"The Bridge" by David Remnick

The New Yorker editor's 650-page biographical opus on the president hits bookstores tomorrow. I, for one, absolutely can't wait to carve out some time to read it. David Maraniss's "First in His Class" might be my favorite nonfiction book of all time, and this seems to be in this vein.

Wondering if anybody else has gotten a review or advance copy or has any thoughts?

I was hoping this would be a safe thread on the journalism board because I'm actually interested in this as a serious biographical work of journalism than as political pissing match fodder. I also was thinking about how there really wasn't a George W. Bush book on par with the ones on Clinton and Obama. Woodward did some good ones on the administration, but nothing on par that I remember as a straight biography. Maybe he wasn't as interesting a figure as Clinton or Obama or Reagan?

http://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Life-Rise-Barack-Obama/dp/1400043603/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270489645&sr=1-1

 

Is there a mention in the book of how the president throws like a girl? That throw today was bad enough, but did he have to don the White Sox cap for that emabarrassing effort?

 

Love Remmick both in his books and New Yorker. Read review on "The Bridge" today and it does not make me want to run to buy.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/books/the_bridge_the_life_and_rise_of_BlxdeCFC5Ox8oGTxnqQFXO

Accept that it is only one review but some of criticism seems logical. Main complaint is that there is no new ground covered from what is already out there.

 

I think that the main problem with a presidential biography done before said President leaves office is obvious. The really big stuff in his life may not have happened yet. Suppose you had published a biography of G.W. Bush in August, 2001, or in May, 2003 or really, even before the financial crisis. It's outdated material already.

 

Bernstein's book on Hillary was amazing.

 

With all due respect, Boom, a review by a Murdoch publication ... especially the New York Post ... is immediately suspect. In my opinion, of course. I'll toss that one out and look at a few other reviews before I decide whether or not to buy the book.

That said, there will be dozens of other books later on that will dissect Obama's presidency. There's no reason why this one is out of place now. There have already been several books about the campaign.

 

Review in The Times today provides origin of title -- "The Bridge" . It came from John Lewis quote saying that Obama is the result of the march across Selma Bridge. Somewhat ironic given that Lewis was a long supporter of Hillary Clinton and only switched allegiance after his own seat was at risk.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/books/06book.html?ref=books