First published 2009
Barack Obama stands at the podium during the 2004 Democratic Convention, delivering the speech that will transform him from a little-known senator into a national figure. The New York Times staff follows his extraordinary path from his early days as Harvard Law Review president through the grueling presidential campaign that would make history. Obama faces the challenges of an innovative but hard-fought race for the White House, navigating political obstacles and public scrutiny. Through twelve detailed chapters featuring award-winning photography and reporting from Pulitzer Prize winners Paul Krugman and Thomas Friedman, plus veteran political correspondent Adam Nagourney, the story captures each pivotal moment. The narrative builds toward Obama's inauguration as President of the United States, showing how one man's unlikely journey changed America forever.
Genres: biography, american, political-science, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: rise-to-power, underdog
Setting: United States, Harvard
Period: 2004, 2008
237 pages · Hardcover · Callaway-NYT