What do you think?
Rate this book
The Bidens: Inside the First Family’s Fifty-Year Rise to Power
A deeply reported exploration of Joe Biden as told through his extended family. Coming off of the 2020 election, THE BIDENS tells the Biden Family story in full, from the secrets lurking in the deep recesses of Joe's family tree to his son Hunter's foreign deal-making spree—and the Trump gang's ham-handed efforts to exploit it.
On November 3, Americans did not just elect Joe They got a package deal. The tight-knit Biden family—siblings, children, in-laws, and beyond—is coming right along with him. They are sure to play a defining role in his presidency, just as they have in every other one of his endeavors.
Inside, you’ll find these and other stories and revelations about the Biden family, Like the Kennedys before them, the Bidens are a tight-knit, idealistic Irish Catholic clan with good looks, dynastic ambitions, and serious personal problems.
As THE BIDENS reveals, the best way to understand Joe Biden—his values, fears, and motives—is to understand his Their Irish (and not-so-Irish) roots, their place in the Delaware pecking order, their dodgy business deals, and their personal struggles and triumphs alike.
On November 3, Americans did not just elect Joe They got a package deal. The tight-knit Biden family—siblings, children, in-laws, and beyond—is coming right along with him. They are sure to play a defining role in his presidency, just as they have in every other one of his endeavors.
Inside, you’ll find these and other stories and revelations about the Biden family, Like the Kennedys before them, the Bidens are a tight-knit, idealistic Irish Catholic clan with good looks, dynastic ambitions, and serious personal problems.
As THE BIDENS reveals, the best way to understand Joe Biden—his values, fears, and motives—is to understand his Their Irish (and not-so-Irish) roots, their place in the Delaware pecking order, their dodgy business deals, and their personal struggles and triumphs alike.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published September 21, 2021
56 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 2, 2021
If I am going to spend my time reading a book about modern politics these days, its too much to hope that both the left and the right endorse it. Instead, I usually look for books that both sides dislike, and that's at least a good marker of a book that is fair. The negative reviews about this book sold me on giving it a try.
I knew almost nothing about the Biden family, and this book is a very good overview. The author succeeds in his attempt to provide an account of the fifty years Joe Biden (and his family) have spent in national government.
From the point of view that the author did what we set out to do, this is a five star book. I ended up giving it four stars because it could have benefitted from a storytelling approach in places. The beginning of the book and the last three chapters were the most interesting, but much of the middle chapters could have been more entertaining. The author took pains to only tell the facts, which is admirable, but with over 800 footnotes even this 250 page book felt long at times.
Bottom line, this is worth reading if you don't follow politics closely and want to learn more. I would recommend Caro's Path to Power series much more highly in general, but this book will give you some unique insight into what is happening right now and it serves as an excellent example of what modern media should strive for when covering politics. In my view, the author succeeded in writing a book that is unbiased and very fair in its account, which is a true achievement at this time in our divided country.
I knew almost nothing about the Biden family, and this book is a very good overview. The author succeeds in his attempt to provide an account of the fifty years Joe Biden (and his family) have spent in national government.
From the point of view that the author did what we set out to do, this is a five star book. I ended up giving it four stars because it could have benefitted from a storytelling approach in places. The beginning of the book and the last three chapters were the most interesting, but much of the middle chapters could have been more entertaining. The author took pains to only tell the facts, which is admirable, but with over 800 footnotes even this 250 page book felt long at times.
Bottom line, this is worth reading if you don't follow politics closely and want to learn more. I would recommend Caro's Path to Power series much more highly in general, but this book will give you some unique insight into what is happening right now and it serves as an excellent example of what modern media should strive for when covering politics. In my view, the author succeeded in writing a book that is unbiased and very fair in its account, which is a true achievement at this time in our divided country.
March 23, 2022
Riveting! Not salacious, but instead, a straightforward & unbiased reporting of the life of the Biden clan. Both sides of the political aisle will find plenty to squirm about.
Despite it not being a fictional Thornbirdian family saga, you’ll still find lots of strong and sprawling Irish family ties, parasitic familial expectations, geopolitical minefields, parental issues that Freud would salivate over, ‘plausible deniability’, and a lot of attempts to trade on Joe’s longevity in Washington compiled here, and all backed by over 140 pages of endnotes and citations.
And I can’t imagine the bandwidth it has taken Joe to constantly deny to the press, by his word as a Biden, knowledge of any access-peddling on the part of his extended family for 50+ years….(not to mention the energy it must take to tell his family to knock it the hell off in private!) 😂
Most of all, it’s the tale of the state of Delaware’s political history as a microcosm of government itself. From the aspirational pillars of Archmere to the waning population of Duponts in the land of residential chateaus behind the ramshackle Charcoal Pit off Concord Pike (who knew); the First State, much like Washington DC, is a sealed-off bouncy house of corruption and self-dealing infighting.
