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Pete Souza is the former chief official White House photographer and the former President himself wrote the forward to this big, beautiful coffee table book (10.4 x 1.2 x 12.5 inches, hardcover, with beautiful heavy pages.)

The photos move in chronological order, starting with Inauguration Day in the first term. But these just aren’t state photos, there are lots of intimate, family and personal photos that help create the Obama legacy in a most personal and profound way.

Souza is obviously a gifted photographer, he wouldn’t have gotten the gig nor held on to it for eight years otherwise. I have to say the photographs are spectacular, interesting and often visceral. Some will be familiar, like when the President bowed down to let the young African American boy touch his head, much like his own, and that devastating picture taken after Sandy Hook. But there are also some really fun photos, like the Obamas and friends watching a 3-D movie, with glasses on. There are photos of famous signings, parties, speeches and more, but I admit I most enjoyed the family photos and the less formal shots. Obama shooting hoops in the Department of Interior gymnasium; Bono playing guitar for the President and Alicia Keys in the private dining room; even the President and First Lady making an unannounced visit to Arlington National Cemetery and surprising a widow there.

There are interesting shots like Obama ducking under the ropes on the lawn to get back to the Oval Office. A shot of Obama sitting on the desk, meeting with three women on staff but all we see are their shoes. Obama racing the new Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough’s children down the Colonnade outside the White House. Obama throwing a football at Soldier Field, home of his beloved Chicago Bears, during a break at the NATO summit.

This is a book I wish I owned, but I borrowed a copy from my library. It is a beautiful homage to one of my favorite Presidents.

12/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

OBAMA: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT by Pete Souza. Little, Brown and Company (November 7, 2017). ISBN 978-0316512589. 352p.

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Michelle Obama Through the Lens of a White House Photographer

From the publisher:

A collection of striking and intimate photographs of Michelle Obama—many never before seen—coupled with personal reflections and behind-the-scenes stories from Official White House Photographer Amanda Lucidon, presented in a deluxe format.

Michelle Obama is one of the most admired First Ladies in history, known for her grace, spirit, and beauty, as well as for the amazing work she did during her tenure to promote girls’ education, combat childhood obesity, and support military families. In Chasing Light, former White House photographer Amanda Lucidon, who spent four years covering the First Lady, shares a rare insider’s perspective, from documenting life at the White House to covering domestic and overseas travel. This collection of 150 candid photos—many previously unreleased—and Amanda’s narrative reflections reveal just what makes Mrs. Obama so special. From an affectionate moment with her daughters atop the strikingly empty Great Wall of China to exuberant moments with schoolchildren and quiet moments between the First Lady and President Obama, the photos are a vibrant, candid, and beautiful celebration of the First Lady, capturing the qualities and strengths that have made Mrs. Obama so beloved.

Chasing Light is a beautiful book that really honors Michelle Obama and her legacy. This has been a very difficult year for me politically, and this book was a balm for my soul.

12/17 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

CHASING LIGHT by Amanda Lucidon. Ten Speed Press (October 17, 2017). ISBN 978-0399581182. 224p.