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Obama
First published 2007 · 416 pages
A clear-eyed, journalistic exploration of the ambition, strategy, and sheer momentum behind a historic political rise.
What it feels like
Reading this biography feels like stepping into the smoke-free back rooms of a modern political campaign, balancing the soaring rhetoric of hope with the gritty realities of Chicago politics. The narrative moves at a steady, methodical pace, driven by a journalist's eye for detail and a deep fascination with the mechanics of power. It is less a hagiography and more a pragmatic, clear-eyed study of ambition, identity, and the careful construction of a public image. The mood is anticipatory, capturing the electric buzz of a rising star just before the zenith of his career. It will deeply satisfy political junkies and readers who crave an unvarnished, behind-the-scenes look at how a charismatic outsider navigates the cutthroat machinery of American government.
- Mood
- anticipatory
- pragmatic
- politically charged
- hopeful
- Tone
- journalistic
- analytical
- objective
- observant
- measured
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- political ambition · the mechanics of power · identity and public image · the burden of representation · campaign strategy
- The writing
- Clear, reportorial, and highly observant, prioritizing factual detail and political context over flowery rhetoric.
- The arc
- Begins with the quiet search for identity and builds into the high-stakes, pressurized momentum of a national political ascent.
- Who it's for
- Political junkies and history enthusiasts fascinated by the gritty, behind-the-scenes realities of campaign strategy and the making of a modern leader.
Content notes
- discussions of racism
- political cutthroat tactics
About the book
The biography of America's hottest political superstar—Barack Obama—from a journalist who has been covering Obama and his career since his successful run for U.S. SenateBarack Obama's meteoric rise from Hawaii high schooler to exemplary Harvard Law School student to well-groomed politico is the stuff of legend, a political story that has captured the attention of virtually every American. Since his headline-grabbing speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, Obama has come to represent the promise of unity among groups of all types—blacks and whites; Democrats, Republicans, and moderates; the young and the old; the upper, middle, and lower classes. In this first-of-a-kind, groundbreaking biography, veteran journalist and Obama chronicler David Mendell gives an in-depth, comprehensive portrait of the boy named Barry who took inspiration from his hardworking parents and became the eloquent, suave Obama—a man whose last name has become a catchphrase for hope in a politically jaded society desperate for a new star.Mendell has covered Obama since the beginning of Obama's campaign for the Senate and as a result enjoys far-reaching access to the new senator. His research includes exclusive interviews with Obama's closest aides, mentors, political adversaries, and family—most notably his extremely charismatic wife, Michelle. Mendell reveals the surprising, cutthroat campaign tactics sanctioned by Obama—who has steeped his image and reputation with the ideals of clean politics and good government—to win his Senate seat by employing some of the most ruthless operatives in the business.Eye-opening, well researched, and compulsively readable, Obama: From Promise to Power is a necessary look at the evolution of a politician from public servant to candidate-savior—a politician who has experienced fame, adulation, and criticism in equal parts and on a greater scale than the public eye has seen in quite some time.
Description from Open Library.
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