by Peter Baker
First published 2019
Peter Baker examines Barack Obama's presidency from inauguration to final days in office. The New York Times correspondent traces Obama's journey through the 2008 financial crisis, healthcare reform battles, and foreign policy challenges including the Osama bin Laden raid. Baker reveals how Obama navigated the Syrian civil war, Russian aggression, ISIS emergence, and domestic racial tensions while facing congressional opposition. This updated edition includes new material on Russian election interference during Obama's final months and assesses how Donald Trump's presidency affected Obama's legacy. Baker portrays Obama as a contradictory figure who inspired crowds but struggled behind closed doors, a skilled politician who despised political games. The book features forty New York Times photographs and expanded text that captures eight transformative years that changed both Obama and America.
Genres: biography, political-science, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-study, political-drama
Setting: United States
Period: 2008-2016
464 pages · Hardcover · Callaway