A Promised Land (Hardcover)
By Barack Obama
A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from
the president who inspired us to believe in the power of
democracy
In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his
presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his
improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to
leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal
detail both his political education and the landmark moments of
the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic
transformation and turmoil.
Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest
political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that
demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed
night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of
the United States, becoming the first African American to hold
the nation’s highest office.
Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful
exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of
presidential power, as well as singular insights into the
dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy.
Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House
Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond.
We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet,
wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of
Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure
passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about
U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform,
responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout,
and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the
death of Osama bin Laden.
A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and
introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith
of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is
candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black
American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by
messages of “hope and change,” and meeting the moral challenges
of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that
opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the
White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to
reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from
his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment,
progress is always possible.
This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack
Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but
something founded on empathy and common understanding and built
together, day by day.
About the Author
Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States, elected in November 2008 and holding office for two terms. He is the author of two previous New York Times bestselling books, Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope, and the recipient of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Michelle. They have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.