Obama: An Intimate Portrait

by Pete Souza, Barack Obama (Foreword by)

Overview

Relive the extraordinary Presidency of Barack Obama through White House photographer Pete Souza's behind-the-scenes images and stories in this #1 New York Times bestseller — with a foreword from the President himself.

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. Obama: An Intimate Portrait reproduces more than 300 of Souza's most iconic photographs with fine-art print quality in an oversize collectible format.

Together they document the most consequential hours of the Presidency — including the historic image of President 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 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 is a treasured record of a landmark era in American history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316512589
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	11/07/2017
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	254,802
Product dimensions:	12.30(w) x 10.20(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Pete Souza has been the Official Chief White House Photographer for the entire tenure of the Presidency of Barack Obama.  He has been a professional photographer since the 1970's and was the Washington Photographer for the Chicago Sun-Times for several years and was an official White House Photographer during the Reagan years.  His work has appeared in Life and National Geographic and he is the author of several books.

Editorial Reviews

12/04/2017
Souza, who served as chief official White House photographer for President Obama’s two terms, captures the grace of his former boss and the highs and lows of the job of commander-in-chief in this frank and powerful collection of images. Beginning with the eve of Obama’s first inauguration and concluding with the inauguration of Donald Trump, Souza organizes the selections chronologically, noting significant events, such as Congress passing the Affordable Care Act, in chapter headings. Souza’s images show Obama in mid-speech, in meetings with foreign dignitaries, and strategizing with members of his inner circle. He captures Obama comforting a Sandy Hook victim’s family and, in a well-publicized image, bowing forward so an African-American boy can feel his hair. Photographs of Obama alone in moments of contemplation speak to the loneliness that can be an aspect of the presidency. Snapshots from the Obamas’ vacations or casual occasions at the White House are among the most charming. Obama writes affectionately about Souza in the introduction, saying, “Pete became more than my photographer—he became my friend, confidant, and brother.” In addition to being a collection of masterfully crafted images, the volume is a time capsule, capturing an era in pictures—one still fresh in collective memory. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

One of the Best Books of the Year - Today, Los Angeles Times, People, Bustle

"The book, which distills the 1.9 million photographs that Souza took of Obama's eight years in the White House down to about 300 images, it as once warm and nostalgic, worshipful and respectful, sad and wistful-in a sense, not so different from the framed JFK portraits that everyday Americans hung in living rooms, right through the Nixon administration. Less than 12 months since Obama left office (indeed, the very moment he left his office is included), it also reads like a lesson in how fast things can change."—Chicago Tribune

"Here are the qualities that radiate from these photos of the former President and his family, all taken by Souza during his eight years as official White House photographer: intelligence, kindness, warmth, integrity. Drink it in."—People

"For all its exuberant glimpses of the president at play, the dominant mood of this 'intimate portrait' remains earnest. In conveying both the weight of the office and President Obama's full engagement with its demands, Souza fuels our admiration—and stokes our regret."—The Chicago Tribune

"Souza, chief official White House photographer for Obama's two terms, was on hand for history—documenting our first black president, and a pretty photogenic one at that. Souza's book, an instant best seller, includes many iconic images we've seen before, but its most poignant moments are the least public—like one of the president and his daughters frolicking in the snow at the White House."—USA Today

"Mr. Souza has honed an ability to crouch and shrink to capture the details no one else sees...With Mr. Obama giving few public statements since leaving office, Mr. Souza's words and images will have to work as a conduit for now."—The New York Times

"Obama: An Intimate Portrait reminds us of how... glamour functioned in the previous Administration... However glamorous, this man has more power than seems human."—The New Yorker

"Perfect for gifting... lets readers into Obama's life in the White House, around the world, and into the spirit of his chapter in American history."—Travel + Leisure

"This book will appeal to any fan of history."—ABC7 Eyewitness News

"The 300 photographs in the book are a remarkable account of President Obama's eight years in the White House, from events of historic significance to quiet moments with his wife and daughters and the family dogs. They feature world leaders, diplomats, celebrities and everyday people. You see the President in times of contemplation, worry and sorrow. You see him, too, in high spirits, joy and playfulness."—New Orleans Times-Picayune

"The Obama presidency, distilled into 5 pounds' worth of pictures."—Slate

"The power of Barack Obama has always been in the simple reality of him. Just the sight of him—so smart, so powerful, so black—means so much to so many. And for over a decade, Pete Souza was responsible for spreading that reality around the world."—Vice

From the Publisher