A Promised Land

By: Barack Obama

Narrated by: Barack Obama

Length: 29 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making - from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy

NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAACP IMAGE AWARD NOMINEE • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times • NPR • The Guardian • Marie Claire

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 US 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 US 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.

©2021 Barack Obama (P)2021 Random House Audio

Greatest Presidential Communicator in History

Beautifully written memoir of the early part of Obama Presidential
Takes the reader behind the curtain and into the mind of most powerful leader of the free world during the economic crisis, ObamaCare, and the many crises this administration faced, from BP spill to Mass Shootings, you can tell the thoughtfulness and thorough effort to appease all Americans.
I didn’t vote for Obama but am grateful for his leadership I believe history will show he was top 5 presidents of all time

Great Book

Every young person sometime in life should read this book. An aspirational literary master piece.

Great book

I have an hour and 20 minute commute to and from work every day. It was like he was sitting in the passenger seat telling me this story. Great book!

Emotional, heartwarming, educational

I didn’t vote for Obama. I was a staunch conservative back then. 2020 was the first time I voted for a Democratic President. I say that to simply provide a backdrop of my political journey and that my review isn’t based on my personal politics, rather who I am as an American.

This book was worth every page, every minute spent reading it. The stories told weave a bigger picture of the decisions required by our nations leaders. As a banker during the financial crisis of 2008, the explanation of why they chose to bail out big banks and the excruciating detail of every decision, helped me understand the other side.

Reading this is like having a front row seat of some of the most trying and rewarding times we, as a nation, had during Obama’s 8 year term as our President and how his family navigated the spotlight, the pressure, and remained steadfast and dedicated to each other and to our nation.

It is simply outstanding.

Breathtaking Achievement

This is my first review. I’ve purchased and listened to over 500 titles and while many were entertaining and thought provoking non matched the sheer scope of President Obama’s literary achievement. In his own words he has artfully woven his own personal struggles and journeys onto paper and audio book. The fact that he narrates this himself is an extra added bonus! With his highly recognizable baritone voice leading the way, his leads you down the road through his successes and failures. I found this audiobook to be insightful and it gave me a deeper understanding of who Obama the icon is as a man. I found his writing style to be deeply moving and there were several times where he had my eyes misted with emotion and other times where he had me literally laughing out loud. The funny thing is that I’m not even American! Regardless I cannot recommend this audiobook book enough. My one and only complaint: I have to wait for Volume 2!

AWESOME

Barack Obama is an excellent storyteller and hearing him made the book come alive and easy to listen to. I wish that he had told about what his experience was after the inauguration, leaving the white house and flying home for the final time.

Why the cursing Obama?

The soft touching familiar trip stories in between political talks were actually cute as I wanted to hear more...along with the struggles of balancing your personal life and the demands of previous presidency combined with Covid19 regulations and even 911 and Bin Laden news. A merge between past, present and future all at once. Pero porque tuviste que defender tu position que si habías nacido o no en este país? Dándole importancia al Trump es que eso fue una pérdida de tiempo hasta mencionarlo en tu libro personal! El no es un Dios!

Great look behind the curtain and in the mind

Really enjoyed getting a little behind the scenes of moments that when discussed brought me back to that time including feeling emotion, the disgust of the BP spill and the thinly veiled racism of birtherism to the relief felt knowing millions with preexisting conditions would have the peace of mind knowing they could get insurance to the pride and patriotism when we got Bin Laden. Be warned though the audio version is over 25 hours.

A must read/listen!

By far the longest thing I have listen to but the most interesting and captivating. No matter what your political affiliation is this is a good up close look at what politics and the President life is like. It's very open and honest about events and will make you have an even greater appreciation for President Obama

Obama considers the impact to individual citizens when making big decisions

I can’t express how comforting it is to listen to a competent, true world leader. I enjoyed hearing about all of his accomplishments, many of which I was unaware of during his time in office. He has a lot of heart and shamelessly expresses how many of his big decisions come down to thinking of the impact to individual American and global citizens.
#ForeverMyPresident