The West Wing and Beyond: What I Saw Inside the Presidency

by Pete Souza

Overview

Go behind the scenes of the West Wing—into the Oval Office and Situation Room, aboard Air Force One, and beyond—with #1 bestselling author and former presidential photographer Pete Souza.
 
Pete Souza has spent more time in the Oval Office than almost any person in history. During the Obama administration alone, Souza was inside the presidential bubble for more than 25,000 hours and made nearly 2 million photographs. The result is an unprecedented view of how our democracy really works.
 
Now Souza invites you into the inner sanctum of the American presidency, sharing rarely seen photographs and untold stories of life and work in the White House and traveling with the President around the world.
 
The West Wing and Beyond takes you behind the scenes of consequential moments and traditions with the people who define our nation’s highest office—from the senior White House staff to the Oval Office valets. It delivers new insights into the role of the Secret Service, the seriousness of decisive meetings in the West Wing, and even some fun moments aboard Air Force One.
 
Brimming with gorgeous photographs paired with fascinating storytelling, The West Wing and Beyond offers a one-of-a-kind look into the personalities, intrigues, and fascinating details that comprise the modern presidency. It is an essential book for every citizen who believes in American democracy. 

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316383370
Publisher:	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date:	09/27/2022
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	10,633
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Pete Souza was the Official Chief White House Photographer for the entire tenure of the Presidency of Barack Obama. A professional photographer since the 1970's, Souza was the Washington Photographer for the Chicago Sun-Times for several years as well as 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, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Obama: An Intimate Portrait and Shade.

Editorial Reviews

"Throughout, the author uses his unprecedented access to create up-close and personal studies, informal moments dressed up in formal clothes, of the powerful people who populate the presidential bubble. Fascinating, in-depth portraits within the halls of power."

—Kirkus

"Souza's photos steal the show... This unique offering is bound to be popular."—Booklist

"Remarkable"—The New York Times

From the Publisher

2022-07-27
An official White House photographer gives an insider's tour of the West Wing and its key personnel.

Distinguished photo journalist Souza—chief photographer during the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama as well as the longtime director of White House Photography—presents valuable documentation in the form of vivid, full-color photos and accompanying explanatory text. Souza’s job covering the president and his team required long days “inside the presidential bubble,” whether in the White House or on the road (more than 25,000 hours during Obama’s tenure). He begins his tour of "The People's House" with photos from the Oval Office, where, because of the room's many windows, the light constantly changed. He chronicles numerous brief yet indelible moments—e.g., when a member of the press knocked over a glass of water on the Resolute Desk—and we learn that Obama always edited his speeches with a black Uni-ball Vision Elite pen. Souza takes readers into the Outer Oval, the Cabinet Room, the Roosevelt Room, the Situation Room, the Brady Press Briefing Room, the Rose Garden, and the State Floor. But Souza's focus is always on the people who inhabit these spaces. We meet the White House butler and chefs. We see a variety of performances and events on the South Lawn and Beyoncé performing inside a tent at a state dinner for the president of Mexico in 2010. The "On the Road" section includes many trips foreign and domestic aboard Air Force One; during the Reagan years, it was a Boeing 707, but since 1989, there have been two identical 747-200Bs. Souza offers candid portraits of the traveling White House staff, including the military aide who carries the presidential "football" and the president's personal aide, his "body man." Throughout, the author uses his unprecedented access to create up-close and personal studies, informal moments dressed up in formal clothes, of the powerful people who populate the presidential bubble.

Fascinating, in-depth portraits within the halls of power.

Kirkus Reviews