“An unparalleled chronicle of the making of an American president.” —Evan Osnos, winner of the National Book Award for Age of Ambition, and staff writer at the New Yorker

Barack Obama is arguably the most dynamic political figure to grace the American stage since John F. Kennedy. His meteoric rise from promise to power has stunned even the cynics and inspired a legion of devout followers.

For anyone who wants to know more about the man, David Mendell’s Obama is essential reading. Mendell, who covered Obama for the Chicago Tribune, had far-reaching access to the Chicago politician as Obama climbed the ladder to the White House. Positioning Obama as the savior of a fumbling Democratic party, Mendell reveals how Obama conquered Illinois politics and paved the way for a galvanizing, historic presidential run.

With a new afterword by the author, which includes a fresh perspective on Barack Obama following his two historic terms as the first African-American president, and with exclusive interviews with family members and top advisers, and details on Obama’s voting record, David Mendell offers a complete, complex, and revealing portrait.

“A nuanced, compelling look at a man of idealism and ambition intent on making history.” —Booklist, starred review

“The single best source of background information on [the 44th] president.” —National Review

“Mendell’s fine book provides the historical backdrop for how Obama got to the starting line of that 2008 campaign.” —Dan Balz, Chief Correspondent at the Washington Post

“[For] anyone who wants to know the real story behind Barack Obama’s historic rise to national political stardom.” —Clarence Page, 1989 Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Chicago Tribune