The book is a beautiful coffee-table book which makes a good keepsake of this historical presidency. Due to the bias of the editors, it is not a good historical source of information, nor is it very comprehensive or substantive (what did he do as a Senator? You won't find out here). It is very pretty. ( )

The editors of LIFE Magazine provide a full scope of Barack Obama's life. The book contains the following contents: Moments in a Journey, Introduction, Foreword (by Senator Ed Kennedy), The Family Tree, Roots, Boyhood, A Young Man on the Rise, Chicago, Washington, Aspects of Obama (12 essays) and The Journey Continues.

Whether you voted for Barack Obama or not, he is the elected 44th President of the United States and it can't hurt to learn more about him. That's why I read this book - no political announcements here. Not only that, how can you go wrong with LIFE Magazine editors? :)

This is a beautiful, hardcover book. Its size is approximately 9 x 11 and holds true to life (and LIFE) photographs, and it was an absolute pleasure to read. While, I enjoyed most of the essays at the end of the book, some of them I could have done without. So, for me, it's not a masterpiece, but it comes close. No matter - it's a treasured book on my shelves! (4.5/5)

Originally posted on: "Thoughts of Joy..." ( )

This magazine capitalises on the sensation that so many Americans experienced after the election of their first African-American president. It wisely does so in a way that captures the moment of this election, and the events that led up to it in Obama's life and on the campaign trail, without pretending that the story is over or that Obama can already be judged on what kind of a president he is. While not an Obama supporter, I wanted to learn more about my new president and to have a memento of this moment in history for the future, and I believe this book was excellent for both of those aims. The focus in passages on Obama's childhood years is on his identity struggles, and later sections do a good job of situating Obama's life within the historicity of the campaign in general, acknowledging the importance of players like Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin in the way this election will be remembered without disparaging any particular political views. As expected, the photos are also brilliant. ( )

As one would expect with a LIFE publication, this coffee table book contains many excellent photographs of its subject. It was published after Obama won the Democratic nomination, but before the election results were known. We see Barack Obama in his youth; in Hawaii; at Harvard; with his family, immediate and extended, in the U.S. and in Kenya; at work and at play. The text gives us background biographical details about his life and complicated family history. It is certainly not an in-depth look at the politician or the man, but was a comfortable, pleasing read for the eve of his inauguration as the 44th President of the United States. It has the feel of a souvenir. The best part of the text are several essays on specific topics---race, faith, the world's view of Obama---by well-known writers including Gay Talese, Bob Greene, Nancy Gibbs, and my personal favorite, Andrei Codrescu who discusses immigration from his own unique perspective . Some of the photos are spoiled, in my opinion, by being spread over two pages. I would rather have had them reproduced on a single page to avoid that spinal crease through the center.

The American Journey of Barack Obama by the Editors of Life is a beautiful coffee table book. It tells the story of Barack Obama from birth through the Presidential race, but it was printed before Election Day. This book doesn’t really introduce any new material but it does a nice job of presenting Barack’s history in a easily read, conversational tone. As would be expected from Life, the book is filled with beautiful, full-color photographs, some of which were not previously published.

My favorite part of the book is the essays in the back from “12 fine thinkers and writers,” including Gay Talese and Andrei Codresu. These essays and the photographs make this book unique among the Barack Obama books. ( )

This photobiography of President-elect Obama is a stunning array of photos showcasing his childhood, his family, and his rise in politics.
Published shortly before Obama won the election, the short biography covers the basics of Obama's life. The accompanying pictures (and there are quite a few) and captions give a feel for the man who is Barack Obama.
The biography is fair. While the book is obviously a celebration of how Obama achieved so much, in so little time, the ugly spots in his life and career path are not glossed over.
The final section of the book is a series of essays about Obama, adding more voices.
The biography is by no means comprehensive (and was not meant to be), but it is thorough, and a wonderful introduction to Obama's life, with beautiful pictures to add to the appeal. ( )

This is arguably the best primer for an politically ignorant reader to learn about our new president. Beginning with his birth in Hawaii and taking him through his upbringing in Indonesia, Kenya, and Hawaii, then his education and political explosion in Illinois, we end the book with a dozen essays by members of the New York City intelligensia. Although each of the writers has a different interest, they all share the literate equality of the elite, and it would have been better if the Editors of LIFE had picked at leasgt two or three others, maybe from the vast world-wide community that will be influenced by gthe rise of this champion of unification. I, for instance, would have loved to hear how the leaders of Irab, Venzuela, and North Korea feel about the new president.

