Reviews
"'Barack Obama' is a biography at its best. A prodigiously researched and exquisitely written multigenerational account....Almost without exception, Maraniss' assessments are judicious and persuasive....With subtlety and sophistication, Maraniss captures and conveys Obama's sensibilities and sensitivities."-- San Francisco Chronicle, "'Barack Obama' is a biography at its best. A prodigiously researched and exquisitely written multigenerational account….Almost without exception, Maraniss' assessments are judicious and persuasive….With subtlety and sophistication, Maraniss captures and conveys Obama's sensibilities and sensitivities."- San Francisco Chronicle, "Another in the author's line of authoritative biographies...Maraniss' portrayal...is masterful and moving."-- Kirkus Reviews, "Another in the author's line of authoritative biographies...Maraniss' portrayal...is masterful and moving."- Kirkus Reviews, "By showing us the young Barack Obama--breathing, moving across the world, traversing the bloodknot of race in America alongside family, relationships, and the hurly-burly of Chicago--David Maraniss has shown us a human soul growing almost inch by inch. This is a work of literature, and it possesses the kind of brilliance and verve that would have made James Baldwin himself proud." -- Wil Haygood, author of King of the Cats: The Life and Times of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., "Maraniss delivers....The power of Maraniss's reporting becomes apparent in his treatment of the future President's 'dark years'.... Maraniss captures Obama's search for purpose and the kindling of his ambition with an intimacy unlike that of other biographers-including Obama....[The book] offers the rawest account of his early life and a deeper understanding of his origins. Three and a half years and countless publications after Obama's Inauguration, that is a remarkable feat." - TIME, "...this is a revelatory book, which anyone interested in modern politics will want to read, and which will certainly shape our understanding of President Obama's strengths, weaknesses and inscrutabilities. Every few pages Maraniss offers a factual nugget that changes or enlarges the prevailing lore....a richer view of the man we have become familiar with, without really knowing.... after this book we know one public figure much better." - The New York Times Book Review, "Maraniss delivers....The power of Maraniss's reporting becomes apparent in his treatment of the future President's 'dark years'.... Maraniss captures Obama's search for purpose and the kindling of his ambition with an intimacy unlike that of other biographers--including Obama....[The book] offers the rawest account of his early life and a deeper understanding of his origins. Three and a half years and countless publications after Obama's Inauguration, that is a remarkable feat." -- TIME, "Another in the author's line of authoritative biographies…Maraniss' portrayal…is masterful and moving."- Kirkus Reviews, Barack Obama is a work of monumental ambition. …Maraniss' exhaustive research and lucid writing expands exponentially our knowledge of the president's history., This is a revelatory book . . . which will certainly shape our understanding of President Obama's strengths, weaknesses and inscrutabilities. Every few pages Maraniss offers a factual nugget that changes or enlarges the prevailing lore., There's far more to this revealing and deeply reported coming-of-age story, a term usually applied to novels….[It] reads like a novel filled with stories too unlikely for fiction . . . which makes it the best kind of political biography., "Maraniss delivers....The power of Maraniss's reporting becomes apparent in his treatment of the future President's 'dark years'.... Maraniss captures Obama's search for purpose and the kindling of his ambition with an intimacy unlike that of other biographers--including Obama....[The book] offers the rawest account of his early life and a deeper understanding of his origins. Three and a half years and countless publications after Obama's Inauguration, that is a remarkable feat." -- TIME, Remarkable . . . Maraniss captures Obama's search for purpose and the kindling of his ambition with an intimacy unlike that of other biographers-including Obama….[The book] offers the rawest account of his early life and a deeper understanding of his origins. Three and a half years and countless publications after Obama's Inauguration, that is a remarkable feat., Impeccably researched…. Stunning in its detail… Maraniss… gets out of the way and lets his first-rate reporting tell the story. . . . It is like watching a magician at work, "Book is full of riveting stories, shrewd observations, and fascinating details. It's like reading Michener....There is something quite searching and wonderful about seeing much of history as a chaos of chance." -- The New Yorker, "The books of David Maraniss are like majestic rivers rolling to the sea, gathering in all the other confluences as they go, gaining their incredible subsurface force. But here, in a multigenerational portrait of a young man owning the most improbable history, Maraniss has outdone himself. Finally, you can understand the man who became the 44th president." - Paul Hendrickson, author of Hemingway's Boat: Everything He Loved, and Lost, 1934-1961, "It's not often that a book has the potential to change the course of political history, which is why this one is probably the most eagerly anticipated American book of the year." -- NPR.org, "'Barack Obama' is a biography at its best. A prodigiously researched and exquisitely written multigenerational account....Almost without exception, Maraniss' assessments are judicious and persuasive....With subtlety and sophistication, Maraniss captures and conveys Obama's sensibilities and sensitivities."