But apparently, according to Schreckinger, that’s the way they like it.
Fascinating book-had me engrossed from the start. Good thing I had nothing else planned this weekend…!
Also, seconding the author’s shoutout to the value of robust local news outlets! Yay News Journal!
Despite it not being a fictional Thornbirdian family saga, you’ll still find lots of strong and sprawling Irish family ties, parasitic familial expectations, geopolitical minefields, parental issues that Freud would salivate over, ‘plausible deniability’, and a lot of attempts to trade on Joe’s longevity in Washington compiled here, and all backed by over 140 pages of endnotes and citations.
And I can’t imagine the bandwidth it has taken Joe to constantly deny to the press, by his word as a Biden, knowledge of any access-peddling on the part of his extended family for 50+ years….(not to mention the energy it must take to tell his family to knock it the hell off in private!) 😂
Most of all, it’s the tale of the state of Delaware’s political history as a microcosm of government itself. From the aspirational pillars of Archmere to the waning population of Duponts in the land of residential chateaus behind the ramshackle Charcoal Pit off Concord Pike (who knew); the First State, much like Washington DC, is a sealed-off bouncy house of corruption and self-dealing infighting.
But apparently, according to Schreckinger, that’s the way they like it.
Fascinating book-had me engrossed from the start. Good thing I had nothing else planned this weekend…!
Also, seconding the author’s shoutout to the value of robust local news outlets! Yay News Journal!
October 20, 2021
I had a hard time with this book. Sometimes I felt like it was more of a "hit job" on the Bidens then a book exploring how the Biden family operated. It was very confusing in keeping track of all the companies that Jim, Frank(the Joe's brothers)and Joe's son, Hunter, were involved with and how they all turned out.
March 27, 2022
The Bidens : Inside the First Family’s Fifty Years of Tragedy, Scandal and Triumph (2021) by Ben Schreckinger is an in depth look at Joe Biden and his family over the past 50 years.
Biden comes from Delaware, one of ten states with less than a million people each of which elect two Senators to the US Senate. Fifty years ago Biden made a very surprisingly successful run and was elected Senator and became the 6th youngest Senator.
Joe Biden senior and his wife started wealthy, but lost money before Joe became a successful car salesman. Joe Biden had two brothers, Frank and Jim and a sister, Valerie. The Bidens were a tight family and stuck together.
Joe’s sister was his campaign manager. His brothers were in various businesses. The book looks at their dealings and whether or not there was use of Biden’s presence in the Senate. Both were engaged in businesses where influence and access to government was important.
Joe’s tragic loss of his first wife and daughter in a car crash is incredibly sad. Later Biden would go on to lose his son Beau to cancer.
The book’s most substantial accusations of impropriety concern Hunter Biden. Hunter has been addicted to drugs and alcohol. He also managed to get a law degree. Hunter was also being investigated by the FBI during the 2020 election. The appearance of his laptop and the suppression of information about it by Twitter, Facebook and some of the US press was shameful. The book points out that the contents of the laptop has been corroborated and it’s highly likely to be genuine. There is some accusation that some of the contents on the laptop implicates Biden.
The book is interesting, it’s also quite hard going. Schreckinger has done a great job of carefully going through the dealings of the Bidens over many years. It’s clear that much is murky. For anyone interested in US politics the book gives really good background on Biden and his family. It’s not inspiring, but nor is it damning.
Biden comes from Delaware, one of ten states with less than a million people each of which elect two Senators to the US Senate. Fifty years ago Biden made a very surprisingly successful run and was elected Senator and became the 6th youngest Senator.
Joe Biden senior and his wife started wealthy, but lost money before Joe became a successful car salesman. Joe Biden had two brothers, Frank and Jim and a sister, Valerie. The Bidens were a tight family and stuck together.
Joe’s sister was his campaign manager. His brothers were in various businesses. The book looks at their dealings and whether or not there was use of Biden’s presence in the Senate. Both were engaged in businesses where influence and access to government was important.
Joe’s tragic loss of his first wife and daughter in a car crash is incredibly sad. Later Biden would go on to lose his son Beau to cancer.
The book’s most substantial accusations of impropriety concern Hunter Biden. Hunter has been addicted to drugs and alcohol. He also managed to get a law degree. Hunter was also being investigated by the FBI during the 2020 election. The appearance of his laptop and the suppression of information about it by Twitter, Facebook and some of the US press was shameful. The book points out that the contents of the laptop has been corroborated and it’s highly likely to be genuine. There is some accusation that some of the contents on the laptop implicates Biden.
