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Barack Before Obama: Life Before the Presidency—An Intimate Photographic Journey of the Man Who Became Our 44th President, from the Lens of a Close Friend and Aide
A People Pick of the Week
One of USA Today’s 5 Books Not to Miss
One of Forbes’ 5 Books to Read in December
A personal, intimate photographic celebration of President Barack Obama, featuring over 200 rare and never-before seen images from the years prior to his presidency, from photographer, friend, and former aide David Katz
In 2004, David Katz worked alongside then Senate-hopeful Barack Obama as a photographer and personal aide. He spent approximately six days a week alongside the future president as Obama campaigned across downstate Illinois, and the two developed a close, professional, and personal relationship. What began as a long-shot Senate run culminated with the election of America’s first African American president in 2008, which Katz also photographed.
During this time, David was never without his camera, capturing quotidian scenes from the life of a man who would soon become known the world a dad playing with his small daughters; a young unknown politician walking the streets of New York by himself with no one noticing; a devoted husband lovingly making faces at his wife in an elevator. In 2004, after seeing the unique and touching photographs David had amassed, Annie Leibovitz gave him some “Don’t release these photos of Obama for at least fifteen years. They need time to age.”
Now, fifteen years later, Barack Before Obama is the treasury of these photographs. Pulled from an archive of more than ninety thousand images, every photograph in this volume is like nothing that has been seen the ease in which David captures the spirit and essence of one of our most beloved first families is unparalleled, and it is in this affectionate familiarity that his photographs sing. Warm, engaging captions tell the stories behind the photos—the surprise meeting with Nelson Mandela, the back room conversation before the rally, the emotion after sending one of the Obamas’ daughters off to school—bringing readers closer than ever to the spirit and motivation behind the extraordinary man who became our forty-fourth president.
Barack Before Obama is a unique collection of images illustrating the making of an American icon. A moving document of an historic moment, it’s the perfect gift for all those who want to remember it.
One of USA Today’s 5 Books Not to Miss
One of Forbes’ 5 Books to Read in December
A personal, intimate photographic celebration of President Barack Obama, featuring over 200 rare and never-before seen images from the years prior to his presidency, from photographer, friend, and former aide David Katz
In 2004, David Katz worked alongside then Senate-hopeful Barack Obama as a photographer and personal aide. He spent approximately six days a week alongside the future president as Obama campaigned across downstate Illinois, and the two developed a close, professional, and personal relationship. What began as a long-shot Senate run culminated with the election of America’s first African American president in 2008, which Katz also photographed.
During this time, David was never without his camera, capturing quotidian scenes from the life of a man who would soon become known the world a dad playing with his small daughters; a young unknown politician walking the streets of New York by himself with no one noticing; a devoted husband lovingly making faces at his wife in an elevator. In 2004, after seeing the unique and touching photographs David had amassed, Annie Leibovitz gave him some “Don’t release these photos of Obama for at least fifteen years. They need time to age.”
Now, fifteen years later, Barack Before Obama is the treasury of these photographs. Pulled from an archive of more than ninety thousand images, every photograph in this volume is like nothing that has been seen the ease in which David captures the spirit and essence of one of our most beloved first families is unparalleled, and it is in this affectionate familiarity that his photographs sing. Warm, engaging captions tell the stories behind the photos—the surprise meeting with Nelson Mandela, the back room conversation before the rally, the emotion after sending one of the Obamas’ daughters off to school—bringing readers closer than ever to the spirit and motivation behind the extraordinary man who became our forty-fourth president.
Barack Before Obama is a unique collection of images illustrating the making of an American icon. A moving document of an historic moment, it’s the perfect gift for all those who want to remember it.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2020
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395 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 25, 2020
This was a really great book. It's a little intimidating because of how thick and large it is but since it's mostly photographs (with some text to give context) it was a quick read. I was in college when Obama was elected the first time so I don't really remember some of the key moments mentioned in the book (I didn't pay attention to politics back then). So I had to take a break while reading to watch the DNC 2004 speech that is mentioned several times and also the Al Smith 2008 speech (I accidentally watched the 2012 Al Smith speech first but both are good).
My only criticism was the organization of the book wasn't always chronological and while these choices sometimes made sense (like if the author was trying to highlight key campaign members), sometimes it seemed like there was no real reason. There would be a picture from a Bruce Springsteen concert and then another picture from that concert 20 pages later with other topics in between. I just wish it was organized either chronologically or thematically.
Also, the book really made me miss having a president that was actually a good human :(
My only criticism was the organization of the book wasn't always chronological and while these choices sometimes made sense (like if the author was trying to highlight key campaign members), sometimes it seemed like there was no real reason. There would be a picture from a Bruce Springsteen concert and then another picture from that concert 20 pages later with other topics in between. I just wish it was organized either chronologically or thematically.
Also, the book really made me miss having a president that was actually a good human :(
January 10, 2021
First let me begin by saying I’ve always held the Obama family to the highest esteem: I LOVE THEM! It was such a blessing to witness their journey and rise to power and leadership. David Katz’, Barack Before Obama chronicles as another source some of the most intimate and personal moments of President Obama before he took the most prestigious office. Before even he became a household name. In beautiful stills both in color and black and white, this collection of photography and vignettes are creme de la creme! Each photo captivating and telling a story that essentially screams: you had to be there to fully capture the greatness of the moment but Katz does an awesome job retelling the story. It speaks volumes to Katz’ and Obama’s close relationship. One of trust and the utmost respect.
Barack before Obama not only is his pictorial journey to just before the presidency but that of his family and his closest friends and cabinet members. Definitely one that I will plan to add to my own personal library at some point. A treasure. Do grab a copy!
Barack before Obama not only is his pictorial journey to just before the presidency but that of his family and his closest friends and cabinet members. Definitely one that I will plan to add to my own personal library at some point. A treasure. Do grab a copy!
December 19, 2020
Beautiful book of photographs with captions and commentary by Katz, covering Obama's Senate race and successful Presidential campaign. My favorite photos were those of Obama with his kids and laughing with his staff.
May 12, 2023
I had the pleasure of being in Chicago often as part of my career. During those years I followed the ascent of an incredible State Senator, Barack Obama. He was shaking things up years before running for President.
This beautiful book is full of candid photos taken of Obama with campaign workers, his family, the public, etc. I especially loved the ones of him with Robin Williams and Stevie Wonder. Of course, all of the pictures showing him as a father were heart-warming.
My favorite paragraph in the book personifies my President.
“…..He’s an introvert and not Clintonian in his political appetite. His retail political skills were always under appreciated. Talking to a farmer, diner owner, or retiree was something he liked. He listens to people. Most politicians are just waiting until they can speak again.”
This beautiful book is full of candid photos taken of Obama with campaign workers, his family, the public, etc. I especially loved the ones of him with Robin Williams and Stevie Wonder. Of course, all of the pictures showing him as a father were heart-warming.
My favorite paragraph in the book personifies my President.
“…..He’s an introvert and not Clintonian in his political appetite. His retail political skills were always under appreciated. Talking to a farmer, diner owner, or retiree was something he liked. He listens to people. Most politicians are just waiting until they can speak again.”
October 16, 2022
Each morning I would sit and enjoy my coffee, paging through this collection, seeing photos I have never seen, and being reminded of the family I adore.
It was so enlightening to look through these.
It was so enlightening to look through these.
February 5, 2021
Gorgeous book. No, YOU’RE crying.
January 13, 2021
Going through this book as Congress prepares to impeach that Orange Thing occupying the White House for a SECOND TIME, I found myself first choked up & then full out bawling for what we had & now have lost. The candid photos included here are nothing short of extraordinary.
My favorite caption from the author: After I stopped working as the Obamas' campaign photographer, Malia asked Michelle, "Why isn't David photographing us anymore?" To which Michelle replied, "Do you think he's going to follow you around taking pictures of you his entire life?"
The Obamas are clearly well-grounded, genuinely good humans.
My favorite caption from the author: After I stopped working as the Obamas' campaign photographer, Malia asked Michelle, "Why isn't David photographing us anymore?" To which Michelle replied, "Do you think he's going to follow you around taking pictures of you his entire life?"
The Obamas are clearly well-grounded, genuinely good humans.
June 30, 2022
This was a great read with just the right amount of context to the pictures (I always wanted more, but that's just proof it was a good amount). Really felt like flipping through a scrapbook, with a nice personal behind-the-scenes look not just at the Obamas, but at a lot of the people involved in the campaigns. I enjoyed how there were lots of different voices in the blurbs as well, sometimes quoting an aide or a family friend for five or six full sentences.
