Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics (Hardcover)

by Joe Biden (Author)
Key Phrases: debate prep, United States, White House, Supreme Court (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
“Nearly forty years after I first got involved, I remain captivated by the possibilities of politics and public service. In fact, I believe that my chosen profession is a noble calling. That’s why I wanted to be a part of it.”
–Joe Biden

As a United States senator from Delaware since 1973, Joe Biden has been an intimate witness to the major events of the past four decades and a relentless actor in trying to shape recent American history. He has seen up close the tragic mistake of the Vietnam War, the Watergate and Iran-contra scandals, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the reunification of Germany, the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, a presidential impeachment, a presidential resignation, and a presidential election decided by the Supreme Court. He’s observed Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and two Bushes wrestling with the presidency; he’s traveled to war zones in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa and seen firsthand the devastation of genocide. He played a vital role by standing up to Ronald Reagan’s effort to seat Judge Robert Bork on the Supreme Court, fighting for legislation that protects women against domestic violence, and galvanizing America’s response (and the world’s) to Slobodan Milosevic’s genocidal march in the Balkans. In Promises to Keep, Biden reveals what these experiences taught him about himself, his colleagues, and the institutions of government.

With his customary candor, Biden movingly recounts growing up in a staunchly Catholic multigenerational household in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware; overcoming a demoralizing stutter; marriage, fatherhood, and the tragic death of his wife Neilia and infant daughter Naomi; remarriage and re-forming a family with his second wife, Jill; success and failure in the Senate and on the campaign trail; two life-threatening aneurysms; his relations with fellow lawmakers on both sides of the aisle; and his leadership of powerful Senate committees.

Through these and other recollections, Biden shows us how the guiding principles he learned early in life–the obligation to work to make people’s lives better, to honor family and faith, to get up and do the right thing no matter how hard you’ve been knocked down, to be honest and straightforward, and, above all, to keep your promises–are the foundations on which he has based his life’s work as husband, father, and public servant.

Promises to Keep is the story of a man who faced down personal challenges and tragedy to become one of our most effective leaders. It is also an intimate series of reflections from a public servant who refuses to be cynical about political leadership, and a testament to the promise of the United States.

About the Author
Joe Biden was first elected to the United States Senate in 1972 at the age of twenty-nine and is recognized as one of the nation’s most powerful and influential voices on foreign relations, terrorism, drug policy, and crime prevention. Senator Biden grew up in New Castle County, Delaware, and graduated from the University of Delaware and the Syracuse University College of Law. Since 1991, Biden has been an adjunct professor at the Widener University School of Law, where he teaches a seminar on constitutional law. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 365 pages
• Publisher: Random House (July 31, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400065364
• ISBN-13: 978-1400065363
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #244,090 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a read!, August 1, 2007

By	Ryan Fitzsimmons (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What a read. I'm only half way through the book but I feel like I've gotten one of the best (at least that I have read) eye wittness accounts to the most significant events of the past 35 years. Travelling with Avril Harriman at 36 years old for a tete a tete with Tito! Debating the power of the Soviet Union with Kissinger. The touching personal stories of how Mike Mansfield and Hubert Humphrey and others took the 30 year old widow under their wings in his first days in the Senate. Its a remarkable story if you have even the slightest interest in politics and world affairs. I knew a lot about Biden before this book, but there is something almost Forrest Gumpian about his life. And I mean that in a positive way. He has lived- and almost died- through seven Presidents and gives us his unvarnished, typical Biden-esque, take on them all. Some of the most chilling parts of the book however are his assesment of this administration. Coming from someone who has been a senator for 35 years it holds some great weight with me. But bottom line is that PTK is one of the best political biographies I have ever read. Don't expect some typical Presidential campaign policy book- "why my health plan is the best"- this is a true memoir no holds barred take on our past present and future.

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joe Biden--An Outstanding Public Servant, August 27, 2007

By	C. W. Emblom "Bill Emblom" (Ishpeming, Michigan USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Senator Joe Biden of Delaware has led a very interesting life. Dealing with a speech problem as a child he vividly remembers those who helped him with the problem in school and eventually overcoming the problem by facing up to it by handling his publiic speaking requirements like other students. Tragedy lurked shortly after his election to the Senate in 1972 with the death of his wife Neila and young daughter. Remarriage and interacting with his Senate colleagues on the issues confronting America brought renewed interest into his life. President Reagan's nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme Court and Biden's efforts to get the nomination blocked is covered in detail. Biden suffered from headaches that were so bad they nauseated him and turned out to be two brain aneurysms that were to prove life threatening. One of Biden's big issues were the genocide taking place in the former Yugoslavia with Slobodan Milosevic meeting with Biden and trying to pull the wool over his eyes by claiming he was not at fault for the suffering taking place. Biden refused to be moved by Milosevic's entreaties. The other big issue Biden wanted to deal with was what he referred to as America's "dirty little secret," the violence against women where American males believed it was okay for a husband to hit his wife. The last part of the book deals with Biden's frustration with President George Bush's inability to work with people who disagree with him and the path America has taken in the last seven years. This is a frustration shared by millions of others in this country who see the future of America threatened for future generations. It remains to be seen what price America will pay for the blunders of the present administration. Whatever part Senator Joe Biden plays in the next administration he will be an asset in helping to redirect America's future.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!, August 1, 2007

By	Reviewer2934817 (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

I have to admit I am a huge Joe Biden fan- so you can take that into consideration in reading this review. Nevertheless, I can't tell you how amazed I am by this book. I am a fan but no sycophant. I was expecting a mildly interesting tome- a washington "index page read.". You know the book- you buy it just to flip through the index and see if there's any names you recognize and want to read about. Well this is not that book. This actually grabs you from page one- even before page one- the prologue alone is worth the price of admission. If you read Richard Ben Cramer's "What It Takes" and liked it, you will love this book too. You don't even have to be a Joe Biden fan to enjoy this book- the story of his life so far and the stories that make the man are truly worthy of your time.