Please Note:  I received an advance audio copy of this book from Random House Audio in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

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.

Review:

A Promised Land, by the Barack Obama arrives just in time to remind the world what government used to look like.  This memoir chronicles not just most of his first presidency, but also Obama's childhood, and his various political campaigns that culminates with his first campaign for President of the United States.  Although, at times, the book dives a little too much into the minutia of policy decisions, this is a riveting book.

What I Liked:

A Look at Life in the White House:

I really like learning how life is like for the First Family.  We see how many people they are surrounded by at all times, from Secret Service agents to chefs, to assistants and cleaning staff.  There are so many people who look after this family.  But, despite all the lack of privacy, Obama is able to enjoy daily dinners with his family (something he never was able to do as a busy lawyer and legislator).  Michelle, the First Lady, is able to maintain friendships, and has the aid of her mother, who moves into the White House to help with the girls.  And Obama's daughters, Malia and Sasha, make friends, go to sleepovers, and play sports like other kids.

Challenges of Life in the Limelight: 

There are also many difficulties to being in such a high profile position.  Obama and his wife has to endure racist attacks that no other President would have to deal with.   I was particularly interested in what Obama had to say about Donald Trump's "Investigation" into Obama's birth certificate.  

I was also struck by how reluctant Michelle was about Barack's political ambitions.  Actually, this is not surprising.  By choosing such high profile jobs, Barack essentially relegates the entire job of parenting their children to her.  For an accomplished woman who has spent years on her education,  this must have been a bitter pill to swallow.  Plus, she was understandably concerned for the safety and well-being of their children.  You rarely see these concerns aired in public.  This causes the reader to understand how amazingly surreal being President of The United States would be.

Osama Bin Laden:

The most interesting portion of the book has to do with the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.  Obama makes this a priority of his presidency, and the stakes couldn't have been higher.  Reflecting on other military missions that went horribly wrong (remember Black Hawk Down?), Obama is all too aware of how this could make or break his presidency.  The amount of planning, and the decision process, are fascinating.

What I Was Mixed About:

At nearly eight hundred pages, the book sometimes plods on with too many details about various summits and passages of legislation.  I suppose that a reader's reaction to each episode will depend on what their interests are.  If climate change is your priority, you will have ample insight into how the 2016 Paris Agreement was negotiated.  If you are most interesting in the Affordable Care Act, you will get a blow by blow on how it was passed.  I just wish some of this could have been streamlined.  I think more people would read this if the book was shorter.

Rating: 

Release Date:  November 17th, 2020

Author:  Barack Obama

Genre:  Memoir

Audio Narrator:  Barack Obama

Audio Publisher:  Random House Audio

Audio Length:  29 hours, 11 minutes

 Print Publisher:  Crown Books

Page Length:  768 Pages

Format:  Audiobook

Source:  Penguin Random House Audio

Recommendation:  Although overly long, this is a riveting look at an historic presidency.