A Promised Land

Barack Obama

Nov 2020 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Barack Obama

About this audiobook

A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAACP IMAGE AWARD NOMINEE • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW AND PEOPLE

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times • NPR • The Guardian • Slate • Vox • The Economist • Marie Claire
 
In the stirring 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.

Ratings and reviews

Obama uses his superb story telling talent to guide the reader from one event to another. The sneak peak Obama offers to the reader on what goes on behind the scenes of the presidency is truly awakening, often we take for granted the complex government that does so much as a dysfunctional gridlocked affair of suits, ties and bills, but Obama undoes that notion and places a quantifiable value on American politics. Also, it is just a pleasure to listen to someone with higher than a fifth grade vocabulary tell a story about their time in the White House..

I see a fair amount of the one star reviewers have not even read this book. Going out if their way to prove many points he makes. it is almost humorous. Nonetheless this is a fantastic book. One that gives a rare behind the scenes look at the presidency as a whole. Not just Obama's but the job itself with all the ups, downs, and nuisance that comes with it. Anyone who grew up in this time, wants to learn more, or is interested in politics and changing the world should read/listen to this book. He outlines just about everything from the first half of his Presidency, days as Senator, and as a state Senator. It is a stark piece of realism that shows the true nature of the job. Plus with the president reading it to you himself the emotion in his voice over certain parts in unmatched. Going through you can find anger, joy, rage, and sorrow that you yourself will feel. No matter how you feel about President Obama you should listen, if not to hear the opposing view from the man who lived it

What a fake, self-stimulating person. He continues to flood the media with his deceitful accounts of his version of "history", in a continued attempt to make Americans fall in love with his empty shell. He hurt this country more than we will ever know - in just health insurance alone! Not to mention sending OUR $$ To our ENEMIES. What a fool.

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.