Barack Obama: The Story

By the author of the bestselling When Pride Still Mattered and the Pulitzer finalist for They Marched into Sunlight and the definitive biography of the young Bill Clinton, First in His Class, a stunning saga of the generations and geography that put Barack Obama on his path to the American presidency.Meticulously reported by one of our pre-eminent journalists, based on hundreds of interviews, the real stories of Obama's disparate forebears and his early life explain as never before the forces that shaped him.

Along the way is a story of passions, vain ambitions, survival and love. There is a sad description of his father’s, and father’s father's behavior and of their thwarted lives. Maraniss's portrayal of Obama’s mother is critical and sympathetic. He shows us Obama as a small school boy in Indonesia, eager and polite, then as a prankster adolescent, a basketball-playing good scholar. The truth is that Barack Obama Jr. began inventing and defining himself from early childhood to undergraduate at Occidental and Columbia Colleges, on to Harvard and “home” to Chicago.

Maraniss evokes time and place so vividly that readers feel they are there. He corrects the record (even Obama’s recollections) as he keeps the young Obama always at the center of this adventure.

About The Author:

In our interview, Maraniss shared some fascinating facts about himself:

"Some facts about me: I got married when I had just turned 20 and am still married, 34 years later, to Linda Maraniss, who is my best editor and partner in all of my books."

"Although I often write about politics, my real interest is in why people do what they do, the forces that shape them."

"I love baseball on the radio, crossword puzzles, Scrabble, and music. I hate ideologues who fail to see the human dimension in all of life."

Name:David Maraniss

Current Home:Washington, D.C., and Madison, Wisconsin

Date of Birth:August 6, 1949

Place of Birth:Detroit, Michigan

Education:University of Wisconsin

Awards:Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, 1993; Polk Award for National Reporting, 1995; Frankfurt Prize, 1997 for When Pride Still Mattered

Good To Know

In our interview, Maraniss shared some fascinating facts about himself:

"Some facts about me: I got married when I had just turned 20 and am still married, 34 years later, to Linda Maraniss, who is my best editor and partner in all of my books."

"Although I often write about politics, my real interest is in why people do what they do, the forces that shape them."

"I love baseball on the radio, crossword puzzles, Scrabble, and music. I hate ideologues who fail to see the human dimension in all of life."

Feature Interviews

In the fall of 2003, David Maraniss took some time to talk with us about his favorite books, authors, and interests.

What was the book that most influenced your life or your career as a writer -- and why?
The book(s) that most affected my career were a three-part set of the writings of George Orwell, comprised mostly of his essays. His clear and clean writing style and his courage in saying precisely what he believed inspired me to try to tell the truth in my writing, no matter where it led, and to try to look at the world free from ideological encrustations.

What are your ten favorite books, and what makes them special to you?
My ten favorite books would include: