Grace
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4.7 • 32 Ratings
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
From Barack Obama’s chief speechwriter Cody Keenan, a spellbinding account of the ten most dramatic days of the presidency, when a hate-fueled massacre and looming Supreme Court decisions put the character of our country on the line, and a president’s words could bring the nation together or tear it apart.
A white supremacist shooting and an astonishing act of forgiveness. A national reckoning with race and the Confederate flag. The fate of marriage equality and the Affordable Care Act. GRACE is the propulsive story of ten days in June 2015, when Obama and his chief speechwriter Cody Keenan composed a series of high-stakes speeches to meet a succession of stunning developments.
Through behind-the-scenes moments—from Obama’s suggestion that Keenan pour a drink, listen to some Miles Davis, and “find the silences,” to the president’s late-night writing sessions in the First Family’s residence—Keenan takes us inside the craft of speechwriting at the highest level for the most demanding of bosses, the relentlessly poetic and perfectionist Barack Obama. GRACE also delivers a fascinating portrait of White House insiders like Ben Rhodes, Valerie Jarrett, Jen Psaki, and the speechwriting team responsible for pulling it all off during a furious, historic stretch of the Obama presidency—including a gifted fact-checker who took Keenan’s rhetoric to task before taking his hand in marriage. GRACE is the most intimate writing that exists on the rhetorical tightrope our first Black president had to walk, culminating with an unforgettable high point: Obama stunning everybody by taking a deep breath and leading the country in a chorus of “Amazing Grace.”
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
Customer Reviews
GRACE is such a great book!
Loved the intimacy, felt ‘I was in the room’. Loved the book ending of those 10 days. Loved understanding a little more of the craft of speechwriting. Loved the vignettes of all the people who pass through the book but of course President Obama. I found the last quarter or so quite emotional and had tears in my eyes a few times listening to the great read by the author. This book is such a fresh insight into the workings of a White House!!!
Absolutely Amazing!
Beautifully written. The ending brought me to tears!
Glimpse inside the White House and the American political discourse.
Mr. Keenan’s book delves deep into the personalities and inner-workings of the Obama White House. He deftly weaves details about political communications as well as America, itself, into a detailed recounting of a 10-day period of 2015 that serves as a microcosm of the Obama Presidency, Keenan’s work, and our national politics. Masterful in how it keeps a narrow focus while seamlessly showing 2015 both as a moment of progress from America’s past as well as providing context for the competition of political ideas that continue today. Well worth the read!