The book is interesting, it’s also quite hard going. Schreckinger has done a great job of carefully going through the dealings of the Bidens over many years. It’s clear that much is murky. For anyone interested in US politics the book gives really good background on Biden and his family. It’s not inspiring, but nor is it damning.
November 29, 2021
While it's not a secret that the Biden family has taken advantage of Joe's political clout for financial benefits, this book provided additional insight of the extent of their deceit from the American public.
October 5, 2021
So poorly written and disjointed, it was painful to read. About halfway through, I decided to stop.
Read
November 24, 2021Very disturbing look at Biden family finances over the decades. These people are grifters.
December 21, 2024
No idea how to rate this book. Is it particularly well written or well laid out? No. Does it seem well researched and objective? Yes, it does. 3.75?
Objectivity definitely seems a rare occurrence when it comes to President Biden. Until that fateful debate in the summer of 2024, people either hated him (which still seems insane to me) or practically sanctified him. (Even though he himself would ask to be compared to other humans, not to "the Almighty ".)
In the aftermath of The Debate, I realised even I, a non-American and someone who doesn't consume US mainstream media on the daily, was swayed to a degree. Everything negative about him or his family had to be disinformation, even though his lone remaining son did seem to be genuinely troubled, and he himself visibly and audibly not at full capacity. The other side didn't exactly help themselves by painting the president's obvious love for his troubled child as some sort of depravity, instead of an example worth following.
Anyway. This book covers the president's and his family's life until the election in 2020, and was released in 2021. I'm looking fwd to more complete books later on, especially on his presidency.
The president barely figures in the final third of the book, or perhaps even the second half of the book. His brothers and son are shady, but it still seems somewhat small fry. If I were in their place, I'd wanna be as anonymous as possible, but I do realise a great number of people, regardless of class, don't think like that.
But at the same time, why would you become a lobbyist or a shady business person and risk the career of your beloved politician relative? Why not start an alpaca farm instead? It hints at what is considered the norm in US political life.
As it ended up, the shady dealings and connections of the President's relatives weren't the cause of his downfall, though his family undoubtedly played a key part in it. After reading this book, it's obvious they wouldn't have counselled him to only aim for one term, because they wouldn't wanna get off the ride any more than he did. Ego, power-intoxication, genuine desire to do good all mixed up in him, and his fam wouldn't be the people to even want to see he wasn't up to running for a second term. Bad family relations often lead to tragedy, but the Bidens are an example that even a close-knit family can end up being a negative thing, under specific circumstances.
And so, despite his many achievements and relative moral uprightness, President Biden will likely be viewed as a somewhat tragic figure in the years to come.
This book is an interesting but not essential read. I'm glad it exists, to lay out the facts and allegations, but a normal person probably shouldn't spend their time reading it. Go to an alpaca farm instead. Hug a tree. Touch grass.
Objectivity definitely seems a rare occurrence when it comes to President Biden. Until that fateful debate in the summer of 2024, people either hated him (which still seems insane to me) or practically sanctified him. (Even though he himself would ask to be compared to other humans, not to "the Almighty ".)
In the aftermath of The Debate, I realised even I, a non-American and someone who doesn't consume US mainstream media on the daily, was swayed to a degree. Everything negative about him or his family had to be disinformation, even though his lone remaining son did seem to be genuinely troubled, and he himself visibly and audibly not at full capacity. The other side didn't exactly help themselves by painting the president's obvious love for his troubled child as some sort of depravity, instead of an example worth following.
Anyway. This book covers the president's and his family's life until the election in 2020, and was released in 2021. I'm looking fwd to more complete books later on, especially on his presidency.
The president barely figures in the final third of the book, or perhaps even the second half of the book. His brothers and son are shady, but it still seems somewhat small fry. If I were in their place, I'd wanna be as anonymous as possible, but I do realise a great number of people, regardless of class, don't think like that.
But at the same time, why would you become a lobbyist or a shady business person and risk the career of your beloved politician relative? Why not start an alpaca farm instead? It hints at what is considered the norm in US political life.
As it ended up, the shady dealings and connections of the President's relatives weren't the cause of his downfall, though his family undoubtedly played a key part in it. After reading this book, it's obvious they wouldn't have counselled him to only aim for one term, because they wouldn't wanna get off the ride any more than he did. Ego, power-intoxication, genuine desire to do good all mixed up in him, and his fam wouldn't be the people to even want to see he wasn't up to running for a second term. Bad family relations often lead to tragedy, but the Bidens are an example that even a close-knit family can end up being a negative thing, under specific circumstances.
