Born to Serve: The Trailblazing Life of Sam Sutton, Valet to Three Presidents

Samuel Sutton Jr. grew up poor in Kinston, North Carolina. His childhood home had no central heat or hot water. He and his family walked seven miles roundtrip to church every Sunday because they didn't have a car. To help out, Sam picked tobacco during his summer vacations, starting at age ten.

But Sam was to rise far in life from these humble beginnings. Joining the Navy in 1979, he embarked on a thirty-year military career, serving first as a sailor, then as an enlisted aide to the nation...