A Promised Land
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- Create Date：2021-03-29 11:20:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Barack Obama
- ISBN：1524763160
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Summary
A riveting， deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy。
In the stirring， highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs， Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world， describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil。
Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4， 2008， when he was elected 44th president of the United States， becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office。
Reflecting on the presidency， he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power， as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U。S。 partisan politics and international diplomacy。 Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room， and to Moscow， Cairo， Beijing， and points beyond。 We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet， wrestles with a global financial crisis， takes the measure of Vladimir Putin， overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act， clashes with generals about U。S。 strategy in Afghanistan， tackles Wall Street reform， responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout， and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear， which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden。
A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history， the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage。 Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American， bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change，” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making。 He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad， open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters， and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment。 Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great， ongoing American experiment， progress is always possible。
This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together， day by day。
In the stirring， highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs， Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world， describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil。
Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4， 2008， when he was elected 44th president of the United States， becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office。
Reflecting on the presidency， he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power， as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U。S。 partisan politics and international diplomacy。 Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room， and to Moscow， Cairo， Beijing， and points beyond。 We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet， wrestles with a global financial crisis， takes the measure of Vladimir Putin， overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act， clashes with generals about U。S。 strategy in Afghanistan， tackles Wall Street reform， responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout， and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear， which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden。
A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history， the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage。 Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American， bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change，” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making。 He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad， open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters， and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment。 Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great， ongoing American experiment， progress is always possible。
This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together， day by day。
Reviews
Rahul
，
Engaging and detailed - Obama is a great writer。 He provides historical context for the victories and shortcomings of his first term。 Unique to read a presidents thoughts on nearly contemporary times。 it will be interesting to read the sequel as he takes on more controversial things in his term and reflects on the threads leading to the election of his predecessor。
Mukta Mohapatra
，
It took me WEEKS to read this book which is very unusual for me。 It's not that I didn't enjoy it， （because I did）， it just isn't a quick read in any sense of the word。It's a great book。 A look into leadership， politics and all of the moving pieces of Obama's campaign and presidency （the beginning of it anyway）。Criticisms first。 I love data， but I think he could have left out some of the minutiae。 I also wish the photos were interspersed with the relevant chapters to give us some visuals and a br It took me WEEKS to read this book which is very unusual for me。 It's not that I didn't enjoy it， （because I did）， it just isn't a quick read in any sense of the word。It's a great book。 A look into leadership， politics and all of the moving pieces of Obama's campaign and presidency （the beginning of it anyway）。Criticisms first。 I love data， but I think he could have left out some of the minutiae。 I also wish the photos were interspersed with the relevant chapters to give us some visuals and a break in the story。Everything else was gold。 A lot of great insight into what the presidency entails and what makes a great leader。 。。。more
Linda
，
