The Inauguration of Barack Obama: A Photographic Journal [Hardcover]

The Washington Post (Author), Ben Bradlee (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 10, 2009

The Post had more than 100 photographers and reporters chronicling every step of the inaugural weekend from the President-elect's train trip to Washington to the last of the inaugural celebrations. Post reporters also followed the First Family throughout the weekend as they assumed their place at the top of the capital's hierarchy.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

This is the Washington Post's competition with the Times book, above. It costs less, but readers get less. While the Times book is a keeper for the ages, this one has a cheesier look to its graphics and no contribution from the newspaper's considerable experts similar to what the Times offers in its volume. Apart from five pages by David Maraniss after an all-too-brief foreword by Ben Bradlee, there is little text here other than photo captions. A disappointment.—MH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Inside Flap

Inaugurations take place in the blink of an eye amid a swirl of pageantry, but the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama as America's 44th president lives on in this keepsake commemorative photo book that documents the official ceremony, the parade, the crowds, the inaugural balls, and moments both public and private. Featuring images captured by the Washington Post's award-winning photographers and moments memorialized by the Post's writers, this hardcover volume is living history that preserves this unprecedented day.

The Inauguration of Barack Obama documents:

THE JOURNEY TO THE CAPITAL *The President-elect's whistle-stop train tour as it wound its way from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.

A WELCOME TO WASHINGTON *The public celebration at the Lincoln Memorial that featured a stunning galaxy of stars from the world of entertainment, including Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Garth Brooks, James Taylor, Bono, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, John Mellencamp, and will.i.am.

A DAY OF SERVICE *The Obamas and the Bidens joining hundreds of other selfless volunteers performing public service. *The children's concert in the evening that recognized and thanked military families for their commitment. *Bipartisan dinners hosted by President-elect Obama that honored Senator John McCain, General Colin Powell, and Vice President-elect Joe Biden.

INAUGURATION DAY *The solemnity of the oath of office and inaugural address on the steps of the Capitol to the jubilation of the inaugural parade. *The pageantry and jubilation of the 10 official inaugural balls, including many events not open to outsiders.

All this is presented through 160-pages of sensational full-color photographs, making The Inauguration of Barack Obama the perfect commemoration of this historic day.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (February 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600782841
• ISBN-13: 978-1600782848
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #307,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Relive the goosebumps, February 11, 2009

By 

Julie Neal (Sanibel Island, Fla.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Inauguration of Barack Obama: A Photographic Journal (Hardcover)

If you want a good reminder of Barack Obama's inauguration, this handsome hardcover is it. It brings back all the goosebump moments. It's the result of the Washington Post's exhaustive coverage of the event, which employed over 100 photographers and reporters.

It makes a nice bookend with the new New York Times book Obama: The Historic Journey as well as, of course, The Audacity of Hope.

Big and beautiful enough to be a coffee table book, The Inauguration of Barack Obama is more than a collection of photos. Also included is a stirring foreword by Washington Post Editor-at-Large Ben Bradlee, who recalls the first inauguration he attended, of John F. Kennedy, and writes: "This shift of power is orderly, but it's always exciting. It's the essence of democracy." Though the coverage of it isn't as thorough as in the Times book, Obama's story is detailed, too, from childhood through young adulthood -- when he, in his own words, burned inwardly with a "knotted, howling assertion of self" -- through his marriage and family life. At the back of the book is the full text of the Inaugural Address.

I like the variety of photos. One spread shows the thousands gathered for the ceremony itself, another simply Obama's hand encircling his wife's waist on the Day of Service. A sober tribute from Obama and Biden at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery is followed by a sweet portrait of Biden holding his young grandson. My favorites are the more candid, silly shots: First lady Michelle Obama getting her gown stepped on by her husband while dancing; daughter Sasha playfully holding her hand in front of her sister Malia's camera, ruining her photo; bundled-up fans at 4 a.m. on the National Mall looking like mummies in their sleeping bags.

The presidential seal on the dust jacket is embossed into the glossy paper. Underneath, the cover of the book looks exactly like the dust jacket, front cover and back.

Here's the chapter list:

Foreword by Ben Bradlee
1. Road to the Presidency
2. Inauguration Weekend: Day 1, Destination: Washington, D.C.
3. Inauguration Weekend: Day 2, Honoring the Dead, Raising a Chorus
4. Inauguration Weekend: Day 3, Answering a Call to Service
5. Inauguration Day: All Eyes on the Moment
6. Text of Inaugural Address
7. Afterword

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full & Complete, February 28, 2009

By 

Billy Bathgate - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Inauguration of Barack Obama: A Photographic Journal (Hardcover)

If You want to see what all took place on that great historical day.
Who was there" What clothes they wore" What were the parades like" How big was the crowd " lots of pictures of the first lady and the new president" Millitary and secret service attendance" Pictures of the inauguration ceremony" The party's after the inauguration" The two girls Sasha & Malia Obama.
It's all here in vibrant and beautiful color , for you to treasure for all time.
Buy it ; it is full & complete.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Phenominal Piece of History, July 5, 2010

By 

John Underwood "Junla" (Palm Springs, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Inauguration of Barack Obama: A Photographic Journal (Hardcover)

The Washington Post captured like no other table-top book on the rise and inauguration of President Barack Obama. This pictorial captures the events like you were there.