A Promised Land

“I’m sure he gets a lot of help with editors and contributors, but the book is in his own voice. He’s a really smart person, was the president of the Harvard Law Review—probably the most prestigious role for a student in the American legal academy—and very, very, literate, whether you agree with his politics or not. It’s refreshing. And I found Obama’s, particularly, to be a great read, really enjoyable.” Read more...

Five of the Best U.S. Political Biographies

William Cooper, Journalist

“It’s absolutely stunning as a listening experience, and I think his style of writing and presentation suit the format beautifully. As he’s said in interviews he’s done about the memoir, he wants to speak directly to listeners and in particular to young people.” Read more...

The Best Presidential Memoirs as Audiobooks

Robin Whitten, Journalist

“Obama’s memoir confronts the disappointments of his presidency, and the extent to which some of the political backlash against him was due to the fact that he was the first Black man to occupy the Oval Office. Yet Obama retains optimism about America. He makes the case, convincingly, that we are making significant progress, that our democratic institutions and constitutional traditions can accommodate demographic groups that were once excluded, as well as new immigrants and their descendants and that we can slowly build a more just society.” Read more...

The Best Politics Books of 2020

Yascha Mounk, Political Scientist

Barack Obama is an experienced—and talented—audiobook narrator so it’s no surprise he’s the one reading aloud his presidential memoir. This is only the first volume and it’s already more than 29 hours, so it’s quite a commitment, but also a unique opportunity to be told, firsthand, what it’s actually like to be President of the United States (POTUS). Hint: you’re dealing with a lot of complicated things, like healthcare reform.

Narrator: Barack Obama

Length: 29hr 10mins

Great Audiobooks Narrated by Their Authors