Jimmy Carter: Rivers & Dreams

by Jim Barger Jr., Carlton Hicks, Jimmy Carter (Foreword)

For more than half a century, and from Plains to Patagonia, Dr. Carlton Hicks fished with Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, their group of loyal guides, and a merry band of best friends and anglers. Before, during, and after his presidency, Jimmy Carter’s pursuit of a better world often involved his ride-or-die buddies fly fishing and feasting with world leaders – and in some wild circumstances – dangerous dictators.

In 12 stories set in 12 locations around the globe, Jim Barger Jr. and Hicks recount how President Carter and his lifelong friends changed the course of world history, all while casting flies and pursuing the perfect strike.

To publish this book, with a foreword by President Jimmy Carter himself, is one of the great honors of our lives, and we believe these never-before-told true tales will soon become the stuff of legend.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

288 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2025

Reviews

[Abby Kalany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was truly fun to read, I kinda didn't want it to end and I think that's why I took my time with each fishing trip story. I really liked getting to look up the ties of flies and fish that were being described but I think I enjoyed just as much getting to learn about Jimmy Carter from this perspective. Learning about the political conflicts, while also reliving these fishing trips made the history lesson so much more intriguing. I know this book is strongly bias towards Carter but I think anyone could read this and still really enjoy the book. I had no idea he studied nuclear physics and he created 39 national parks!

[Meredith J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this maybe made me more depressed about the current state of political affairs in the US, but also maybe made me a lil happier that Jimmy Carter was so tenacious in his beliefs and accomplished all he did when he did!. I’d give it 4 bc fly fishing/fishing isn’t a huge personal interest, but obvi I read the synopsis before starting it so 5 is fair. Also the meandering and tangents in this book are somethin else — still extremely enjoyable. One time for them DSGBs.

Also Dr Hicks not being able to let go of the Reagan campaigners telling Iran to keep the US hostages til after the election to win Reagan more votes is the shit that keeps me up at night too.

[John Paul Gairhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There is truth in the proposition that beneath the angler's almost pathological desire to catch and release fish is a deeper need for an otherwise indecipherable connection to the natural world— connection that transcends the pursuit, capture, and release of an individual specimen. Over time, repeated meaningful outdoor encounters become like a drug feeding a healthy addiction to nature that inevitably manifests in both a zealous conservation ethic and an ardent naturalist aesthetic. On the other hand, it's a bridge too far to conclude that catching fish isn't the goal of the exercise. Catching fish is everything.”

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jimmy Carter: Rivers and Dreams is a political and nature memoir published by the Bitter Southerner in celebration of Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday.

I’m no fisherman. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been fishing and I don’t think I’ve enjoyed any of these times, to be honest. That doesn’t keep me from enjoying others wax poetic about fishing, especially fly fishing. After all, my favorite novel just might be David James Duncan’s The River Why.

I love traveling and adventuring in the wilderness.

I teach Georgia Studies.

I read most of what The Bitter Southerner puts out.

I’m not not going to read this book.

The authors were close friends and associates of Jimmy Carter. Jim Barger Jr. is a lawyer that has known the Carters from childhood. Dr. Carlton Hicks is an optometrist that became the campaign manager for Carter in his gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. The book is a series of essays based on places that the Carter friend group fly fished together: Spruce Creek, PA; the Golden Isles of GA; the Rocky Mountains; Argentina; Venezuela; Honduras; Red Hills, FL; the Blue Ridge Mountains; Mongolia; Russia; Alaska; and Yucatán. In each chapter, Barger and Hicks describe their fishing trips and make connections with Jimmy Carter’s work as Governor, President, with Habitat for Humanity, and with The Carter Center.

In some ways, this simply reads as a greatest hits list of Carter’s accomplishments (while also noting his failures). Occasionally, the prose rises above that offers a near spiritual-like metaphor between the fishing and the politics (I particularly thought the Camp David Accords section was well done).

Things that stuck with me:

* Carter’s first act as the governor of GA was to hang a picture of MLK Jr. in the capitol. This was a major departure from Lester Maddox’s approach to MLK.

* I had never heard James Dickey’s poem from the inauguration, “The Strength of Fields.” I will return to this poem.

* The authors really emphasize Carter’s unmitigated tenacity if not stubbornness and hard-headedness
* Rosalynn was every bit an outdoorsman (woman!) and angler as Carter

* Carter looked up to Truman as his personal hero. This surprised me. This is quoted in a section about his financial modesty. Both men ended life with lower net worths than most other presidents.

* There’s a fun anecdote about Carter telling Garth Brooks to get back to work while on a Habitat build!

* The authors stress that Carter made decisions that he knew would be unpopular but thought they were right anyway (Soviet grain embargo, Olympics boycott, Panama Canal).

* WILD PLACES MATTER

* So much of what Carter did is being undone by Trump.

[Wayne Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

To celebrate President Jimmy Carter's 100th Bday, the Bitter Southerner released a book by two fishing friends of Jimmy Carter.

President Jimmy Carter was a outdoorsman and especially enjoyed fishing - fly fishing.

The book intertwines fly fishing trips and some political activities associated with those fly fishing trips. This also includes his humanitarian efforts too.
There are 12 fly fishing stories from all over the world - several are in the USA; however, there is Mongolia, Russia, Mexico, Honduras, Venezuela and Argentina.

It isn't the best written work; however, it is a an easy read.

[Court · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that just makes you smile. There’s no need a big long review here - these are 12 short stories set around the world about Jimmy Carter, his fishing buddies, fishing, and yes - a little politics and life lessons. I loved Jimmy Carter already, and reading these stories only strengthened that love. These stories, and Jimmy, made me long for a world and country so different than the ones of today. A wonderful keepsake book.

[Morgan Stach · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart breaks for the current state of the US, but reading this beautiful book has made me even more grateful for the leadership Jimmy (& Rosalynn!) Carter gifted not only our country, but to the entire world, over their lifetimes of service. Dr. Hicks & Jim Barger, Jr.s’ storytelling and writing styles truly complimented each other, and I enjoyed the fishing adventures sprinkled in with learning about conservation work, public health and international policy.

[AJ Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

By the cover it looks like this is a book by Jimmy Carter but it is actually written by two of his old friend and fly fishing buddies. Not the most well written but some nice fishing stories and nice contextual content of the political scene during the trips pre, during, and mostly post presidency.

And thanks, Erik, for getting this book added to Goodreads! How fun to be the first reviewer!

[Mitchell Northam · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most unique non-fiction books I’ve read. It is part a presidential biography and history lesson, part memoir about friendship and fishing, and finally, an international guide to the outdoors. Telling the stories of Jimmy Carter’s life through his far-flung fishing expeditions worked much better than I expected.

[Zach M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book I read. 3.6 stars.

[Andrew Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

One not be an outdoorsman to enjoy the insights Jim Barger, Jr. and his friends gleaned from fly fishing with Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter around the world for decades.

[Izzy Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun book to read! would put me to sleep when the non doctor guy wrote. love my niche interests crossing over