Has anyone read "Barack Obama, The Story" by Maraniss?

[Honeycombe8]

A friend is trying to tell me that a New Yorker story that strikes me as a hit piece, which cites that book, is really a well thought out and written and impartial article. Etc.

I haven't read the Barack Obama, The Story book, but I decided it wasn't quite fair, based on a couple of interviews I saw with the author.

The New Yorker article is at:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/08/27/120827fa_fact_mayer

[southernyankeebelle]

1. Who is the author? There is a couple of books out. One is sorta nutty. But there is

one out by Marinass (I don't know how he spells his name) that has written a book on Obama and his history. He brings up alot of stuff on his family and the truth of his birth in Hawaii. His book is fair and balanced and I think he has been working on it over 3 yrs. This is just the first part. He is working on a second book. I saw him on PBS book review. He was fair and balanced. He has done alot of bio's on presidents. I just can't think of his full name and spelling.

[Honeycombe8]

2. That's it. The Maraniss book.

You thought it sounded fair and balanced? I saw him in a couple of interviews, and I had the opposite thought. But I don't remember why.

[southernyankeebelle]

3. Well he likes Obama. He went all over the world to do this book by talking to family in Kenya,

friends in college, and even girlfriends. One thing I sorta got from him was Obama really doesn't let his guard down. I guess I can understand why. But I thought the interview was fair. Listen we all like Obama but he isn't a god. Like all of us he has his good side and a bad side. I mean he took 3 yrs or so to do this research. So I don't think it was a hit job. But he did say he was going to write another book starting with working in the senate thr the presidency.

[PatSeg]

4. I've seen Maraniss on television

and I also got the impression that the book was a very fair and balanced biography on Obama. When I get caught up on my reading, I will probably read it.

[southernyankeebelle]

5. me too. am reading a book by Chris Matthews on JFK. It is really good. If you haven't read it

you might want to. I got it on kindle. Reading it you can tell Matthews wrote it. Really informative.

[Honeycombe8]

6. Well, I guess I got the wrong impression of the Obama book. As for JFK...

that sounds like something I might want to read, as well.

[Samantha]

7. David Maraniss, author of First in His Class (bio of Clinton) and Prince of Tennessee (bio of Gore)

I have both these books. First in His Class actually reflects that Clinton was the first babyboomer to make it to the Oval Office. Of all the reviews on the back cover, I like this one:

"An elegant, richly reported biography of Bill Clinton....Thanks to David Maraniss's terrific biography, we don't have to wait until Clinton is gone to learn that basic truth." Matthew Cooper, The Washington Post Book World.

The Prince of Tennessee was a pretty good book, but I somehow got the feeling much was left out when I finished it. I think it was written in a hurry (he usually takes a couple of years) and he also had a co-author, Ellen Nakashima, who seemed to have done a lot of the research and who is/was a staff writer at the Post. It is copyrighted in 2000 and that is why it was probably cranked out quickly!

Overall, he is an excellent biographer with an impeccable reputation who is pretty low profile. Low profile because he only emerges about every two or three years to discuss his books!

Sam

PS He is very careful to include precise footnotes for documentation, has a great index and a great Bibliography in the Clinton book. The Gore bio is also well documented.

He wrote another book on Vince Lombardi, "When Pride Still Mattered." Sports Illustrated quote: May be the best sports biography ever published. The Washington Post's review: "An astonishingly good book ... a triumph, a classic American biography."

[southernyankeebelle]

8. I think he is a great writer. I am going to get around to read his book on Obama. It sounded like

a book I want to read. He was on PBS Book Review talking about the. I am reading a book on JFK written by Chris Matthews. It is a pretty good book. You might like it. There is alot of little stuff in there on how he went for becoming president and his early years with life long friends.

[lillypaddle]

9. I have the e-book

but I've barely started it.