Our 44th president is extremely verbose and a slow talker so I am very thankful for the 1。5 option from Audible。 That being said， I really enjoyed the long read and learned a lot about how the presidancy works and history。 While you wouldn't expect the ending to be a cliffhanger， I was certainly trying to find a publication date for the second volume seconds after the closing sentence。 （Yes， you read that whole book and haven't made it to his second term。） But it was a great read （listen） and I' Our 44th president is extremely verbose and a slow talker so I am very thankful for the 1。5 option from Audible。 That being said， I really enjoyed the long read and learned a lot about how the presidancy works and history。 While you wouldn't expect the ending to be a cliffhanger， I was certainly trying to find a publication date for the second volume seconds after the closing sentence。 （Yes， you read that whole book and haven't made it to his second term。） But it was a great read （listen） and I'm looking forward to the rest of the story。 。。。more
Stephen Hill
，
I really wanted to like this book a lot more。 I love reading through it with his voice in my head but there were many， many long and dry stretches that made getting through it kind of a chore。 I did love any moment he spent talking about his family。 I think this book is probably more enjoyable for those who study a lot of history and policy。
Allie Smith
，
I’m not quite sure what I was expecting。 I was in middle school for the first part of Obama’s presidency， and I wanted to read this book to better understand his first term and how the divide of the country has continued to grow。 While this book did answer that question， I was disappointed that the book wasn’t written for the “general public” to better understand the trials and tribulations of a divided nation。 It was dense， and heavy on the foreign policy （which I could only grasp parts of beca I’m not quite sure what I was expecting。 I was in middle school for the first part of Obama’s presidency， and I wanted to read this book to better understand his first term and how the divide of the country has continued to grow。 While this book did answer that question， I was disappointed that the book wasn’t written for the “general public” to better understand the trials and tribulations of a divided nation。 It was dense， and heavy on the foreign policy （which I could only grasp parts of because I studied it in university）。 I’ll be waiting for part 2， hoping it tells a story that the public （and myself） can resonate with。 。。。more
Katherine
，
Barack Obama has written a very detailed， thorough account of the first half of his presidency。 And by very detailed I mean this book clocks in at 700 pages， so it is a commitment。 There were times where my attention wandered during the detailed policy passages， although overall I enjoyed the book。 Obama gives an interesting peek behind the curtain of being president - the burden， the responsibility， what goes into making difficult decisions。 I really liked reading about the thinking and factors Barack Obama has written a very detailed， thorough account of the first half of his presidency。 And by very detailed I mean this book clocks in at 700 pages， so it is a commitment。 There were times where my attention wandered during the detailed policy passages， although overall I enjoyed the book。 Obama gives an interesting peek behind the curtain of being president - the burden， the responsibility， what goes into making difficult decisions。 I really liked reading about the thinking and factors behind different policy decisions。 Obviously this is Obama's account， so he is going to view his decisions through his own lens， but I did like seeing his thought process and had an appreciation for the tough decisions he faced - often with no good options （the financial crisis， decisions about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars， etc）。 I am glad I spent the time with this book。 4 stars。 。。。more
Edy
，
I admire Obama， so it is not surprising that I loved this book。 Obama is an excellent writer。 His writing flows and is so easy to follow。 It was very interesting to read about his schooling， family life， and early political work。 As I read the account of his first term in office， it reinforced how partisan all actions in Washington are。 Sad that those who are elected to represent us care more about serving those whose money support them than those who elected them。
Kelsie
，
Whatever you think of his politics， this is an interesting and well-written read。 It provides a lot of insight on what is involved in running for and being president， especially in the little day-to-day aspects most of us take for granted。 My two main criticisms are how abruptly it ended （it felt like the end of a chapter， not a satisfying conclusion， even for part of a series） and how insanely long it is。 He acknowledges at the beginning and repeatedly throughout the book that he has a tendency Whatever you think of his politics， this is an interesting and well-written read。 It provides a lot of insight on what is involved in running for and being president， especially in the little day-to-day aspects most of us take for granted。 My two main criticisms are how abruptly it ended （it felt like the end of a chapter， not a satisfying conclusion， even for part of a series） and how insanely long it is。 He acknowledges at the beginning and repeatedly throughout the book that he has a tendency to be long-winded and this is definitely evidence of that。 Still， it was an overall enjoyable experience to listen to this as an audiobook。 。。。more
Caconym
，