Having said that, the book is a gem in a muddled mass of print being promulgated upon a puzzled public. If the print was excised from the book and offered for the photography alone, it would be worth the asking price. ( )

This is a very beautifully done book. This book is a good starting point for people who want to know more about our next president. My favorite section dealt with his childhood. As a child he went from Hawaii to Jakarta and back to his grandparents in Hawaii, an African father and an Indonesian step-father. He had a very diverse childhood. The book also gives you a look at his fathers family in Africa. The book also covers his schooling, courtship and marriage of Michelle and his run for the White House. The last section of the book is a group of essays written by a wide range of people with their view points of Barack Obama.

This book will always be about the pictures, from early childhood to the present day. They are all beautiful and very touching, giving the viewer a window into his life. I liken it to looking through your family photo album, very familiar and comfortable

I said that this book was a starting point, but not the whole story. There is a lot of information missing The section on his Washington life is all about his run for president and not about his time in the senate. Nothing about his voting record or committees, Bills that he helped to write or to introduce .

I can highly recommend this book well worth its $25 price tag, but don’t stop here. As Americas first African-American president more will be written about him then almost any other President dive in and enjoy history as it happens. ( )

This is a well done popular biography of Barack Obama. I enjoyed reading this book very much, but there are two features that particularly move me to recommend it to others.

As I write this review, Barack Obama is the President -elect of the United States. There will be many, many biographies written about him, but they will necessarily focus on his administration and policies while President. This book is served well by the timing of it’s writing and the focus upon Obama’s life up to the conclusion of the 2008 presidential campaign. We are given a great deal of detail about schools, people, locations, and so forth that have shaped his life, without the encumbrance of trying to fit it into the larger context of a presidency.

The second great recommendation for this book are the copious, omnipresent photographs that tell a story just as vivid as the text. From very technically proficient, official photographs during his campaign to a large number of quite ordinary and telling snapshots from infancy, youth, and family gatherings, the book feels very much like a scrapbook and draws the reader into the story.

There is little pressing of political opinion in the book, and even though it is pointedly optimistic about Obama, it does not become sycophantic. A properly done, readable project. ( )

The American Journey of Barack Obama is a well-written, beautifully photographed book about our President Elect, soon to be 44th President.

It is a brief yet informative biography of a man whose background is unique in the upper echelons of power in the US today. There was quite a bit of information that I didn’t previously know about his family background, a family tree, and many pictures of Obama as a young boy with his white grandfather, his black father, his Indonesian step-father, his black and Indonesian half-brothers and sisters.

The things that have influenced him, the turns his life have taken all have led toward this moment in history. Since I voted for him in both the primary and general elections, it was exciting to participate in his pursuit of the Presidency. It was exciting to read about it.

A book by The Editors of Life wouldn’t be complete without many, many pictures. The pictures strengthened the book and were the structure on which the serious Foreword by Senator Edward M. Kennedy and the essays by men and women of letters were built. There were essays by people I’d heard of – Gay Talese, Andrei Codrescu and Fay Weldon, and people I hadn’t heard of but probably should have – David M. Shribman and Charles Johnson.

This book argues that Obama is the man for the times and by being who he is will fill a larger role as President than other recent Presidents; yet it affirms his Americanness and accessibility to ordinary US citizens. It pokes fun gently, as when we see a picture of him bowling. He is awkward and only scores a 47, and one of the essayists, Jay Heinrichs, gently asks “Why did Obama even put on those bowling shoes.”

The only criticism I have is that the italicized small print on full-page pictures is somewhat hard to read when overlaid on “busy” portions of the picture. I don’t know how it could have been done differently and still look good, but it was disruptive in an otherwise smooth-flowing, exuberant, and fun book. ( )

This colorful chronological compilation of stunning, photos and candid text makes this book an enjoyable read. This is no simple coffee table book. It is a chapter by chapter biography starting with Barack Obama's intriguing family tree to his rocket rise to top political ranks.

The introduction by Ted Kennedy is inspiring. He sets the tone and theme of the book when he says of Barack Obama,

"he refuses to be trapped in the patterns of the past."