I was also amazed by the talent it takes to capture something as chaotic, stressful, exhausting, and unexpected as a campaign and to come out of it with images that are clear and and show the subjects in a positive light, looking joyful, centered, focused, attractive, smart, caring, and complex in turn. (As someone who has been caught making accidental stupid faces in the background of TOO many wedding reception candids and copes by smiling pleasantly constantly whenever there is a photographer around, a campaign is... my nightmare :) so kudos to everyone who lives that life lol)
I was also amazed by the talent it takes to capture something as chaotic, stressful, exhausting, and unexpected as a campaign and to come out of it with images that are clear and and show the subjects in a positive light, looking joyful, centered, focused, attractive, smart, caring, and complex in turn. (As someone who has been caught making accidental stupid faces in the background of TOO many wedding reception candids and copes by smiling pleasantly constantly whenever there is a photographer around, a campaign is... my nightmare :) so kudos to everyone who lives that life lol)
December 1, 2020
We have never seen a President as down-to-earth as President Obama is/was during his term. Photographer David Katz does an excellent job of showing us some candid moments with the President & the First Family. Also, giving us some behind the scenes story that made me feel like an official insider.
If you’re like me, you will appreciate seeing pictures of some of your favorites like Stevie Wonder and Robin Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela, and Presidential-Elect Joe Biden, among many others.
Thank you, Harper-Collins, for the opportunity to spotlight and review this classic! Barack Before Obama by David Katz is a must-have to add to your collection!
If you’re like me, you will appreciate seeing pictures of some of your favorites like Stevie Wonder and Robin Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela, and Presidential-Elect Joe Biden, among many others.
Thank you, Harper-Collins, for the opportunity to spotlight and review this classic! Barack Before Obama by David Katz is a must-have to add to your collection!
January 23, 2021
For the past few years, I periodically disappear for a day down President Obama rabbit holes, watching old speeches and looking at photographs from his presidency, so this book was perfect for me. A combination of beautiful photographs and explanations of when they were taken and what was happening at the time.
December 4, 2020
David Katz's captivating, heartwarming and uplifting photo book BARACK BEFORE OBAMA selects more than 200 photos from the 900,000 shots Katz took between 2004 and 2008. The period covers Obama's 2004 Senate campaign, his time working in the Senate and his 2008 presidential campaign. Katz began as an unpaid intern and soon became Obama's personal photographer. The book concludes with images from the night Barack Obama became the 44th president of the United States.
The stunning photographs are supplemented with succinct paragraphs of background information by Katz and anecdotes collected from Obama's inner circle, including personal aide (or "body man") Reggie Love, campaign manager David Plouffe, sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, Michelle Obama's chief of staff Melissa Winter and others. Readers learn that Obama loved to play DJ for his campaign staff; Oprah Winfrey was so unimpressed with Obama's Chicago apartment that she conducted their first interview outside; Michelle joked with her husband to help him relax before debates; and Obama played online Scrabble with his sister during his entire presidency. But the real star of this book is the beautiful, crisp and vibrant photography that captures Obama and his family playing, laughing, campaigning and relaxing. Some of the most haunting images include Obama massaging his daughter Malia's neck as she draws with crayons and a single tear running down Obama's cheek after hearing that the grandmother who raised him has died.
Katz's impressive collection of photos and anecdotes is a charming and moving tribute to the four-year period where Obama's political career gained traction. A mesmerizing and moving collection of photos and anecdotes covering four pivotal years in the life of Barack Obama and his family.
The stunning photographs are supplemented with succinct paragraphs of background information by Katz and anecdotes collected from Obama's inner circle, including personal aide (or "body man") Reggie Love, campaign manager David Plouffe, sister Maya Soetoro-Ng, Michelle Obama's chief of staff Melissa Winter and others. Readers learn that Obama loved to play DJ for his campaign staff; Oprah Winfrey was so unimpressed with Obama's Chicago apartment that she conducted their first interview outside; Michelle joked with her husband to help him relax before debates; and Obama played online Scrabble with his sister during his entire presidency. But the real star of this book is the beautiful, crisp and vibrant photography that captures Obama and his family playing, laughing, campaigning and relaxing. Some of the most haunting images include Obama massaging his daughter Malia's neck as she draws with crayons and a single tear running down Obama's cheek after hearing that the grandmother who raised him has died.
