A Promised Land Book Review (2021)

Barack Obama is the first black man ever elected president of the United States. He was the 44th U.S. President and served 2 presidential terms. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for strengthening international diplomacy. Read an honest and plainspoken story at first hand, starting from Barack’s childhood to his president’s chair.

Prerequisites

Barack Obama began his literary career 25 years ago. In his early 30s, he recalled his youth struggles in Dreams from My Father (1995), and then in his 40s, he talked about his political ambitions in The Audacity of Hope (2006). Both books have become bestsellers.

Now, he approaches 60 and publishes his third book A Promised Land, which is the first volume of the expected presidential series. Almost every American president released a memoir after leaving the White House. It took Barack over 3 years to write his memoir. This is not surprising since the book is pretty bulky.

Plot of the Book

Here is a brief synopsis of A Promised Land from BooKKooks. In the book, the author recounts how his dreams came true in 2008 when he became the president and the first 2.5 years after he was elected.

Obama is rather frank and shares his real thoughts on certain events. Even if you have never got super involved in politics, this book will capture you with vivid descriptions and humor. If you want to know what is happening behind the scenes, read it.

In the memoir, the author describes his political rise, presidential campaign, and his achievements for 30 months in office. Chronologically, he starts his journey as a young student from Hawaii, then continues as an applicant of Harvard University, and at last finishes as a host of the White House. He talks about Iraq, healthcare reforms, financial crises, and many other issues.

Readers will see an intelligent, humble, and morally upright person and a caring family man with his joys, challenges, and complications while working within the current political structure.

World Perception

For 3 consecutive weeks, A Promised Land book has been the New York Times Bestseller and the Publishers Weekly Number One Bestseller. It is named one of the best books of the year and has become the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards winner.

Several British newspapers such as The Observer, The Times, and The Independent published positive reviews of the memoir.

Multiple periodicals state that the work is beautifully and elegantly written and full of unusual self-criticism.

Sales Data

The book was released right after the national elections on November 17, 2020. It was published in the USA and Canada. The publisher is Crown Publishing Group. The memoir was translated into more than 20 languages.

A Promised Land was set for a run of 3.4 million copies for Canada and the USA and 2.5 million copies for international readers. On the first release day, 887,000 copies were sold. Because of high demand, the initial run was increased to 4.3 million copies.

Book Design

The book is a hardcover, which is super heavy since it comprises more than 700 pages. It is also available as an audiobook and in a digital format that can be found online. You can easily switch to an eBook because it is not quite comfortable to hold the volume in your hands. The full audio version read by Barack Obama himself runs for 28 hours.

The book has a preface and consists of 7 parts, with each of them divided into chapters. It comes with beautiful photographs. The cover portrays a smiling president’s face performed in black-and-white. The text is portrait-oriented.

Critical Analysis

The read is very captivating and exciting. The book has received favorable reviews from critics and average readers. The leading American newspapers and magazines called Obama a gifted writer and reviewed his work as a top-notch political memoir.

Though, there are some points in A Promised Land that caused controversies in other countries. The memoir includes some parts where Obama shares his opinion about world political leaders. He is quite harsh in commenting. It is obvious that the author tried to be honest and wanted to present the facts without filters. However, some of his conclusions were based on rumors, which is sad to see from a man of his stature.

Multiple readers complained about the book’s length and excessive background information. Some critics say that at times it can get monotonous.

On the whole, the book is worth your time, and BooKKooks can recommend A Promised Land for reading.

Other Books Written by US Presidents That Worth Your Attention

Review	Name	Author	Description	Pages	Date
	Decision Points View Details	George W. Bush	This is a new type of presidential memoir that honestly describes the author and brings readers behind the scenes of the White House. You will learn how the president’s crucial decisions were made: from counterterrorism programs and war in Iraq to his relationships with the family.	497	2010
	My Life View Details	Bill Clinton	This is a long and detailed account of the president’s life starting from childhood and showing all his rights and wrongs. This is an entertaining read with the author’s recognizable style.	1008	2004
	Looking Forward View Details	George Bush	This is a lively read that gives a humorous portrait of the vice-president. It is very entertaining and multifaceted since the author has held a variety of important governmental positions.	270	1987
	An American Life View Details	Ronald Reagan	This is one of the breathtaking and bestselling president’s autobiographies. The author portrays a truly American story of a shoe salesman’s son who had success in Hollywood and as the U.S. president who set the end of the Cold War with the Soviet Union.	752	2011
	Six Crises View Details	Richard M. Nixon	As one of the most prolific presidents, Nixon greatly influenced the conduct of American foreign policy. A man of discipline, the author had his own strategy of how to deal with a crisis, breaking it into several stages.	460	1962
	A Nation of Immigrants View Details	John F. Kennedy	Being a great proponent of immigration reforms, the author describes how America has been enriched and rallied due to the influx of different people to its shores.	160	2018
	Crusade in Europe View Details	Dwight D. Eisenhower	This is a personal account of the famous general and the U.S. president about his role in World War ΙΙ.	662	2011
	Affection and Trust View Details	Harry S. Truman	The book includes personal correspondence of 2 of the most important statesmen of the 20th century: Harry S. Truman and Dean Acheson. Spanning 18 years, the letters bring the patriotism, sharp intellect, and the true friendship of both men to light.	364	2013
	African Game Trails View Details	Theodore Roosevelt	The U.S. president and his son take a safari holiday in East Africa. Being also a renowned hunter and scholar, the author describes their exciting adventures.	624	1988
	Complete Works View Details	Abraham Lincoln	Reproduced from the original artifact, the book comprises letters, works, and speeches of one of the most prominent U.S. presidents.	696	2015

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