Barack and Michelle
Encyclopedia
Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage is an unauthorized "tell all" biography
about Barack
and Michelle
Obama, focusing on their marriage
, written by Christopher Andersen
and published in 2009.
, the Kennedys
, and the Bush family
, among others. Barack and Michelle describes the Obamas' marriage as being difficult for several years, as Barack left his accomplished wife, Michelle, to care for children and household, himself turning away from a lucrative legal career to pursue his political ambitions with little success or income. The couple grew closer, according to the book, beginning in 2001 after the sickness of their daughter, Sasha, and Obama's growing political success.
The book is in part a compilation of previously published accounts and Obama's own memoirs. It has been described as a "glowing" portrait of the Obamas, and characterizing their marriage as "solid". Andersen claimed he also interviewed 200 friends and relatives of the Obamas in Chicago, Hawaii, and Indonesia, but not the Obamas themselves. The book also contains a number of claims about the private lives of Barack and Michelle Obama, many not widely known or not generally accepted as of the date of publication, and some based on anonymous sources.
Biography
A biography is a detailed description or account of someone's life. More than a list of basic facts , biography also portrays the subject's experience of those events...
about Barack
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and Michelle
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
Obama, focusing on their marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
, written by Christopher Andersen
Christopher Andersen
Christopher Peter Andersen is an American journalist and the author of 30 books, including many bestsellers. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, Andersen joined the staff of Time Magazine as a contributing editor in 1969. From 1974 to 1986 Andersen was senior editor of Time...
and published in 2009.
Background
Anderson previously wrote 28 popular biographies about Princess Diana, Barbra StreisandBarbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
, the Kennedys
The Kennedys
The Kennedys may refer to:*The Kennedy family, an American political family*The Kennedys , a German museum about the Kennedy family*The Kennedys , an American folk rock band...
, and the Bush family
Bush family
The Bush family is a prominent American family. Along with many members who have been successful bankers and businessmen, across three generations the family includes two U.S. Senators, one Supreme Court Justice, two Governors, one Vice President and two Presidents...
, among others. Barack and Michelle describes the Obamas' marriage as being difficult for several years, as Barack left his accomplished wife, Michelle, to care for children and household, himself turning away from a lucrative legal career to pursue his political ambitions with little success or income. The couple grew closer, according to the book, beginning in 2001 after the sickness of their daughter, Sasha, and Obama's growing political success.
The book is in part a compilation of previously published accounts and Obama's own memoirs. It has been described as a "glowing" portrait of the Obamas, and characterizing their marriage as "solid". Andersen claimed he also interviewed 200 friends and relatives of the Obamas in Chicago, Hawaii, and Indonesia, but not the Obamas themselves. The book also contains a number of claims about the private lives of Barack and Michelle Obama, many not widely known or not generally accepted as of the date of publication, and some based on anonymous sources.