“A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things.”
Barack Hussein Obama II was the 44th President of the United States. The first African-American president in US history, he won the 2008 and 2012 elections against John McCain and Mitt Romney and has become renowned as one of the finest orators and campaigners of the 21st century. His time in office saw him combat the global economic crisis of the late 2000s, begin withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan, secure nuclear agreements with Iran, pass through the Affordable Care Act, promote greater representation for LGBT Americans and begin the first major signing of an international climate agreement. The legacy of his time in office remains one of the most significant in modern American history, so why not check out the best books on Barack Obama with us here at What We Reading?
A Promised Land (The Presidential Memoirs #1) – Barack Obama
Riveting, personal and inspiring, A Promised Land is the first volume of Barack Obama’s presidential memoirs. Spellbinding and striking in its delivery, Obama takes readers on a journey from his earliest political aspirations and quest for identity, the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism, to the famous November night in 2008 when he became the United States’ 44th President.
Looking back and reflecting on his time in office, Obama gives readers a demonstration of how far the power of a president reaches, as well as its limitations. From the Oval Office to the White House Situation Room, his insights into the dynamics of partisan politics and international diplomacy are told through jaw-dropping stories of how he and his cabinet wrestled the global financial crisis, pushed through the Affordable Care Act, authorised Operation Neptune’s Spear and took the measure of Vladimir Putin. Beautifully written, A Promised Land is undoubtedly the go-to book for understanding everything there is to know about Obama’s time in office and his unwavering belief in democracy and progress.
The World As It Is: Inside The Obama White House – Ben Rhodes
For one of the best books on Barack Obama and on how working alongside a US president works, look no further than Ben Rhodes’ The World As It Is. Plucked from obscurity at the age of twenty-nine on the back of his gift for language, Rhodes would spend a decade working inside the Obama administration, rising from a scriptwriter, policymaker, multi-purpose aide and, finally, a close collaborator.
The World As It Is takes readers into the heart of some of the most poignant and pivotal moments in recent history. From nuclear agreements with Iran, secret negotiations with Cuba, watching the Bin Laden raid in the Situation Room to confronting the surge in populism that would lead to Donald Trump’s election, Rhodes’ memoir is one of the most eye-opening and fascinating accounts of Obama’s presidency.
Grace: President Obama And Ten Days In The Battle For America – Cody Keenan
In his 2022 book, Grace, Cody Keenan, Obama’s chief speechwriter, offers a spellbinding account of ten of the most frantic and dramatic days in modern Presidential history. On the back of a hate-fuelled massacre and looming Supreme Court decisions on the fates of the Affordable Care Act and marriage equality, these ten days had the potential to pull the country together or threaten to tear it apart.
In June 2015, Keenan would work alongside the president drawing up high-stakes speeches that would steer the United States through these shocking developments. A wonderful look at the art of speechwriting, a fascinating peek behind the curtains at life inside the White House and a compelling portrait of the poetic perfectionist that is Barack Obama, Keenan’s work is one of the best inside memoirs on the presidency.
The Long Alliance: The Imperfect Union Of Joe Biden And Barack Obama – Gabriel Debenedetti
The relationship between a president and their vice-president is one of the most studied aspects of a successful term in the White House, and the Obama presidency has become synonymous with the ‘bromance’ between Barack Obama and Joe Biden during their time in office. However, in The Long Alliance, New York Magazine correspondent Gabriel Debenedetti shows how there is far more to this relationship than most believe.
Covering between 2003 and 2022, The Long Alliance documents how the mismatch between a Washington traditionalist and a once-in-a-generation odyssey has evolved and shaped two political parties and four presidential elections. A story of ruptures and reunions, complications and co-dependence, it is a fascinating look at two of the most important and influential figures in contemporary American history and politics.
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Who Thought This Was A Good Idea? – Alyssa Mastromonaco
Alyssa Mastromonaco worked for Barack Obama for almost a decade, long before he ran for president. From his early days as a senator to taking charge in the Oval Office, his famous message of Hope and Change changed the nation forever. Yet, in between the high-stakes climate talks and meetings with world figures ranging from the Queen to the Pope, there were plenty of gaffes and other less-than-perfect moments along the way.
Who Thought This Was A Good Idea is a collection of hilarious, never-before-told stories that demonstrates what makes an individual like Alyssa successful in politics and beyond, as well as presenting an intimate portrait of life inside President Obama’s presidency. Smart, authentic and with an array of fascinating stories along the way, it is undoubtedly one of the best books on Obama.
Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Change White House Years – David Litt
Thanks, Obama is a 2017 comic memoir by David Litt, with his coming-of-age tale taking readers back to the era of the 44th president and how they were defined by young people. Having become one of the youngest White House speechwriters in history in 2011, Litt wrote on topics ranging from healthcare to climate change before becoming Obama’s go-to comedy writer and taking the lead on the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Presented with humour and candid detail, Thanks, Obama whisks readers inside the Obama administration on a ride that manages to blend the absurd with the hopeful. Answering questions like which toilet in the White House is the classiest, what you should do when a commander-in-chief gets your name wrong, to what it’s like accidentally triggering an international incident, Litt’s book on Obama is an original take on what it means to grow up, personally, professionally and politically.
Yes We (Still) Can: Politics In The Age Of Obama, Twitter And Trump – Dan Pfeiffer
Dan Pfeiffer, former communications director and co-host of Pod Save America, offers a colourful account of how the media, the internet and politics changed during the presidency of Barack Obama in his 2018 book, Yes We (Still) Can.
Having been one of the first hires by Obama when he decided to run for president, Pfeiffer was at the side of the 44th US president for two election campaigns and six years inside the White House. His memoir features never-before-heard stories and anecdotes about how Obama was able to successfully navigate an increasingly fervent climate of fake news and Twitter trolls. One of the best books on Obama and the crazy state of politics in the world, Yes We (Still) Can is a call to action for Democrats in the Donald Trump era.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