-- San Francisco Chronicle, "Maraniss delivers….The power of Maraniss's reporting becomes apparent in his treatment of the future President's 'dark years'…. Maraniss captures Obama's search for purpose and the kindling of his ambition with an intimacy unlike that of other biographers-including Obama….[The book] offers the rawest account of his early life and a deeper understanding of his origins. Three and a half years and countless publications after Obama's Inauguration, that is a remarkable feat." - TIME, "This is a highly textured and intimate look at the family stories behind Obama ...A thoroughly fascinating, multigenerational biography that explores broader social and political changes even as it highlights the elements that shaped one man's life."- Booklist , starred review, "Maraniss offers not just a beautifully written book, but a real insight into what goes on behind the veil." -- The Hill, "Maraniss offers not just a beautifully written book, but a real insight into what goes on behind the veil." - The Hill, "It's not often that a book has the potential to change the course of political history, which is why this one is probably the most eagerly anticipated American book of the year." - NPR.org, "'Barack Obama' is a biography at its best. A prodigiously researched and exquisitely written multigenerational account....Almost without exception, Maraniss' assessments are judicious and persuasive....With subtlety and sophistication, Maraniss captures and conveys Obama's sensibilities and sensitivities."- San Francisco Chronicle, "Book is full of riveting stories, shrewd observations, and fascinating details. It's like reading Michener….There is something quite searching and wonderful about seeing much of history as a chaos of chance." - The New Yorker, Barack Obama is biography at its best. A prodigiously researched and exquisitely written multigenerational account…. With subtlety and sophistication, Maraniss captures and conveys Obama's sensibilities and sensitivities., "This biography possesses a richness and scope that cannot be captured in short-form journalism, magazine excerpts or a mere review. Maraniss has written a global, multigenerational saga that culminates in the emergence of a young man who is knowable, recognizable and real....Maraniss approaches the task with deep research, crisp, clean writing and judicious reflection that never seems intrusive. He not only succeeds, he makes it look easy." -- The Washington Post, "This is a highly textured and intimate look at the family stories behind Obama …A thoroughly fascinating, multigenerational biography that explores broader social and political changes even as it highlights the elements that shaped one man's life."- Booklist , starred review, "...this is a revelatory book, which anyone interested in modern politics will want to read, and which will certainly shape our understanding of President Obama's strengths, weaknesses and inscrutabilities. Every few pages Maraniss offers a factual nugget that changes or enlarges the prevailing lore....a richer view of the man we have become familiar with, without really knowing.... after this book we know one public figure much better." -- The New York Times Book Review, "…this is a revelatory book, which anyone interested in modern politics will want to read, and which will certainly shape our understanding of President Obama's strengths, weaknesses and inscrutabilities. Every few pages Maraniss offers a factual nugget that changes or enlarges the prevailing lore….a richer view of the man we have become familiar with, without really knowing…. after this book we know one public figure much better." - The New York Times Book Review, "The books of David Maraniss are like majestic rivers rolling to the sea, gathering in all the other confluences as they go, gaining their incredible subsurface force. But here, in a multigenerational portrait of a young man owning the most improbable history, Maraniss has outdone himself. Finally, you can understand the man who became the 44th president." -- Paul Hendrickson, author of Hemingway's Boat: Everything He Loved, and Lost, 1934-1961, "Book is full of riveting stories, shrewd observations, and fascinating details. It's like reading Michener....There is something quite searching and wonderful about seeing much of history as a chaos of chance." - The New Yorker, "This is a highly textured and intimate look at the family stories behind Obama …A thoroughly fascinating, multigenerational biography that explores broader social and political changes even as it highlights the elements that shaped one man's life."- Booklist, starred review, "This is a highly textured and intimate look at the family stories behind Obama ...A thoroughly fascinating, multigenerational biography that explores broader social and political changes even as it highlights the elements that shaped one man's life."-- Booklist , starred review, "By showing us the young Barack Obama-breathing, moving across the world, traversing the bloodknot of race in America alongside family, relationships, and the hurly-burly of Chicago-David Maraniss has shown us a human soul growing almost inch by inch. This is a work of literature, and it possesses the kind of brilliance and verve that would have made James Baldwin himself proud." - Wil Haygood, author of King of the Cats: The Life and Times of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., "This biography possesses a richness and scope that cannot be captured in short-form journalism, magazine excerpts or a mere review. Maraniss has written a global, multigenerational saga that culminates in the emergence of a young man who is knowable, recognizable and real....Maraniss approaches the task with deep research, crisp, clean writing and judicious reflection that never seems intrusive. He not only succeeds, he makes it look easy." - The Washington Post, "Maraniss offers not just a beautifully written book, but a real insight into what goes on behind the veil." -- The Hill
