A People Pick of the WeekOne of USA Today's 5 Books Not to MissOne of Forbes' 5 Books to Read
in DecemberA personal intimate photographic celebration of President Barack Obama featuring
over 200 rare and never-before seen images from the years prior to his presidency from
photographer friend and former aide David KatzIn 2004 David Katz worked alongside then
Senate-hopeful Barack Obama as a photographer and personal aide. He spent approximately six
days a week alongside the future president as Obama campaigned across downstate Illinois and
the two developed a close professional and personal relationship. What began as a long-shot
Senate run culminated with the election of America's first African American president in 2008
which Katz also photographed.During this time David was never without his camera capturing
quotidian scenes from the life of a man who would soon become known the world over: a dad
playing with his small daughters a young unknown politician walking the streets of New York by
himself with no one noticing a devoted husband lovingly making faces at his wife in an
elevator. In 2004 after seeing the unique and touching photographs David had amassed Annie
Leibovitz gave him some advice: Don't release these photos of Obama for at least fifteen years.
They need time to age.Now fifteen years later Barack Before Obama is the treasury of these
photographs. Pulled from an archive of more than ninety thousand images every photograph in
this volume is like nothing that has been seen before: the ease in which David captures the
spirit and essence of one of our most beloved first families is unparalleled and it is in this
affectionate familiarity that his photographs sing. Warm engaging captions tell the stories
behind the photos-the surprise meeting with Nelson Mandela the back room conversation before
the rally the emotion after sending one of the Obamas' daughters off to school-bringing
readers closer than ever to the spirit and motivation behind the extraordinary man who became
our forty-fourth president.Barack Before Obama is a unique collection of images illustrating
the making of an American icon. A moving document of an historic moment it's the perfect gift
for all those who want to remember it.
