Jim Hunt by Gary Pearce; 2010. Hardcover. (CO-NC)

As one of Jim Hunt's closest political advisers, Gary Pearce was in a unique position to observe the career of North Carolina's longest-serving governor.

In this authorized biography, Pearce draws from his own observations and experience as well as over 30 interviews with Governor Hunt and more than 50 interviews with friends, family, staffers, political allies, and opponents.The book covers Hunt's rise to prominence and his four successful gubernatorial campaigns. It also provides a front-row account of the bitter battle between Hunt and Jesse Helms for the U.S. Senate in 1984. Pearce explains how Hunt was able to come back from that devastating defeat and win two more terms as governor.

In his final eight years of office, Hunt pursued progressive goals in a conservative state, became widely known for his initiatives in education, and played an important role in leading North Carolina from being a poor, rural state dependent on tobacco and textiles to becoming a center for high finance and high-tech industry.