Katz's impressive collection of photos and anecdotes is a charming and moving tribute to the four-year period where Obama's political career gained traction. A mesmerizing and moving collection of photos and anecdotes covering four pivotal years in the life of Barack Obama and his family.
February 9, 2025
Honestly a great look into Barack's journey into becoming president. You can tell that Obama worked hard to get to who he became today, and the vivid, breathtaking images show that perfectly. We get to see his experiences in different moments of his Senate campaign, happy little family times, and serious events where deliberation was needed. It was also interesting seeing all the other people who were apart of this legendary campaign that made his 8 years in office possible. As a African-American born one year after the start of the century, it was amazing as a child seeing how Obama articulated himself and made history as one of the first Black presidents in the United States, and this book solidified my opinion of him being a great role model for generations to come. Kudos to David Katz for his excellent photography and stories throughout the course of this book!
December 16, 2020
Although history must prove one way or the other the degree of success Barack Obama had as President, this book leaves no doubt that he is a man who worked his way tirelessly to the Oval Office, meeting people from every walk of life in tiny towns to urban environments. He has a deep love for his country, all the people in it, and most of all, his family. Well read, well spoken, well educated and with a razor sharp wit, Barack Obama makes human connections with everyone he meets, and treats them all with respect and concern. David Katz' photos portray this exceptional man in a way we've rarely seen people in high office.
December 11, 2020
I love a good photography book - this is a lovely collection of photographs from Barack's early political career. We see him and his family on the road in Illinois, mostly. While there is nothing terribly new here, its still fun just to see the Obamas and those sweet little girls. They are so grown up now!! While the photos aren't as personal as Pete Souza's White House era photos - their still fun.
December 20, 2020
The title of the book says it all!
My only complaint is that the captions next to the pictures were printed in very small type and were hard to read. Many of the pictures can be found in A Promised Land, but there are many that I haven’t seen before.
My only complaint is that the captions next to the pictures were printed in very small type and were hard to read. Many of the pictures can be found in A Promised Land, but there are many that I haven’t seen before.
January 7, 2021
Beautiful behind the scene photos of Obama's political rise.
The story behind his tux for the Al Smith Dinner is funny. Then you turn the page and see him in the tux and it's just cute...and funny.
The story behind his tux for the Al Smith Dinner is funny. Then you turn the page and see him in the tux and it's just cute...and funny.
January 25, 2021
I liked seeing all the photos collected together. I did not find this overtly political in nature. It just seemed like a collection of happy people to me. There are a couple of brief vignettes interspersed through the images, but this is mostly one of those picture books my sister likes.
March 14, 2021
It was your standard presidential coffee table book. I can't say anything bad about it. I'm just not enough of a fan of this type of book. It was part of my reading list for the year. Easier to read on PC than phone due to size.
March 19, 2021
I always enjoy learning about presidents and appreciated the stories told through Katz's photographs. It was fun to learn random facts about the former president and see candid shots of him, his family and his staff.
December 7, 2022
If you love Barrack Obama or are just interested in seeing what his life was like (90% photos) before the Presidency, this book is for you! It made me smile!!!
The information about some of the famous photos of him is most interesting. I would like to own this book.
The information about some of the famous photos of him is most interesting. I would like to own this book.
November 18, 2024
I really appreciated the photos in this book, which add a layer of personality to the man, the myth, the legend: Barack Hussein Obama. Who knew he and Michelle liked to drink vodka martinis? The most powerful photo from the book is of him campaigning in a rain soaked rally in Glen Allen, Virginia.
December 17, 2020
Loved the photos and the stories accompanying them.
December 31, 2020
Wow. A 300-page read in 24 hours!
Ok, it was mostly photos, but still.
An engrossing narrative.
Ok, it was mostly photos, but still.
An engrossing narrative.
December 31, 2020
This is a great coffee table book.
January 26, 2021
A great essay and pictorial account of the early years of Obama's life in public service.
January 29, 2021
Such a good look into President Obama during his Senate and Presidential races! Thoroughly enjoyable and a quick read.
February 1, 2021
The photos in this book were just ok. I did not like how the author inserted himself into so many of the anecdotes.
February 13, 2021
Oh Barack! I great look into Barack's life before everyone knew who he was.
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February 15, 2021Quick book of photos with some background; put faces to some of the names from A Promised Land
February 24, 2021
Nicely written background story while letting the photographs do most of the "talking".
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews