leader in the creation of the Billy Carter museum in Plains, Ga.

Jimmy Carter in Plains by Robert Buccellato brings us ever closer to the background that Plains—a small Georgia town—provides in the life of the 39th president of the United States of America. Buccelato’s carefully researched and organized tome is clearly the result of a passionate project, digging as deep as possible into archives in order to create this fantastic visual panorama for Plains. As the author acknowledges in his introduction, Plains exudes contemporary American history in every corner from the Billy Carter Service Station to the Jimmy Carter’s boyhood home.
The book is organized in sections, allowing the reader to digest the large amount of photographs —accompanied by informative and intriguing information. Section One introduces the town and its most famous resident. We learn about Jimmy Carter’s childhood, family, earlier years in politics, and the beginning of his presidential campaign. Plains, as the “home of the next president,” takes center stage on the second chapter. Anyone who has been to Plains will enjoy the many images of the town, including the train depot that served as campaign headquarters. Those who have never visited should become intrigued enough to start planning a trip to Carter’s hometown. We are also introduced to key family and community members including Billy and Lillian Carter. A wealth of curious information is presented including the fact that many Plains residents were quick to sell their property for a profit during the campaign years. Part three is an exhilarating account of the election with a wealth of images that follow Carter’s every step to the White House. The section includes memorabilia and photographs depicting Carter’s campaign and even some material on President Ford’s reelection efforts. A variety of documents and images illustrate Carter’s move into Washington, DC including inauguration day and the first official photograph portrait of first lady Rosalynn Carter. The last section of the book recounts life in Plains, Georgia in the years following the Carter presidency including the town’s current status as a national Park. The story comes full circle with a series of images that inspire not only nostalgia but also awe at the remarkable story of the peanut farmer who became president and the town that still today frames his story.
Buccellato is a fine historian, weaving through images a story that will forever spark curiosity on the American public. The book is a fantastic archival testament to the timeliness of Jimmy Carter and Plains, Georgia.

Jimmy Carter in Plains Book Review by Frye Gaillard

It is my great honor to present this book blurb by Frye Gaillard the author of Prophet from Plains



Jimmy Carter in Plains is an inspiring, evocative look at the life of our 39th President, set against the backdrop of a small Southern town that has always been his anchor. In words and photographs, Robert Bucccellato has given us an accessible and engaging portrait of the legacy of this remarkable man.
 -- Frye Gaillard, author, Prophet from Plains

Book Review by Mary E Stuckey

The following book blurb was provided by the Great author Mary e Stuckley. Author of jimmy carter human rights and the national agenda, The Good Neighbor, and defining Americans to name a few.

As a presidential candidate and as president, Jimmy Carter remained a man of the South, deeply rooted in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. In this lovely pictorial history, Robert Buccellato brings the Carter campaign and its profound and continuing relationship to Plains vividly to life. In photos of the Carters, their campaign staff, the campaign itself, and the ways in which all of these continue to be commemorated in Plains, this book contributes to our understanding of Americana, political campaigns, small-town Southern life, and the Carter presidency.

Author Event Robert Buccellato at the Thomas County Public Library

March 18th 2016 at noon
Robert Buccellato author of the new book Jimmy Carter in Plains will be presenting his book and several images at this beautiful library in Thomasville Ga.

Robert Buccellato on the Chris Hahn Show

Based out of New York, the Chris Hahn Radio show is one of the leading Progressive news programs in the nation.
Here is a link to the interview which starts at minute 52

http://christopherhahn.com/

A cappella Books Shout out

The Folks at A Cappella Books wrote up a nice little shout out for my book event at the Carter Library next year

a little bit about them
They host a diverse range of authors throughout the year. From David Sedaris to Rachel Maddow to Bryan Stevenson, from book signings to author lunches to cocktail evenings.

HERES THE LINK

http://www.acappellabooks.com/event/robert-buccellato-book-signing

AND HERE IS there lovely shout out




WHO: Robert Buccellato
WHAT: Jimmy Carter in Plains Book Signing
WHEN: Monday, February 2nd, 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Jimmy Carter Presidential Library

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
  Follow this event on Facebook

WHAT IT’S ABOUT:
The physical connections to most American presidents are deeply rooted in the past and the unfamiliar. One can no longer see Washington's birthplace or William Henry Harrison's log cabin. Plains, Georgia, however, is different. In Jimmy Carter in Plains: A Presidential Hometown, Robert Buccellato tells the inspirational story of how one man and his community influenced an historic election. When Jimmy Carter, a one-term governor of Georgia, announced his candidacy for president, few took him seriously. Yet, in just two years, he managed to pull off a spectacular and unprecedented victory, thanks to his personal style of politicking and the support of his hometown. The exceptional photographs of Charles W. Plant guide the reader through the 1976 election, which made Plains America's hometown.

"How do you capture a magical time in your life? This book of photographs and descriptions are evidence of Jimmy Carter's hometown and campaign for President of our USA. Buccellato's book gives a true feeling of Plains, then and now.  People can experience the small town life and 'down to earth' people who brought forth an awesome welcome to visitors then, now, and forever."
--Betty Pope, member of the Carter Peanut Brigade
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robert Buccellato is also the author of Florida Governors: Lasting Legacies and the forthcoming Finding Dan McCarty. He is also the Historian for the Clerk of Courts of Leon County, a position created for him. Robert lives in Crawfordville, Florida, with his wife, Stephanie, and their son, Croston.

If you are unable to attend this event, but would still like a signed copy of Jimmy Carter in Plains, please click the link below.



Event address:
441 Freedom Parkway
Atlanta, GA 30307

Jimmy Carter in Plains by Robert Buccellato--Signed Copy--PREORDER
$22.99
SKU: sgn9781467115414

Jimmy Carter in Plains book review by Max J. Skidmore

Visual representations of politics in America are too often ephemeral,
taking the form of campaign literature that quickly vanishes, or news
reports that do not last beyond the headlines. Robert Buccellato, in what
obviously was a labor of love, has produced something different. His
presentation in pictures of the political life of President Carter before
and during his presidency should be welcomed by general readers who are
interested American presidents. Perhaps more important, these pictures
offer unique insights, making this book a contribution to American Studies
and to presidential history.

Max J. Skidmore
Author of After the White House: Former Presidents as Private Citizens

Jimmy Carter in Plains Book Endorsement by Kevin Mattson

I am very honored to present the book endorsement made by author Kevin Mattson, the author of several exceptional books including "What the heck are you up to Mr President" and "Just Plain Dick."

"This marvelous little book shines light on the truly populist campaign that landed Jimmy Carter in the White House.  You can actually SEE the authentic and regular-guy style of Jimmy Carter at work.  The images of Carter's small-town background are especially compelling.  Political and historical junkies will find this book a great piece of entertainment that doesn't discount the moral and visionary heft that Jimmy Carter brought to Washington, D.C."

-Kevin Mattson, Author of "What the heck are you up to Mr President."