Didn't realise the intricasies of politics could be told in such a riveting way。 I hate politics， but I absolutely loved Mr。Obama's eloquent text。 His thoughtful and insightful analysis and - it seems - honest and intimate description made a lasting impression。 Had he decided to pursue a career in literature in stead of a one in politics， he would have made a great author。 That's not to say he isn't one， just to point out the fact he would have had more time to write。 Then again， this way he may Didn't realise the intricasies of politics could be told in such a riveting way。 I hate politics， but I absolutely loved Mr。Obama's eloquent text。 His thoughtful and insightful analysis and - it seems - honest and intimate description made a lasting impression。 Had he decided to pursue a career in literature in stead of a one in politics， he would have made a great author。 That's not to say he isn't one， just to point out the fact he would have had more time to write。 Then again， this way he may have more to write about。 This is an interesting and entertaining book that gives us a close look behind the scenes in the highest level of global decision-making。What makes the book even more memorable and significant is the fact that Mr。 Obama can now be candid and straightforward about topics he had to remain more subdued about when holding the highest U。S。 political office。Never thought I'd find myself recommending a political memoir， but - lo and behold - here I am doing just that。 Excellent reading deserving of it's five star rating 。。。more
Anne Maddox
，
Whew - what a read。 I didn’t know what I didn’t know。。。if that makes sense。 Though I admit to flipping through some in-depth discussion on bailout plans and economic decisions， I really enjoyed learning more about President Obama and the work that goes in to leading our country。
Utanu Maa
，
Promise Land is a very beautifully written biography of an extraordinary， intelligent， articulate， humble statesman， an incredibly detailed description of Obama’s ascension to the Presidency。 Promised Land holds my reading interest entirely。 President Obama provides great insight on his first term as President。 In this first volume of his memoirs， Mr。 Barack Obama， the 44th President of the United States， tells openly and honestly his triumphs and failures。 He strongly believed in putting the co Promise Land is a very beautifully written biography of an extraordinary， intelligent， articulate， humble statesman， an incredibly detailed description of Obama’s ascension to the Presidency。 Promised Land holds my reading interest entirely。 President Obama provides great insight on his first term as President。 In this first volume of his memoirs， Mr。 Barack Obama， the 44th President of the United States， tells openly and honestly his triumphs and failures。 He strongly believed in putting the country first and in the pursuit of social justice， inclusion， and fairness for all Americans。 He achieved many landmark projects designed to help the people such as the introduction of healthcare which provided an additional 41 million Americans with affordable healthcare， despite huge opposition by the republicans， the “Don’t Ask， Don’t Tell” policy。。。 Remaining focused on his political career， the presidential memoir documents Obama's life from his early years through the events surrounding the killing of Osama bin Laden in May 2011。This book is superbly detailed and documented。 It presents so much of the struggles， crisis and compromises behind the scenes and helps to understand the enormity of responsibilities and expectations of his presidency。 From bailing out the banks and auto industry， to his healthcare plan， to withdrawing our troops from Afghanistan， President Obama delivers his most truthful account of each crisis and how he handled each of them with the support from both democrats and some republicans who， in general， were strongly opposed to his policies。 This book further reinforces what an intelligent， incredibly articulate， humble man Mr。 Obama was a stateman and a person in general as everyone views him。Because Obama， the first black president in very divide society， was a transformative president， one who opened up new possibilities， hope and dreams， and gave new life to the virulence that has always worked to shut down those possibilities， hope， and dreams， a Promised Land humbly suggests that his tempered idealism may not be enough for the battle that lies ahead。This book is absolutely a captivating recall of all the experiences he went through as President， and all the tough decisions he had to make。 Obama is a reminder that any dreams can be achieved， and he really is a symbol of hope for America。The Promise Land me gives an insight into Obama's lives with his family throughout his political mandates。 It is also an account of his presidency， the political issues of his governing time， an informative and enlightening record of his work as a stateman。 Reading this book gives me a better understanding of what the presidency in the USA involves。 A must read carefully and patiently。 。。。more
Ashley
，
I got this as a audiobook and am very glad I listened instead of read。 He’s a natural orator and hearing his story come to life， with subtle shifts in his voice as he spoke on various topics。 I am very excited for next volume。
Jon Barr
，
Via audio， read by the author。 What an enjoyable book， detailing the behind-the-scenes action from Obama's childhood through some of his first term as President。 There is obviously so much more to tell， and I would read three more equally lengthy memoirs， though he'll probably manage it in two。 Via audio， read by the author。 What an enjoyable book， detailing the behind-the-scenes action from Obama's childhood through some of his first term as President。 There is obviously so much more to tell， and I would read three more equally lengthy memoirs， though he'll probably manage it in two。 。。。more