How many of us have put our hope and faith in this man to lead our country during these tenuous time?

Published in October 2008, prior to knowing the election outcome, this beautifully crafted book follows the life of Barack Obama and his orbital spin from Senator in 2004 to Presidential Candidate in 2008. His personality shines through each chapter with dialog and exceptional photography capturing just right moments in time.

He admits being shaped by his maternal grandparents and mother. It was fascinating to read that his mother was a child of the 60's who had a Utopian view of a better life common to youth of the time. She instilled in him her ideals of fairness and freedom. It was noted that Barack remembers his mother's lessons of tolerance, equality and standing up for the disadvantaged. Themes he echoed in his campaigning.

This is the type of short biographical stories, snippets and sketches of Barack Obama that are presented in this multi-chapter book. The chapters are, The Family Tree, Roots, Boyhood, Young Man on the Rise, Chicago, Washington, Aspects of Obama, and lastly, The Journey Continues.

Fascinating stories, captivating pictures and a compelling subject will make everyone want this on their Christmas Wish List. Highly recommended. ( )

The editors of LIFE magazine issued a particularly timely coffee-table book this fall, The American Journey of Barack Obama. They did so in October, so the text does not indicate the ultimate result of the presidential campaign ... but no real matter, since the book's point is the long, strange trip which brought Obama to the campaign in the first place. The introduction begins this way: "Some lives, no matter an observer's political, philosophical or cultural orientation, so inarguably and objectively fascinating that to gaze upon them - to see the twists and turns, the lucky breaks and the hard knocks, is a riveting please. Barack Obama's is one of those unlikely, preposterous lives."

With short thematic-chronological capsule essays broken up by pages filled with the lavish photographs for which LIFE is justifiably famous, this book examines Obama's biography visually, chronicling his life through pictures of its characters (many of whom, including his Kenyan step-grandmother, his mother, the candidate himself, and his wife and daughters, have exceptional smiles).

Following the photographs are twelve essays about various aspects of Obama's life by various journalists, historians and others: Richard Norton Smith contrasts Obama and Adlai Stevenson, author Bob Greene muses on Obama's now-lost-forever anonymity, and in an essay that brought tears to my eyes (not for the first time in recent months), editor David Shribman described watching his politics-averse daughter be won over by the candidate who spoke to her and to many of us in a way that resonated in a very powerful way.

A well-produced book, a delight to browse and read.

http://philobiblos.blogspot.com/2008/... ( )

I’ve long been a fan of the Time/Life glossy pictorial hardcovers (e.g., the Time Annual Year in Review and Life Album: Pictures of the Year series), so when Life’s THE AMERICAN JOURNEY OF BARACK OBAMA became available through Library Thing’s Early Reviewer program, I jumped at the chance to review a copy. Though I’m not an Obama voter – I supported Kucinch in the primaries, McKinney/Clemente in the general election – I found myself moved by the historic nature of his campaign (and victory) nonetheless. In particular, the photos and speeches which came out of the 2008 campaign cycle have proven poignant and inspirational; considering previous Life volumes, I hoped that this book might capture some of the more memorable campaign moments.

Since THE AMERICAN JOURNEY OF BARACK OBAMA is largely a work of photojournalism, let’s start with the photographs. TAJOBO is a gorgeous, colorful book, filled to the brim with photos: Obama/Dunham and, later, Obama/Robinson family snapshots; photos of Barack Obama during his college years; pictures taken throughout Obama’s political career; candid shots of Barack and Michelle with children Sasha and Malia; and, of course, a number of photos from the campaign trail, including a few stills of the Obamas working the daytime talk show circuit. If you followed the 2008 elections, no doubt you’ll recognize some of the more iconic photographs, such as the one of Obama, leaning back in an office chair, with a phone nestled snugly between ear and shoulder, feet propped up on a desk - showing two very beaten, worn soles.

Sadly, Life only includes a few photos of Obama’s supporters, taken during his speeches and rallies; of the shots they do include, most are of the stadium-sized crowds, rather than of individual supporters. For me, these have been some of the most moving and emotional images from the campaign trail: seeing African American children and adults interact with Obama and react to his speeches. It’s a shame that Life didn’t feature more of these photographs.

In regards to the biographical text of TAJOBO, the book is primarily divided into five sections: Roots, Boyhood, A Young Man on the Rise, Chicago and Washington. The biographical section is largely laudatory, as you might expect; after all, one purchases Life pictorials for the photos – the hard hitting journalism, not so much.

The final section, Aspects of Obama, features twelve essays from “fine thinkers” (while I probably take in more CSPAN than your average American, none of the names ring a bell), with the goal of examining how Obama is viewed “by the black man and the white, the cultural anthropologist and the historian, the northerner and the southerner, the immigrant and the foreigner, the woman who suffered when Hillary got beat.” While this section practically begs for an essay critical of Obama – just one, mind you! – the editors at Life wouldn’t hear of it. Likewise, the specter of racism is discussed in depth, as it should be – as I noted above, this was a historic election cycle. However, 2008 was notable not just because it saw the first African American presidential candidate on a major party ticket – but because he was competing against the first viable female candidate in the Democratic primaries. Just as race(ism) was at the forefront in 2008, so too was sex(ism) – but the misogyny directed at Hillary Clinton and her supporters (and later, Sarah Palin and her supporters), is barely given a nod. But again, I expected as much when I requested the book from LT; a masterpiece of political journalism, TAJOBO is not.

To be fair, THE AMERICAN JOURNEY OF BARACK OBAMA doesn’t claim to be a comprehensive biography or exhaustive journalistic endeavor. Rather, it’s a pretty book, meant to commemorate the first African American President of the United States. (I somewhat doubt that Life would have released THE AMERICAN JOURNEY OF JOHN MCCAIN, had Obama lost the election, you know?) In this, the editors at Life largely succeed; and yet, because Obama’s American journey is also a journey shared by the many people of color who supported Obama, campaigned on his behalf, braved harsh weather and crushing throngs in order to hear him speak, and celebrated with him when he won the election, I can’t help but feel as though more of the photos in this (photo)essay could have – should have – been dedicated to them: “Yes WE Can.”

(Crossposted on Amazon.com: A gorgeous coffee table book; nothing more, nothing less.) ( )

An excellent compendium of photographs and recollections from the life and campaign of Barack Obama. Whether you voted republican or democrat, history was made during this election as an exciting new chapter in our nations history begins. ( )

You can love him, or you can think that he is the anti-christ. This review will not be about either of those views, I will not debate if he is to bring peace to the universe, or if he is the most liberal president ever, this review is about his journey from birth to date. It is about the boy who will grow up to live the dream, and to dump out his enthusiasm on America. He was born to an unlikely couple, who did not possess the freedom that we now have, he grew up in Honolulu, California and later Chicago, he attended Harvard. From Harvard on he knew the taste of vitory and that politics were his pursuit in life.

His family is more than a part of Obama, he belongs to them as well. In the photos in LIFE, The American Journey of Barack Obama it is obvious that they have more than a superficial bond. They laugh, they dance, they cry and play together, his family is not just a family for presidential events, but in the home as well. I loved seeing the portrayal of him as a man at home with his wife and daughters. The shots of Obama crouched down kissing his kids on the lips, or sharing the joys of his wins, there is something that draws folks in about him, and I can see it. This book does an amazing job of presenting Barack Obama from so many different sides and yet in them all he is a man, a man with a dream.

No matter how you voted you cannot stay that Obama doesn't carry the world in his grip, the smiles of the nation in his hand. Only time will tell what he can do with that. But what I already can tell you is that his victory, a minority in office, an African American the future leader of our nation is an accomplishment of which we should all be in awe.

At the end of the book there is a section titled Aspects of Obama in which positive articles are written by different peoples from around the world. Life asked 12 thinkers and writers to take a look at the different aspects Obama displays and to tell the readers what they saw. This is a really interesting section of the book, where different people get to speak up.

I would recommend this book for the Obama enthusiast on your Christmas list! It is a beautiful book with full colour photos on almost every page. I loved looking at and reading it. Enjoy! ( )

The early parts of American Journey provide a sweeping and at times overly dramatic biography of Barack Obama that begins with his roots and ends with his victory at the Democratic National Convention. Yet the most interesting part of the book is the penultimate section, Aspects of Obama. In this section, twelve writers offer their comments about Obama from a range of perspectives, from Regina Barreca’s “A Clintonista Comes Over”, to Andrei Codrescu’s “Immigrant Song”, to Fay Weldon’s “The View From London”. Each piece in this collection is brief and well-written, and they provide refreshingly honest and plain-spoken opinions of Obama from a diversity of viewpoints.

