A Promised Land

A compelling and very intimate narrative of history being written, from the president who encouraged us to trust in the potential of democracy.

Barack Obama recounts his unlikely journey from a young man trying to find his identity to the leader of the free world in the gripping, eagerly awaited first volume of his presidential memoirs. He goes into remarkable personal detail about his political education as well as the pivotal moments of his historic first term as president, which was marked by upheaval and dramatic transformation.

Obama takes readers on an engrossing journey that begins with his early political ambitions and ends on election night, November 4, 2008, when he became the first African American to hold the presidency and the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that proved the strength of grassroots activism.

In his reflections on the presidency, he provides a rare perspective on the workings of U.S. party politics and foreign diplomacy, as well as a unique and insightful examination of the immense reach and constraints of presidential authority. Obama takes readers to Beijing, Cairo, Moscow, the Oval Office, and the White House Situation Room, among other places. We get to hear his innermost thoughts as he puts together his cabinet, battles the world financial crisis, assesses Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable obstacles to pass the Affordable Care Act, debates Wall Street reform, reacts to the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon blowout, and approves Operation Neptune's Spear, which results in Osama bin Laden's death.

The narrative of one man's wager with history and the faith of a community organiser put to the test on a global scale is told in the very personal and reflective novel A Promised Land. Obama is open about the difficult balancing act that comes with being a Black American running for government, carrying the weight of a generation that has been inspired by ideas of "hope and change," and addressing the ethical issues involved in making important decisions. He is transparent about how living in the White House impacted his wife and girls, candid about the forces at home and abroad that opposed him, and fearless to admit his own doubts and disappointments. Nonetheless, he never falters in his conviction that advancement is always feasible within the vast, continuous American experiment.

Barack Obama's belief that democracy is not a gift from above but rather something that is developed together, day by day, and is based on empathy and common understanding is brilliantly captured in this forceful and beautifully written book.