“Failure at some point in your life is inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable.”
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is one of the most recognisable and defining individuals in modern American politics. Born in Pennsylvania, he and his family moved to Delaware in 1953, the state which he would represent in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2009. He stood unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nominations in 1988 and 2008 but was chosen by Barack Obama to serve as his running mate and as vice president from 2009 to 2017. He ran in the 2020 Presidential election, defeating Donald Trump, and became both the oldest President in US history and the first to have a female vice president. If you’re looking to learn more about the life, times, and legacy of America’s 46th President, join us at What We Reading for the best books on Joe Biden!
Promise Me, Dad: A Year Of Hope, Hardship And Purpose – Joe Biden
First up on our list of the best Joe Biden books comes a memoir from the man himself. First published in 2017, it opens in November 2014 where thirteen members of the Biden family gather for their annual get-together on Nantucket for Thanksgiving. There, they reflect on what the previous year had brought both politically and personally. Joe’s eldest son, Beau, had been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour and his survival was uncertain. “Promise me, Dad.” He had told his father. “Give me your word that, no matter what happens, you’re going to be all right.”
Promise Me, Dad chronicles the year that followed. A year that would prove to be the most momentous and challenging in Joe Biden’s incredible life and career. As Beau struggled for and ultimately lost his life, the then-vice president would struggle to balance his loyalties to his family and his country. A deeply moving personal memoir and gripping insight into political life at the top, Biden recounts his deep bonds with Barack Obama, his faith, and his family.
The Bidens: Inside The First Family’s Fifty-Year Rise To Power – Ben Schreckinger
The Bidens is an extensive exploration of Joe Biden delivered through his extended family. First published following his inauguration as president, author Ben Schreckinger delivers the history of the Biden family in full, revealing the deepest secrets in Joe’s family tree, the myriad of controversies involved with his son’s foreign deals, and the ham-fisted ways Donald Trump’s cabal have attempted to exploit it.
Schreckinger’s biography explains how the best way of understanding Joe Biden’s values, fears and motivations is to understand his family’s Irish heritage, their standing in Delaware, their dodgy business dealings, personal struggles and undeniable achievements.
Barack And Joe: The Making Of An Extraordinary Friendship – Steven Livingstone
Another one of the best Joe Biden books for understanding his vice president years and close friendship with President Barack Obama comes from Steven Livingstone in his 2019 work, Barack and Joe. In it, he chronicles how the two grew from senators wary of each other to redefine the relationship that was possible between a president and their VP.
Through dynamic writing, Livingstone shines the spotlight on the contrasts and similarities between the two men, how they worked together and depended on each other as they steered the most powerful nation on earth through dire economic waters, the elimination of Osama Bin Laden, health care reform and an increasing reckoning with mass shootings and police killings, all whilst changing the perceptions of male friendships for people everywhere.
Peril – Bob Woodward And Robert Costa
Arguably the most comprehensive account of the transition of the Donald Trump presidency to Joe Biden, Peril is a 2021 collaboration between #1 internationally bestselling author Bob Woodward and acclaimed reporter Robert Costa.
Featuring never-before-seen material and interviews with over two hundred people at the centre of the turmoil, Peril condenses over six thousand pages of transcripts to deliver a staggering portrait of a nation truly on the brink. Readers are taken deep into the heart of the Trump and Biden White House, the 2020 campaigns, the Pentagon and Congress and deliver vivid eyewitness accounts of what really happened over the course of those tumultuous weeks.
The Fight Of His Life: Inside Joe Biden’s White House – Chris Whipple
From New York Times bestselling author Chris Whipple, The Fight of His Life is an insider look at how Joe Biden and his team inside the White House battled to push their agenda through during his term in office. Based on Whipple’s extraordinary access to the White House during the Biden administration, it is one of the best presidential books that captures two years of foreign and domestic crises.
Featuring access to President Biden and his inner circle, Whipple takes readers inside the Oval Office as critical decisions are made, internal power struggles play out and back-room compromises are agreed upon. The Fight of His Life also documents the shocking ways in which Trump officials enabled the transfer of power, who really keeps the White House running, as well as what President Biden really thinks of everything from his vice-president Kamala Harris, the media and living inside the most famous building in America.
The Book Of Joe: The Life, Wit And (Sometimes Accidental) Wisdom Of Joe Biden – Jeff Wilser
For one of the more lighthearted books on Joe Biden, Jeff Wilser summarises all of the quirks and gaffs that have made the 46th President of the United States so defining across the country. Covering the key chapters in Biden’s life and career – and jam-packed full of Biden-isms – The Book of Joe explores the moments that made Joe Biden, and what they can teach us readers today.
However, it is also a powerful story of a man who has been shaped by his father’s advice: ‘Get back up’. Time and time again, Biden’s career has been defined by bouncing back after professional disappointment and personal heartbreaks. Both a celebration of a revered political figure and an inspiring lesson in resilience and fighting back, Wilser’s biography is one of the best Joe Biden books going.
The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden’s White House And The Struggle For America’s Future – Franklin Foer
After the chaos in the aftermath of the 2020 Presidential election, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. In his 2023 book, The Last Politician, author Franklin Foer delivers the definitive story inside the first two years of the Biden presidency.
Featuring unparalleled access to the tight inner circle of advisers who have surrounded Biden for decades, Foer recounts the mountain of crises Biden inherited. From COVID-19, a looming economic recession and deep divides both at home and abroad, the 46th President ushered in the most ambitious spending bills since the 1960s ended America’s longest war and pivoted to the looming competition with China. One of the best Joe Biden books for understanding both his presidency and the manner in which he works, The Last Politician is sure to be a vital resource for shaping Biden’s legacy in the years to come.
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Joe Biden: The Life, The Run And What Matters Now – Evan Osnos
First published in October 2020, Joe Biden: The Life, The Run And What Matters Now is a Financial Times Best Book of the Year by National Book Award winner Evan Osnos. In it, readers are taken on a tour through Biden’s five decades of political life, his deep personal losses and setbacks, and his unwavering quest to reach the White House.
Featuring revealing conversations with Biden, Barack Obama, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar and over a hundred other activists, advisors, family members and opponents, Osnos’ work offers an illuminating portrait of Biden’s long and eventful career in the Senate, his tenure at the vice president and the challenges he faced inheriting a country at odds with itself. One of the best Joe Biden books, Osnos captures a flawed, yet resolute, man whose resilience and ability to embrace his shortcomings helped him finally fulfill a dream of leading his country.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
