A Promised Land: A Review

 RATING: 


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.

 

I received this book as a Christmas present last year and read it during February. The book is over 750 pages and I read it in a week. A few years ago, I read Michelle Obama’s book, so I was excited to read her husband’s book. I was 8 years old when Barack Obama was elected President and I remember so clearly the celebration that America had elected its first black President. I remember learning more about American politics during his second term as President in high school and more about Obama himself. This book goes into detail the journey of becoming a politician, to running for President, to being one of the highest ranked politicians in the world. Obama details the ins and outs of the presidential campaign and the effects on his life and his family. It discusses the insane amount of hard work and resilience that is needed to be President while also discussing the amazing opportunities that it creates.

 

I loved reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in politics or just learning more about Barack Obama. It gives a very interesting insight into Obama’s life before presidency and his first term as President. It details his childhood, going to law school, and being a politician in Illinois. I had little to no knowledge of Obama’s life before he was elected, and I cannot wait to read the next book.

 

Until next time, I’ll continue reading with wanderlust.

📚🧳✈️🗺





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