Caroline
，
Barack Obama’s first installation of his presidential memoir is absolutely fascinating and a staple to the history of the last 10 or so years。 A lot of interesting behind the scenes looks at decisions that were made throughout his presidency。 I was only old enough to start understanding the political landscape and what was happening around me when Obama began his first term， so this was a really in depth look at all of those things I’d only passively engaged in。 I highly recommend this and I can Barack Obama’s first installation of his presidential memoir is absolutely fascinating and a staple to the history of the last 10 or so years。 A lot of interesting behind the scenes looks at decisions that were made throughout his presidency。 I was only old enough to start understanding the political landscape and what was happening around me when Obama began his first term， so this was a really in depth look at all of those things I’d only passively engaged in。 I highly recommend this and I can’t wait for his second volume。 。。。more
Sabin
，
I actually enjoyed this very honest appraisal of what it feels like to be a president by President Obama during his time。 Very honest and I really do marvel how concessions are made to get deals done。 I read this as an audiobook， read by President Obama which made it very easy to hear。 I can't believe I heard his voice for 29hrs！ And there is sure to be another volume of this， since this ended only around 2011！ It is better than 4 stars， but not 5。 Probably somewhere around 4。5。 I actually enjoyed this very honest appraisal of what it feels like to be a president by President Obama during his time。 Very honest and I really do marvel how concessions are made to get deals done。 I read this as an audiobook， read by President Obama which made it very easy to hear。 I can't believe I heard his voice for 29hrs！ And there is sure to be another volume of this， since this ended only around 2011！ It is better than 4 stars， but not 5。 Probably somewhere around 4。5。 。。。more
Carrie Reed
，
I was able to share my thoughts on this yesterday in my Bookclub。 I know this is long， and I was intimidated by that like most others。 I took my time， mainly listening during commutes or cleaning the house。 Hence it took three months。 I will say I’m glad I persevered。 Obama has a gift of storytelling。 This memoir is a rare open window， maybe the closest I’ll ever have to hearing first hand what it’s actually like to hold the most powerful office in America。 How much happens that the media and ne I was able to share my thoughts on this yesterday in my Bookclub。 I know this is long， and I was intimidated by that like most others。 I took my time， mainly listening during commutes or cleaning the house。 Hence it took three months。 I will say I’m glad I persevered。 Obama has a gift of storytelling。 This memoir is a rare open window， maybe the closest I’ll ever have to hearing first hand what it’s actually like to hold the most powerful office in America。 How much happens that the media and news outlets never cover， as it doesn’t make for a good sound byte。 How much we never see that rests on the shoulders of those trying to leave the office a little better than they found it。 And how it truly does matter who sits behind the desk in the Oval Office。 A beautiful oratory， it’s a nice escape to hear Obama’s voice again。 Telling his own story， and sharing his voice in an effort to help others understand what it means to be the President of the United States。 。。。more
Carola Janssen
，
Dat zou eens even een redacteur flink mee aan de slag moeten。 In ieder geval voor de Europese markt zou het met de helft van het aantal pagina's ook voldoende zijn。 Tjonge。 Dat zou eens even een redacteur flink mee aan de slag moeten。 In ieder geval voor de Europese markt zou het met de helft van het aantal pagina's ook voldoende zijn。 Tjonge。 。。。more
Laura Hoffman Brauman
，
It's unusual for a political memoir to elicit a visceral reaction from me， but this one did， multiple times。 I can't be objective enough to do a "review"， so this is really a reflection on some of the thoughts that I had while reading/listening to this。 First， I loved doing this on audio。 Obama is an excellent speaker and hearing him read this was audio book perfection - if you can make 30 hours of audio engaging and compelling， you are doing narration right。 I've been trying for the last few d It's unusual for a political memoir to elicit a visceral reaction from me， but this one did， multiple times。 I can't be objective enough to do a "review"， so this is really a reflection on some of the thoughts that I had while reading/listening to this。 First， I loved doing this on audio。 Obama is an excellent speaker and hearing him read this was audio book perfection - if you can make 30 hours of audio engaging and compelling， you are doing narration right。 I've been trying for the last few days to figure out how to pull together my feelings from reading this and I think it comes down to the fact that there is no perfect president， every president will get some things right and other things wrong and how he is assessed on his performance is wildly subjective -- but there are qualities and characteristics that I value in a leader， that I would say are critical in a leader， and they are present throughout this memoir。 Hearing those values expressed over and over again， seeing evidence that at least some of the time people stood up for their values， seeing people work together for a greater good， to try and find common ground - it gives me hope。I've seen some criticism of how dense this is - but that is one of the things I loved about it。 We are a big country with complicated problems and a wide range of strengths。 Neither problems or solutions can or should be distilled to a tweet or a sound bite。 If that's what we have to say about an issue， then we aren't doing the hard and necessary work to actually address the issue。 I loved the deep dives and background and the wrestling with the options and implications of the situations。I appreciated when Obama owns his mistakes， critiques his own performance， and gives credit to others。 I appreciated his stance on ethics， his willingness to hear other points of view， his measured responses to complicated issues， the respect he treated others with， his love for his family， and his understanding of the weight of his decisions。 I could go on about the many moments in this book where he made me believe that we could be better as a country and a people， but I'll leave this review with a couple of quotes that resonated for me。 "To be known。 To be heard。 To have one's unique identity recognized and seen as worthy。 It was a universal human desire， I thought， as true for nations and peoples as it was for individuals。"" 'Whatever you do won't be enough，' I heard their voices say。 Try anyway。 " 。。。more
Robert
，
I greatly enjoyed "A Promised Land。" It's partly an autobiography， starting with the year-long （plus） presidential campaign， which is the more personal part。 And it's partly a political historical essay on the first two years of Obama's term， 2008-2010。 But both parts intersect， so that when Obama gets into intricate details， as for example the economics of the Great Recession and its political complexities， fortunately the personal elements help readers get through the detailed analyses， which I greatly enjoyed "A Promised Land。" It's partly an autobiography， starting with the year-long （plus） presidential campaign， which is the more personal part。 And it's partly a political historical essay on the first two years of Obama's term， 2008-2010。 But both parts intersect， so that when Obama gets into intricate details， as for example the economics of the Great Recession and its political complexities， fortunately the personal elements help readers get through the detailed analyses， which Obama provides in good measure。 He spent a great deal of time learning from his experts/advisors， and he shares these lessons with the reader。 The volume （first of a projected two） ends with the drama of Osama Bin Laden。 Also memorable， however， are the private moments with his family and the personal， most often happy， insights into living in the White House。 And if you enjoy prose （non-fiction） style， you are in for an unusual treat。 。。。more
Tiki
，
I loved listening to his voice recount his life up to 2011。 With his perspicacity and erudition， it made me realize even more how far the standard had fallen with the uneducated moron who came after him。 Looking forward to the second half。
Michael Redwood
，
Very interesting prior to his installation。 Not so good after as his approach to each event fits a standard format， but still valuable to understand his philosophy and integrity; a wonderfully honest description of occupying the White House。 I will certainly read part 2。
Katey
，
Oh my godddddddd how long and detailed did this need to be？
Max Viana
，
Talvez o último grande democrata。Você pode amar o Barack Obama， você pode odiar Barack Obama， mas você não pode argumentar com fato de que em um mundo que caminha cada vez mais para uma politica circense-teatral e para polarização das personas públicas no debate público， Barack Obama foi o último grande líder politico que tentou honrar o intento democrático na sua governança。Obviamente para tentar construir o Estados Unidos que ele via como mais prospero e justo， ponto esse onde muitos， inclusiv Talvez o último grande democrata。Você pode amar o Barack Obama， você pode odiar Barack Obama， mas você não pode argumentar com fato de que em um mundo que caminha cada vez mais para uma politica circense-teatral e para polarização das personas públicas no debate público， Barack Obama foi o último grande líder politico que tentou honrar o intento democrático na sua governança。Obviamente para tentar construir o Estados Unidos que ele via como mais prospero e justo， ponto esse onde muitos， inclusive este que vós escreve， discordam dele。 E onde muitos， ao meu ver， acabam trocando os pés pelas mãos， tentando desmerecer o espirito democrático do governo dele como se ser democrático fosse uma característica da agenda 'mais para a esquerda' das políticas dele。 Você pode discordar do exceção de intervenção econômica， você pode descordar de políticas acerca do aborto， você pode discordar das políticas de afirmação; mas você não pode discordar do compromisso com o debate， das concessões partidárias sistemáticas e do interesse na preservação das instituições democráticas estabilizadoras （coisas que tem virado raridade entre a safra de políticos e possíveis candidatos do contexto atual）。De qualquer jeito uma obra muito interessante， de leitura longa， mas leve。 Muito bem articulada （como é de se esperar com quantidade de revisores e editores que um ex-presidente deve ter）。 A única ressalva que eu deixo para os possíveis leitores e de que você tem encarar a obrar como um compedium de historias sobre as atividades de um presidente durante seu termo e não como um livro de politica econômica ou social， ou mesmo até de governança。 Ao passo de que se pode aprender muito com a liderança do 44º Presidente dos Estados Unidos， existem obras mais robustas， amplas e fundamentadas para o aprendizado e reflexão destes temas。Recomendo para todos que tenham interesse nesse lado mais intimista da política， para os admiradores e também para os não admiradores de Barack Obama e especialmente para aqueles que nunca leram uma obra mais longa （600+ pags。） o livro é longo mas não é laborioso e por consequência uma boa pedida para os leitores iniciantes que querem se aventurar em uma obra mais longa mas tem medo de não conseguir concluir。No mais， minhas saudações a todos。God Bless。 。。。more
Tara
，
If you want a memoir regarding the Obamas， I recommend Michelle’s “Becoming”。 This is actually hovering at a 2。5 for me。
Kay Steeves
，
Hearing former President Obama tell the story of the run-up to his election as President and the first 2+ years of his presidency was an amazing experience。 He explains his priorities， how his background and his contacts affect his campaign and early presidency， his relationships with his family and friends， his feelings about those who oppose his priorities and his views of the legislative process。 He also takes the reader around the world with him， visiting world leaders， working on building u Hearing former President Obama tell the story of the run-up to his election as President and the first 2+ years of his presidency was an amazing experience。 He explains his priorities， how his background and his contacts affect his campaign and early presidency， his relationships with his family and friends， his feelings about those who oppose his priorities and his views of the legislative process。 He also takes the reader around the world with him， visiting world leaders， working on building useful relationships and sometimes facing really tricky situations。 He combines frank assessments of those he works with - and opposes - with admissions of his own missteps。 Some of the events of his early presidency - the Arab spring， the Deepwater Horizon disaster， the successful search for Osama Bin Laden， for example， are brought back to the reader's attention with clarity and additional insights。 It's a long book but packed with stories and profiles and ultimately satisfying， I thought。 。。。more
Koren
，
I found the personal information and reflections to be interesting but the political part of it got to be very long and tedious。 I found the most interesting part to be when he talks about running against John McCain in his first election， as I have a new-found appreciation for McCain after his death and always wondered if he could have won if he hadn't chosen Sarah Palin to be his running mate。 I ended up skimming the last 200 pages。 It seemed to end rather abruptly and I know there is a part I found the personal information and reflections to be interesting but the political part of it got to be very long and tedious。 I found the most interesting part to be when he talks about running against John McCain in his first election， as I have a new-found appreciation for McCain after his death and always wondered if he could have won if he hadn't chosen Sarah Palin to be his running mate。 I ended up skimming the last 200 pages。 It seemed to end rather abruptly and I know there is a part 2 coming out at some point。 This book was a Christmas gift。 I think I will read the next one but I will wait to get it from the library。 。。。more
Matt Vargo
，
What is there to even say about this book？ The only intelligent president our country has had in my lifetime， telling his story。 Trumpers will assume everything in this book is a lie， because their brains are made out of mashed potatoes。 Democrats will be left wondering how great our country could have been if the corrupt Right hadn't been such dirty bastards about everything。 What is there to even say about this book？ The only intelligent president our country has had in my lifetime， telling his story。 Trumpers will assume everything in this book is a lie， because their brains are made out of mashed potatoes。 Democrats will be left wondering how great our country could have been if the corrupt Right hadn't been such dirty bastards about everything。 。。。more
Makayla Millington
，
Regardless of your views， this is an enjoyable and surprisingly candid look into the nature of the presidency and an insightful crash course of sorts on issues and events that were formative of my generation。 The page count is well worth it。 Thorough but interesting， down-to-earth， and emotionally engaging–a good read for those even just slightly intrigued by government， politics， and foreign affairs。
Janene
，
I miss him as President。 Such a great man and leader。 Great book。
Michael Baker
，
The story of Obama's rise in politics is entertaining and inspiring。 He also gives a pretty well balanced insider's review of the many events in his first 3 years office from the Great Recession to the assassination of Bin Laden。 The bonus is that Obama is a good writer。 The story of Obama's rise in politics is entertaining and inspiring。 He also gives a pretty well balanced insider's review of the many events in his first 3 years office from the Great Recession to the assassination of Bin Laden。 The bonus is that Obama is a good writer。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Promised Land
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Promised Land&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Promised Land&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0