First published 2011
Barack Obama stands at his desk in the Oval Office, one year into his presidency, facing potential political destruction. His approval ratings have plummeted, health care reform hangs by a thread, and the economy continues to struggle while two wars rage overseas. Inside the West Wing, his senior staff has split into warring factions. The Revivalists push Obama to return to the inspiring vision of his campaign, while the Survivalists demand he embrace the harsh compromises of governing. Over two extraordinary months, Obama must navigate between these competing forces while risking everything on health care legislation that could define his legacy. Richard Wolffe takes readers inside closed door meetings and private conversations as the president battles critics, outmaneuvers opponents, and struggles with his own doubts. The story reveals a leader caught between his ideals and political reality, fighting not just for policy victories but for the survival of his presidency itself.
Genres: american-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, political-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: Oval Office, West Wing
Period: 2009
352 pages · Paperback · Broadway Books