And so, despite his many achievements and relative moral uprightness, President Biden will likely be viewed as a somewhat tragic figure in the years to come.
This book is an interesting but not essential read. I'm glad it exists, to lay out the facts and allegations, but a normal person probably shouldn't spend their time reading it. Go to an alpaca farm instead. Hug a tree. Touch grass.
April 27, 2023
President Joe Biden has had a life filled with tragedy, most notably via his losses of his wife and two of his children. But through everything, it is his family - the loyal originators of the phrase "my word as a Biden" - who have been beside him. This is a biography of this politician's life, from a respected POLITICO writer, and of the family who helped get him to where he was. There really is no family business like politics in the Biden households.
Joe Biden's family rose to the top with him, making one of the Senate's poorest members into a member of a highly-connected political family in the corporate and lobbying worlds. If you come to this book for scandals around Hunter Biden in particular, you'll especially find those. It's hard to walk away from this book and not think Hunter is a liability for his father, if not an actively bad person. But you'll also hear about shady unions, the complicated timeline of Jill and Joe's relationship, and the dark side of Biden's ancestry away from Ireland. This is a real work of investigative journalism, not a hit piece. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, after all.
This is a book filled with scandal, but it is not always the centerpiece of the narrative. At times, it can be heartwarming and remind us of the boldness of the American political spirit, alongside this family that truly did come up from the grassroots. The stories surrounding Beau Biden and his eventual death from cancer are heartbreaking. The genuine bond that Obama and Biden had, and the way that Obama stepped up during that time, is on display here too. This is a book about a political dynasty and the suspicious parts of that saga, but it is not an unsympathetic portrait. It is often a kind, humane depiction of "America's middle-class Kennedys."
It's clear to me that there are many people who would not enjoy this book, given that Democrats would likely accuse it of fostering attacks on the President and Republicans would say it doesn't give enough credit to all kinds of conspiracy theories. For me though, I found it to be a very readable and not overly long biographical dive into a family most of us actually know little about. This isn't about Joe Biden's voting record, nor his presidency: it's about the man who enjoys a skinny dip in his Delaware pool, who posed with an employee of an "intimate apparel" store for a photo while he and his similarly elderly wife were shopping there, and who really loves local vanilla ice cream. And alongside him, it's an exploration of a First Family that most of us rarely get to see authentically. If that sounds appealing to you, as it did to me, I hope you'll enjoy the book too.
Joe Biden's family rose to the top with him, making one of the Senate's poorest members into a member of a highly-connected political family in the corporate and lobbying worlds. If you come to this book for scandals around Hunter Biden in particular, you'll especially find those. It's hard to walk away from this book and not think Hunter is a liability for his father, if not an actively bad person. But you'll also hear about shady unions, the complicated timeline of Jill and Joe's relationship, and the dark side of Biden's ancestry away from Ireland. This is a real work of investigative journalism, not a hit piece. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, after all.
This is a book filled with scandal, but it is not always the centerpiece of the narrative. At times, it can be heartwarming and remind us of the boldness of the American political spirit, alongside this family that truly did come up from the grassroots. The stories surrounding Beau Biden and his eventual death from cancer are heartbreaking. The genuine bond that Obama and Biden had, and the way that Obama stepped up during that time, is on display here too. This is a book about a political dynasty and the suspicious parts of that saga, but it is not an unsympathetic portrait. It is often a kind, humane depiction of "America's middle-class Kennedys."
It's clear to me that there are many people who would not enjoy this book, given that Democrats would likely accuse it of fostering attacks on the President and Republicans would say it doesn't give enough credit to all kinds of conspiracy theories. For me though, I found it to be a very readable and not overly long biographical dive into a family most of us actually know little about. This isn't about Joe Biden's voting record, nor his presidency: it's about the man who enjoys a skinny dip in his Delaware pool, who posed with an employee of an "intimate apparel" store for a photo while he and his similarly elderly wife were shopping there, and who really loves local vanilla ice cream. And alongside him, it's an exploration of a First Family that most of us rarely get to see authentically. If that sounds appealing to you, as it did to me, I hope you'll enjoy the book too.
November 17, 2021
A fairly even-handed account of the Biden clan and of course centered on the patriarch, President Joe. A couple of obvious conclusions is the central ambition the drove Joe Biden his entire life in politics and his ultimate goal of capturing the presidency; the other the members of the clan who made their careers to cash in on Joe's political celebrity.
