Steven Levingston

The extraordinary partnership of Barack Obama and Joe Biden is unique in American history. The two men, their characters and styles sharply contrasting, formed a dynamic working relationship that evolved into a profound friendship. Their affinity was not predestined. Obama and Biden began wary of each other, as senators each eyeing a run at the presidency. Obama was an impatient freshman disdainful of the Senate's plodding ways; Biden was a veteran of the chamber and proud of its traditions. But gradually they came to respect their competitor's values and strengths and rode into the White House together in 2008. Side-by-side through two tension-filled terms, they shared the day-to-day joys and travails of leading the most powerful nation on earth. They accommodated each other's quirks: Biden's famous miscues kept coming, and Obama overlooked them knowing they were insignificant except as media fodder. With his expertise in foreign affairs and legislative matters, Biden took on an unprecedented role as chief adviser to Obama, reshaping the vice presidency. As Obama and Biden took Americans through events like the dire economic crisis, a racially charged arrest of a black Harvard professor, and the president's change of heart on gay marriage, they weathered strains on their own relationship and experienced joy and sadness together, including the death of Biden's son Beau. In the Trump era, as many Americans look back at the Obama presidency with a nostalgic eye, Barack and Joe offers a new look at this administration, its absence of scandal, dedication to truth, and respect for the media. Based on original interviews, media reports, memoirs, and other accounts, it is the first book to tell the full story of this historic relationship and its substantial impact on the Obama presidency and its legacy.

The Making of an Extraordinary Partnership

Barack and Joe

"Kennedy and King is an unqualified masterpiece of historical narrative ... A landmark achievement."?-Douglas Brinkley, New York Times -bestselling author of Rosa Parks "By reminding us of these great leaders and their accomplishments, this book will fuel your passion for the new work we still need to do in our society today."?-Congressman John Lewis Kennedy and King traces the emergence of two of the twentieth century's greatest leaders, their powerful impact on each other and on the shape of the civil rights battle between 1960 and 1963. These two men from starkly different worlds profoundly influenced each other's personal development. Kennedy's hesitation on civil rights spurred King to greater acts of courage, and King inspired Kennedy to finally make a moral commitment to equality. As America still grapples with the legacy of slavery and the persistence of discrimination, Kennedy and King is a vital, vivid contribution to the literature of the Civil Rights Movement.

The President, the Pastor, and the Battle Over Civil Rights

Kennedy and King

Documents the brutal 1889 murder of a lascivious court official by a ruthless con man and his pliant mistress, tracing the ensuing manhunt and sensational trial against period debates about whether someone could be hypnotically compelled to commit crimes.

A True Story of Murder and Mesmerism in Belle Epoque Paris

Little Demon in the City of Light

A Washington Post 2019 Notable Selection A vivid and inspiring account of the "bromance" between Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The extraordinary partnership of Barack Obama and Joe Biden is unique in American history. The two men, their characters and styles sharply contrasting, formed a dynamic working relationship that evolved into a profound friendship. Their affinity was not predestined. Obama and Biden began wary of each other: Obama an impatient freshman disdainful of the Senate's plodding ways; Biden a veteran of the chamber and proud of its traditions. Gradually they came to respect each other's values and strengths and rode into the White House together in 2008. Side-by-side through two tension-filled terms, they shared the day-to-day joys and struggles of leading the most powerful nation on earth. They accommodated each other's quirks: Biden's famous miscues kept coming, and Obama overlooked them knowing they were insignificant except as media fodder. With his expertise in foreign affairs and legislative matters, Biden took on an unprecedented role as chief adviser to Obama, reshaping the vice presidency. Together Obama and Biden guided Americans through a range of historic moments: a devastating economic crisis, racial confrontations, war in Afghanistan, and the dawn of same-sex marriage nationwide. They supported each other through highs and lows: Obama provided a welcome shoulder during the illness and death of Biden's son Beau. As many Americans turn a nostalgic eye toward the Obama presidency, Barack and Joe offers a new look at this administration, its absence of scandal, dedication to truth, and respect for the media. This is the first book to tell the full story of this historic relationship and its substantial impact on the Obama presidency and its legacy.

Steven Levingston

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