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During Barack Obama's two terms, Pete Souza was with the President during more crucial moments than anyone else, and he photographed them all. Souza captured nearly two million photographs of President Obama, in moments highly classified and disarmingly candid. Now he presents more than 300 of the most iconic photographs with fine-art print quality in an oversize format. Together they document the most consequential hours of the Presidency (including the historic image of Obama and his advisors in the Situation Room during the bin Laden mission) alongside unguarded moments with the President's family, his encounters with children, interactions with world leaders and cultural figures, and more. Souza'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 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 an example to "be kind and be useful," as he would instruct his daughters.… (more)
User reviews
Pete Souza’s relationship with Obama started when Souza was working at the Chicago Tribune and took the first official photo of Obama on January 5,2005 – at the new Illinois U.S. Senator’s basement barren windowless office. Fast forward to January 2009, the incoming new President’s press secretary contacted Souza, offering him the job of the Chief Official White House Photographer. The only thing that Souza requested was complete and full access to everything Obama does, thereby embarking on an 8-year journey of 10 to 12 hour days, 5 to 7 days a week, resulting in nearly 2 million photos.
This photo biography is satisfyingly rich with numerous facets of Obama’s presidency presented chronologically. Very few are officially posted photos; Souza prided himself in his ability to be invisible, quietly capturing each moment, each emotion. The photos are accompanied by a caption including location and date. Some photos were historically educational, such as the capture/killed-in-action of Bin Laden (2011). His pain is genuine and transparent upon the news of the Sandy Hook school shooting (2012). Others raised fury such as the Congress’ refusal to raise debt ceiling, comparing to the recent cut in taxes for the rich and corporation (2013). The absolute best are photos of Obama and children; they love him. It’s as though children by instinct know he is a good man. One of his most iconic photos is titled “Hair Like Mine”; doesn’t every child need a role model that looks like oneself? Finally, Obama himself thanks Souza for the numerous family photos in the foreword. His family photos show a very personal side of Barack that makes him human and relatable.
It is a rarity for me to want to own such a book. At least in the foreseeable future, I know I will treasure this gorgeous book as I fondly remember a leader that I trust sitting in the Oval Office.
There's not too
Maybe it's the norm for photo books like this, but I did like how much white space there was -- sometimes entire blank pages.
Souza portrays moments in the
Noted, here and there, are poignant photos with longer captions and explanations--of what the moment meant, of what it meant for the people, and any story behind it. There are more than you think.
I highly recommend you at least borrow this book from your local library, if not buy a copy outright.
In a nutshell: Official White House Photographer Pete Souza shares a history of the Obama Presidency in photos and text.
Line that sticks with me: The very last photo, of
Why I chose it: My stepmother-in-law gifted my husband and I this massive book for Christmas. We’re moving overseas in less than two weeks but I don’t even care that we now have an extra five pounds to pack.
Review: Sigh. I know that President Obama was not perfect. He made some decisions that I disagree with. He was not as progressive as I would have likes. But damn, I strongly believe that he was — and is — a very good human being. A kind person. A loving parent and partner. An intelligent person interested in doing good things.
These are qualities that I believe are missing from the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And while that man does appear in two photos near the very end, the rest of this 350 page book documents — mostly in photos but also in words — what life is like for an active, engaged President. Specifically, what life was like for President Obama.
From extraordinarily challenging times like responding to the Sandy Hook massacre, to goofing off with his daughters or staffers’ children, this book captures it all. And yet you know it also shows just a small bit of what those eight years were like.
As I have said (probably more than necessary), we move to London in just a couple of weeks. This book will be coming with us. When I read about the latest thing the current President has done to harm the US, I’ll look back at this book and remember that we had someone who cared, and it is possible that we will have someone who cares again.
I think my favourite photo was one that probably
There were two other poignant quotes that I took from this book. One was from Souza, in his explanation of the debt ceiling crisis, titled *On the Brink of Default*. He said: "...by July (2011) Congressional Republicans were using the debt ceiling as a form of blatant political blackmail. The next few weeks were dominated by this issue as the president met constantly to try to reason with leaders in Congress and with his economic team to prepare for the worst-case scenario of default. This is what governing looks like". (bold letters are mine)
The last quote was one that was penned by parents from Newtown after the horrific terrorist attack there: "Newtown is thankful that you are coming to help us heal. In times of adversity it is reassuring to know that we have a strong leader to help us recover."
Maybe because I am also listening to Michelle Obama read me her book on audio, at this same time (I'm a little over half way through it), but this family just packs such a powerful punch, when it comes to integrity and being role models. Will the world ever see the likes of them again? Hard to imagine….