Redemption Song (Obama book)
Encyclopedia
Redemption Song: An Irish Reporter Inside the Obama Campaign, is a book by Niall Stanage
about the 2008 presidential election campaign of Barack Obama
.
It was first published by Liberties Press, Dublin on December 1, 2008, so becoming one of the first books published anywhere to cover the entirety of Obama's campaign. [1] The author is based in New York -- he is a regular contributor to The New York Observer -- but was born and raised in Belfast, hence the Irish reference in the book's subtitle, and its initial release through an Irish publisher. It is distributed in North America by Dufour Editions.
Redemption Song received a generally positive critical reception upon its release, being described as "extraordinary...superbly written" by The Irish News
, "terrific.... a real insider's account" by the Evening Herald
[3] and "sharp, incisive" by The Sunday Business Post
.[4]
Pat Rabbitte
, the former leader of the Irish Labour Party reviewed Redemption Song for the Irish edition of the Mail on Sunday on December 21, 2008. Awarding the book four stars out of five, he said of the author, "He has written a very fine book, culminating in that magic night in Chicago when the world watched men and women cry as the results came in and hope and history seemed to rhyme." (The last phrase is a reference to a famous poem by Seamus Heaney
called 'The Cure at Troy'.)
Redemption Song is broadly sympathetic to Obama. Although it includes some detail about the president-elect's early life, its focus is on the period between Obama's landmark speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention
and his election as president on November 4, 2008. It draws heavily on Stanage's eye-witness campaign trail reporting, including interviews with key Obama advisers, old friends and grassroots volunteers.
Niall Stanage
Niall Stanage is a journalist from Belfast, Northern Ireland.Stanage was born in 1974[3] and attended Carryduff Primary School and Methodist College Belfast, in Northern Ireland. He went on to read English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University...
about the 2008 presidential election campaign of Barack Obama
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...
.
It was first published by Liberties Press, Dublin on December 1, 2008, so becoming one of the first books published anywhere to cover the entirety of Obama's campaign. [1] The author is based in New York -- he is a regular contributor to The New York Observer -- but was born and raised in Belfast, hence the Irish reference in the book's subtitle, and its initial release through an Irish publisher. It is distributed in North America by Dufour Editions.
Redemption Song received a generally positive critical reception upon its release, being described as "extraordinary...superbly written" by The Irish News
The Irish News
The Irish News is a compact-sized daily newspaper based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is perceived as being broadly Irish nationalist in outlook...
, "terrific.... a real insider's account" by the Evening Herald
Evening Herald
The Evening Herald is a mid-market tabloid evening newspaper published in Dublin, Ireland by Independent News & Media. It is published Monday-Saturday, and has three editions — City Edition, City Final Edition and National Edition...
[3] and "sharp, incisive" by The Sunday Business Post
The Sunday Business Post
The Sunday Business Post is an Irish national Sunday newspaper published by Post Publications Limited. Post Publications is owned by Thomas Crosbie Holdings. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, Ireland, the average weekly circulation was 57,783 for the period January to June 2009. The...
.[4]
Pat Rabbitte
Pat Rabbitte
Pat Rabbitte is an Irish Labour Party politician who has been Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources since March 2011...
, the former leader of the Irish Labour Party reviewed Redemption Song for the Irish edition of the Mail on Sunday on December 21, 2008. Awarding the book four stars out of five, he said of the author, "He has written a very fine book, culminating in that magic night in Chicago when the world watched men and women cry as the results came in and hope and history seemed to rhyme." (The last phrase is a reference to a famous poem by Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
called 'The Cure at Troy'.)
Redemption Song is broadly sympathetic to Obama. Although it includes some detail about the president-elect's early life, its focus is on the period between Obama's landmark speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention
2004 Democratic National Convention
The 2004 Democratic National Convention convened from July 26 to July 29, 2004 at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts, and nominated John Kerry and John Edwards as the official candidates of the Democratic Party for President and Vice President of the United States, respectively, in the 2004...
and his election as president on November 4, 2008. It draws heavily on Stanage's eye-witness campaign trail reporting, including interviews with key Obama advisers, old friends and grassroots volunteers.