A Promised Land by Barack Obama

*Originally posted on my Wordpress blog 05.17.2021

This was a remarkable read. Yes, I was already a fan of Barack Obama before I read A Promised Land. I had read a couple of his previous books and, yes, I cried on the night of his election in 2008 and I cried when he left office in January of 2017.  But all of my history with him is not the reason I liked the book. No, I liked the book because the author covers so much territory in those 700 pages and he covers that territory with amazing skill and depth. He also brings both his mind and heart to the book. He gives the background on policies and decisions made but he also reflects on the impact of those policies and decisions.

I was surprised by the education I received when reading this memoir. Obama provides succinct and clear background on a host of international issues and crises. I lived through all of the years he writes about but I didn’t always follow what was going on. A good example of that is the Israeli/Palestine question. In less than twenty pages, he gave me an overall review of the history of that conflict and the major players along the way. I remember as a kid hearing about the Six-Day War and I remember later hearing the names Menachem Begin, Anwar Sadat, and others but now I have a broader perspective on the whole ongoing struggle in that part of the Middle East.  Another example of seeing the whole picture in the rear view mirror is Obama’s description of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. I was fascinated by the full account of what had actually happened there. Obama provided background and details necessary to give me an educated look at some of the hazards of off shore oil drilling. A third example is Obama’s focus and coverage of the economic crisis that he inherited when he took office in 2009.  His detailed discussion of that event and the ripple effects on the global economy was both fascinating and accessible to me (a non economics major).  I can’t say enough for the way Obama outlines the history of a region or a country as he expands upon whatever crisis or event is unfolding in front of the reader.  I learned so much.

Barack Obama is a skilled writer. He knows how to bring the reader along in his story. He doesn’t simply bury the reader in facts. Yes, he does provide factual information but he offers personal reflection and narratives to offset the more dry facts of an account. He blends poignant personal observations of friends and family into the larger story of political processes and demands. He shows through words and actions that he can be articulate, intelligent, discriminating, passionate, and compassionate. He is respectful of other people even while detailing the horrors of partisan politics that are now the norm in America. His ability to stay cool, deferential, and humble is impressive.

He is not afraid to muse aloud about the impact of his work. There was one passage that I marked that illustrates this. Obama had been recounting tensions in the Middle East and he was reflecting on world leaders and what difference their personal characteristics might make in the sweep of history. “I wonder whether our [world leaders] insecurities and our hopes, our childhood traumas or memories of unexpected kindness carry as much force as any technological shift or socioeconomic trend…whether things might have played out differently if someone other than Netanyahu had occupied the prime minister’s seat or if Abbas had been a younger man, more intent on making his mark than protecting himself from criticism.”  I appreciated these kind of frank observations. 

All in all, I must give this book five stars. I own a copy of the book but I was also able to secure the audio version through my local library. I must say that it was a delight to listen to Barack Obama read the book. I appreciated the occasional chuckle in his voice, the oft apparent warmth, the rare impatience or annoyance. I listened to the book (27 plus hours) while on morning walks but then caught up with words in the afternoon via the book. I think that was the perfect combination. As I said at the beginning, I was already an Obama fan but this book clearly showed how complicated and difficult his job was. He was always keenly aware of his responsibilities to all Americans (and really all global residents). He knew people were counting on him to make things right. To do his job well, he had to absorb facts, he had to surround himself with knowledgeable and capable advisors, and he had to have a great deal of integrity and compassion. I can’t wait until the second volume of this memoir is released.