But of course the star of any LIFE book is the photography, and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint. The photographs in this book tell as much of the story as the text, a fact which of course in some ways speaks to our modern age. Indeed, many of the pieces in the Aspects section are in some way about the experience of seeing Obama, whether in a newspaper photo, on television, or in person. And when looking through the book readers will be surely be struck by the many images of fatherhood. These include not only several pictures of Obama with his father and his grandfather, but many more of him with his two daughters. In these days of PR and “spin”, and after years of an administration that staged a number of deliberately deceptive photo-ops, it’s hard not to feel cynical about the authenticity of such photos. Yet in the pages of American Journey, Barack Obama genuinely looks like any other father about the daily business of fatherhood, with its challenges both great and small. That’s a fine quality in a President-elect, and one which bodes well for the coming administration.

Reviewed by Book Dads ( )

This is a a beautiful book. The pictures that are in the book are great. There is a mixture of old and new in the book. From baby pictures, to growing up, to the wedding pics and to the family pictures. All of what has made Barack Obama.

It was nice to read and to learn about Barack, his life and family. I learned a few things about him that I didn't know. I never realized how big of a family he had such as 5 half brothers and two half sisters. That his interest in politics was early on in his life and that he values and treasures his roots and where he comes from.

Barack made history when he was chosen as the 44th President Elected in the US and I think this book is a great addition to have on ones shelf. A piece of history.

Perfect for : Personal reading, Gift book, Great coffee table/office book

In a nutshell: This is an absolutely beautiful book. The pictures are wonderfully candid and bright, and the information contained within the book gives us some wonderful information on the life of our soon-to-be 44th President of the United States. With an inspirational foreword by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the book starts by allowing readers to see Obama's family tree, showing an impressive seven half-brothers and half-sisters! We then get to see photos (and read information) of his family, his childhood, his school years, and his early career and his entry into politics. As readers, we also get the opportunity to see him as a boy, a man, a teacher, a husband, a father, a politician, etc. This is a wonderful look at a fascinating life. There is no doubt that readers will learn a lot about our 44th President, and they will get to see the many sides of Barack Obama!

My Review:
This is a beautiful book, which contains a multitude of pictures and facts about the 44th President of the United States. It was a joy to leaf through the pages of the book, pausing to read the captions of the pictures, or the information contained on the pages. Regardless of your political views, this is an interesting book, which I certainly recommend!

Characters: As a non-fiction book, the "characters" are Barack Obama and his family. We get to have a candid look at his life growing up, and as an adult. We also get to learn tidbits of the rest of his family, making his story that much more interesting.

Story-Line: This is the story of Barack Obama's life. It is amazing in that his father is from Kenya, and he has had to work hard to achieve his accomplishments.

Readability: The information in the book is easy to read, and broken up into a great time-line with lots of pictures. The pictures within the book are amazing, and fun to look through.

Overall: I highly recommend this book. It is a beautiful representation of an amazing life. Regardless of your political views, this is a wonderful way to gain some insight into the life of the 44th President of the United States. I particularly loved the photographs of him with his wife and/or girls. He seems to be a wonderful family man. This book would be a great addition to a personal book collection, as well as a professional/business collection (why not put a copy in your office or lobby?). ( )

First of all let me just say that I rate books based on what they are. If I were rating this book as a comprehensive biography, it would do poorly. But, since it is a picture biography, it rated well. The pictures and layout are very well done. The text is interspersed with the pictures expertly.

Barak Obama's life story - starting with a brief introduction of the life of his parents - is told in a spare, and yet comprehensive manner. I felt that the writing was very bi-partisan, and the forces that shaped him, and what he chose to do with those influences, were the focus of the book.

I would recommend this book to anyonewho dosen't know much about our -soon to be - president; regardless of political persuasion. We all should know a little something about our commander in chief. I knew very little, and even if I do not agree with all of his politics, can't help but admire the man. And for those of you who do know about Obama, this is a very beautiful book to collect. ( )