Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Barack Obama was the first African-American president of the United States. He previously served as a U.S. senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008 and an Illinois state senator from 1997 to 2004.
‘A Promised Land’By Barack Obamac.2020, Crown$45/768 pages Most memoirs of politicians are pablum — ghost-written snooze-inducers.
At best, good door-stops. “A Promised Land,” former President Barack Obama’s new memoir, breaks that mold. Though it’s over 700 pages, you won’t be tempted to turn away from this, by turns, measured, moving, detailed, witty, and self-aware volume.
The memoir, narrated by Obama, is a great listen (29 hours, 10 minutes) on Audible. Unlike most politicos, Obama can write! Many of us ink-stained wretches would give anything to have his writing chops.
Obama’s first book, “Dreams from My Father,” Obama’s critically acclaimed 1995 coming-of-age memoir, came out years before he was a player on the national political