This book analyzes the image of the U.S. presidential administrations from 2001 to 2011 and their political image in foreign countries. The authors focus on the European perception of U.S. presidencies, specifically during the terms of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Political image is decisive in electoral victory and, more often, is central in the conquest and maintenance of political power. Political image is also highly relevant because of the credibility of the United States on the international stage, resulting in gained confidence and the celebration of profitable alliances. This study of political image has a crucial interdisciplinary framework fordisciplines such as communication, political science, and international relations.
A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAACP IMAGE AWARD NOMINEE • NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW AND PEOPLE NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The Washington Post • Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times • NPR • The Guardian • Slate • Vox • The Economist • Marie Claire In the stirring first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil. Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office. Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of U.S. partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings readers inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden. A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change,” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible. This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.
Presents a behind-the-scenes view of the presidency of George W. Bush, from meetings with troops in war zones to relaxed times with his family to important meetings with his inner circle.
The American President is an enthralling account of American presidential actions from the assassination of William McKinley in 1901 to Bill Clinton's last night in office in January 2001. William Leuchtenburg, one of the great presidential historians of the century, portrays each of the presidents in a chronicle sparkling with anecdote and wit. Leuchtenburg offers a nuanced assessment of their conduct in office, preoccupations, and temperament. His book presents countless moments of high drama: FDR hurling defiance at the "economic royalists" who exploited the poor; ratcheting tension for JFK as Soviet vessels approach an American naval blockade; a grievously wounded Reagan joking with nurses while fighting for his life. This book charts the enormous growth of presidential power from its lowly state in the late nineteenth century to the imperial presidency of the twentieth. That striking change was manifested both at home in periods of progressive reform and abroad, notably in two world wars, Vietnam, and the war on terror. Leuchtenburg sheds light on presidents battling with contradictory forces. Caught between maintaining their reputation and executing their goals, many practiced deceits that shape their image today. But he also reveals how the country's leaders pulled off magnificent achievements worthy of the nation's pride.
Chronicles the rich history of the American presidency, including informative and entertaining biographies of each of the men who have held the office and full coverage of the 1996 election.
Obama: An Intimate PortraitSouza's photographs, with the behind-the-scenes captions and stories that accompany them, communicate the pace and power of our nation's highest office. They also reveal the spirit of the extraordinary man who became our President. We see President Obama lead our nation through monumental challenges, comfort us in calamity and loss, share in hard-won victories, and set a singular example to "be kind and be useful," as he would instruct his daughters. This book puts you in the White House with President Obama, and will be a treasured record of a landmark era in American history.
Beginning with the 1992 presidential campaign that propelled them to two terms in the White House, Hillary and Bill Clinton have occupied the American political stage like no other couple in history. Indeed, it is impossible to understand the past twenty-five years of American politics without understanding the Clintons. Hillary redefined the role of First Lady, taking an office in the West Wing and becoming a key member of the president’s inner circle of policymakers. As the Clinton presidency ended, Hillary won a seat in the US Senate, where she served for eight years until President Barack Obama appointed her secretary of state. Hillary’s strong campaigns for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 and 2016 shattered the barriers against women running for America’s highest political office and made it possible to believe that a woman can now become president of the United States. Hillary’s quarter century in the public spotlight and 2016 presidential bid offer a natural opportunity to look back at her transformation into a national policymaker, a transformation that occurred behind the scenes in the Clinton White House. One observer who had inside access to Hillary Clinton as she grew from advocate to policymaker was the former Clinton White House photographer, Robert McNeely. In The Making of Hillary Clinton, he presents a richly observed psychological portrait of Hillary’s work in the White House, comprising one hundred previously unpublished photographs drawn from his archive at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin. McNeely reveals Hillary’s central participation in areas of politics and policy, ranging from health care reform and other domestic issues to international conflicts, far beyond that of any of previous presidential spouse. The photographs clearly show how her experiences in the White House laid the groundwork for her future political career as senator from New York, secretary of state, and presidential candidate.