It is really amazing his initial breakthrough winning the senate on his first shot. But looking at the political system at play in Delaware it is really not quite amazing.
The other cast of characters his sons, brothers, and various other relatives and associates are shown to use the channels and ways of getting things done to their benefit using the political connections and winding its way through lucrative business ventures. American politics at its finest on display here.
Of course Hunter's escapades is a book in in itself. Hunter made full use of family resources to launch his career my taking a mediocre academic performance combined with a cocaine conviction to gain entry into Yale Law. From there he embarks on a dizzying array of business connections and launches with political back slapping in an attempt for find his fortune and fame and or infame.
A political spell binder read that gets uber-complicated in trying to negotiate an understanding of the complex political and business deal making. And probably that was the aim to throw out enough confusion to obfuscate the appears of corruption and what we will likely get down the road is business as ususal.
It is really amazing his initial breakthrough winning the senate on his first shot. But looking at the political system at play in Delaware it is really not quite amazing.
The other cast of characters his sons, brothers, and various other relatives and associates are shown to use the channels and ways of getting things done to their benefit using the political connections and winding its way through lucrative business ventures. American politics at its finest on display here.
Of course Hunter's escapades is a book in in itself. Hunter made full use of family resources to launch his career my taking a mediocre academic performance combined with a cocaine conviction to gain entry into Yale Law. From there he embarks on a dizzying array of business connections and launches with political back slapping in an attempt for find his fortune and fame and or infame.
A political spell binder read that gets uber-complicated in trying to negotiate an understanding of the complex political and business deal making. And probably that was the aim to throw out enough confusion to obfuscate the appears of corruption and what we will likely get down the road is business as ususal.
October 6, 2021
I read /The Bidens: Inside the First Family’s Fifty Years of Tragedy, Scandal, and Triumph/, by Ben Schreckinger:
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10...
The book was an easy read. Due to poor planning on my side, it was the last remaining unread book on the almost 5 hour flight from Nairobi to Lagos.
Were that not to be the case, I'm not sure I would have been able to finish the book
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10...
The book was an easy read. Due to poor planning on my side, it was the last remaining unread book on the almost 5 hour flight from Nairobi to Lagos.
Were that not to be the case, I'm not sure I would have been able to finish the book
October 8, 2024
Good Biography
This is a good and well researched biography. Very good index for finding specific things. The reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because there are NO PHOTOS with the exception of the cover photo. In biographies I feel a big loss when there are no photos and I am disappointed in this and want potential purchasers if you feel the same you may wish to look for another bio. It actually would be nice if this would be part of the book overview.
This is a good and well researched biography. Very good index for finding specific things. The reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because there are NO PHOTOS with the exception of the cover photo. In biographies I feel a big loss when there are no photos and I am disappointed in this and want potential purchasers if you feel the same you may wish to look for another bio. It actually would be nice if this would be part of the book overview.
April 21, 2025
Written by a progressive, this book gives the lowdown on a disgusting family. It doesn't get into the salacious stories of sleeping with his niece, or Joe taking showers with his daughter, in fact it doesn't even mention Ashley Biden's diary. But still, you should only read this before you take a shower because you are going to feel like you need to. YUK!
April 17, 2022
Very informative
This was a very interesting read, lots of details about the Biden family network...I would recommend is book to all my friends who are interested in our current administration in the White House.
This was a very interesting read, lots of details about the Biden family network...I would recommend is book to all my friends who are interested in our current administration in the White House.
September 25, 2022
A terribly- written, disjointed hitjob by a hack whose political ideologies and motivations are on record.
I wouldn't put the pages on the bottom of my birdcage.
Because I have too much respect for my birds.
I wouldn't put the pages on the bottom of my birdcage.
Because I have too much respect for my birds.
February 20, 2024
Goes into great detail (with over 700 sitations) about the shady dealings of the Biden clan- it was just hard for me to follow all of it. Would have been nice to see a visual timeline or web connecting everyone.
October 3, 2021
2.4
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
October 22, 2021
Good book, well written and researched. Just a warning...this book will thoroughly piss you off
November 30, 2021
This book was written well. It gives lots of information about joe Biden’s family and their shady dealings with many agencies and government staff. Always on the end of propriety.
July 12, 2022
Interesting, behind the scenes
October 2, 2022
This book should have had the subtitle "The Mafia of Delaware".
February 26, 2023
Horrible how much this family has profited from their name. Corrupt to the core!
February 16, 2025
A very interestering read of the "Delaware way" in politics.
March 12, 2025
Great book about the Biden Dynasty
April 8, 2024
Straightforward and informative book on the personal, political, and professional lives of the Biden family.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews