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We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy Hardcover – October 3, 2017

by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Author)

368 customer reviews

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In these “urgently relevant essays,”* the National Book Award–winning author of Between the World and Me “reflects on race, Barack Obama’s presidency and its jarring aftermath”*—including the election of Donald Trump.

New York Times Bestseller • One of Time’s Top 10 Non-Fiction Books of the Year • One of USA Today’s top 10 books of the year • A New York Times Notable Book

“We were eight years in power” was the lament of Reconstruction-era black politicians as the American experiment in multiracial democracy ended with the return of white supremacist rule in the South. In this sweeping collection of new and selected essays, Ta-Nehisi Coates explores the tragic echoes of that history in our own time: the unprecedented election of a black president followed by a vicious backlash that fueled the election of the man Coates argues is America’s “first white president.”

But the story of these present-day eight years is not just about presidential politics. This book also examines the new voices, ideas, and movements for justice that emerged over this period—and the effects of the persistent, haunting shadow of our nation’s old and unreconciled history. Coates powerfully examines the events of the Obama era from his intimate and revealing perspective—the point of view of a young writer who begins the journey in an unemployment office in Harlem and ends it in the Oval Office, interviewing a president.

We Were Eight Years in Power features Coates’s iconic essays first published in The Atlantic, including “Fear of a Black President,” “The Case for Reparations,” and “The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration,” along with eight fresh essays that revisit each year of the Obama administration through Coates’s own experiences, observations, and intellectual development, capped by a bracingly original assessment of the election that fully illuminated the tragedy of the Obama era. We Were Eight Years in Power is a vital account of modern America, from one of the definitive voices of this historic moment.

*Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Essential . . . Coates’s probing essays about race, politics, and history became necessary ballast for this nation’s gravity-defying moment.”—The Boston Globe

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From the Publisher

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Ta-Nehisi Coates has published a collection of the major magazine essays he wrote throughout the Obama years. . . . But Coates adds an unexpected element that renders We Were Eight Years in Power both new and revealing. Interspersed among the essays are introductory personal reflections. . . . Together, these introspections are the inside story of a writer at work, with all the fears, insecurities, influences, insights and blind spots that the craft demands. . . . I would have continued reading Coates during a Hillary Clinton administration, hoping in particular that he’d finally write the great Civil War history already scattered throughout his work. Yet reading him now feels more urgent, with the bar set higher.”—Carlos Lozada, The Washington Post

“Essential . . . Coates’s probing essays about race, politics, and history became necessary ballast for this nation’s gravity-defying moment.” —The Boston Globe

“Biting cultural and political analysis from the award-winning journalist . . . [Ta-Nehisi Coates] reflects on race, Barack Obama’s presidency and its jarring aftermath, and his own evolution as a writer in eight stunningly incisive essays. . . . He contextualizes each piece with candid personal revelations, making the volume a melding of memoir and critique. . . . Emotionally charged, deftly crafted, and urgently relevant.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Coates’s collection of his essays from the past decade examine the recurrence of certain themes in the black community, the need for uplift and self-reliance, the debate between liberals and conservatives about the right approach to racism, and the virulent reaction in some quarters to any signs of racial progress. . . . As he charts social changes, Coates also offers a fascinating look at his own transformation as a black man and a writer. Before each essay, Coates provides context in light of recent political developments. . . . Coates’s always sharp commentary is particularly insightful as each day brings a new upset to the cultural and political landscape laid during the term of the nation’s first black president. . . . Coates is a crucial voice in the public discussion of race and equality, and readers will be eager for his take on where we stand now and why.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Though the essays are about a particular period, Coates’s themes reflect broader social and political phenomena. It’s this timeless timeliness—reminiscent of the work of George Orwell and James Baldwin—that makes Coates worth reading again and again.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

About the Author

Ta-Nehisi Coates is a national correspondent for The Atlantic. His book Between the World and Me won the National Book Award in 2015. Coates is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. He lives in New York City with his wife and son.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product details

Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: One World; First Edition edition (October 3, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399590560
ISBN-13: 978-0399590566
Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.3 x 9.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 368 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #27 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > United States > Executive Branch
- #36 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Sociology > Race Relations > Discrimination & Racism
- #58 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > African-American & Black

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Brilliant, relevant, important

December 1, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

"We were eight years in power" is a quote from South Carolina state congressman Thomas Miller, an African-American who was elected at the end of Reconstruction. He was highlighting the achievements made during Reconstruction, arguing against the disenfranchisement of black voters. They had built schools, established charities, educated the deaf and dumb, and built infrastructure. But his very argument was a threat to white supremacy. Coates quotes W.E.B. DuBois in his book: "If there was one thing that South Carolina feared more than bad Negro government, it was good Negro government."

This incomplete & halted era of reconstruction is the framework against which Ta-Nehisi Coates sets his book. He pulls eight essays written around the eight years of the Obama presidency, and shows how "the symbolic power of Barack Obama's presidency - that whiteness was no longer strong enough to prevent peons from taking up residence in the castle - assaulted the most deeply rooted notions of white supremacy and instilled fear in its adherents and beneficiaries."

The essays chosen for the book tackle a myriad of topics: the erasure of black history, mass incarceration, what it means to be black in the public eye, and, in my opinion the most compelling essay of them all, the case for reparations. Coates provides notes before each essay, explaining the context in which they were written, why they were relevant then, and why they are relevant now. The book shows an evolution, both in Coates' writing and thought, but also in the national conversation surrounding race, swirling towards the final chapter & epilogue, in which Donald Trump, the main force behind birtherism and much of the racist drum-beating, has been elected president.

This book is brilliantly written, incisive, and extremely relevant. Read it with your families, use it in your classrooms, and give copies to your friends.

9 people found this helpful

Brilliant, powerful, well-written, and revelatory

September 9, 2017

Format: HardcoverVine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

I have been a big fan of Ta-Nehisi Coates's writing, and particularly his ATLANTIC essays, for a long time. I had, in fact, read most of the essays that are published here before when they appeared in the ATLANTIC, including the last essay/epilogue (published as "Donald Trump is the First White President" in the ATLANTIC). It was just published in the magazine, and arrived here to burn up our mailbox a few days ago. It's a tour de force.

All the essays are solid, and both enlightening and deeply thought-provoking. Some of the essays stand up better than others. But even when the essay is not one of Coates's best--e.g. the essay on Michelle Obama ("American Girl")--the fact that Coates foregrounds and frames the individual essays with an incisive, recent introductory 'Notes' section both puts each essay in perspective and ties the collection together.

There is nothing in here that is not worth reading and thinking hard about. (I mean that; it's not a throwaway line.) Coates thinks more deeply and writes more clearly about the national tragedy and disgrace that is our collective failure to confront the history and legacy of White Supremacy than just about anyone. Anyone who hopes to understand the roots of the current Confederate statue removal fights and to see why--yes--this is an issue that is hugely consequential needs to read "Why Do So Few Blacks Study the Civil War." (Pair it with SLAVERY'S CAPITALISM if you can; the result is, in a word, stunning.). "Fear of a Black President" is also powerful, and disquieting.

I have used "The Case for Reparations" in several (different) college classes. Watching the students 'get it' and respond just doesn't get old. It has been life-changing for some of them.

I recommend this collection. In fact, I can't recommend it highly enough.

237 people found this helpful

Ta-Nahesi Coates has quickly become my favorite author. He is an outstanding

January 16, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Ta-Nahesi Coates has quickly become my favorite author. He is an outstanding, eloquent and poignant writer. This book is a compilation of many of his works from the last decade (throughout the Obama Administration). He paints a rich and heart-wrenching picture of the state of racial relations in the USA, culminating in the Trump election. By the end of the book, you can clearly see how hundreds of years of racism and domestic terrorism have created the American Tragedy described in the book's title. Although painful, I highly recommend this read.

2 people found this helpful

An in depth discussion on race in America

January 7, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I bought this book in an attempt to understand my husband's outlook on our current societal situation. As the white member of a bi-racial couple, I wanted to try to build a bridge between our two familial cultures. After reading this thought provoking book, I feel both empathy towards black people and sadness in the failure of white culture to recognize the obvious. I am also hopeful that Americans are being taught a painful lesson by our current leader. One can never rise above by holding others down.

3 people found this helpful

A "must read" for everyone of every color.

January 14, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Every white person who wants to really know how it looks from "the other side" should take on the responsibility of reading Coates' eye-opening, informative book. I have African American friends, co-workers and family. I grew up in Indiana (I wasn't aware of it's "Klan" status until after moving away as a teenager) and moved to the deep south (Texas) in the 1970's where I witnessed racism over and over. Talk about a culture shock. Since then I have striven to be inclusive and empathetic to all color of people (and moved away from TX).
We Were Eight Years in Power is one of those books I have finished, put down, am contemplating and will pick up again to re-read because I'm sure I missed important information the first time around. Especially that Epilogue. Maybe you should begin with it. If nothing else moves us to participate in the US election system, it will.

FYI: I paired "Eight Years" with "A. Lincoln" by Ronald C.White, Jr. and "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn. It takes awhile to get through all three books, but it is well worth it as they compliment each other.

One person found this helpful

Most recent customer reviews

Christopher Drake

A compilation of intelligent and masterfully written essays from Coates

Thought provoking essays and really enjoyed Coates’ intros and reflections on each work. Direct opinions on race and history of racism in this country and how that history...Read more

Published 4 days ago

I rarely read a book twice immediately back to back, but Eight Years in Power is THAT good! I had to read it again immediately! Well done.

Published 7 days ago

Amazon Customer

BOOK OF THE MONTH OF MAY 2018. No prizes ...

BOOK OF THE MONTH OF MAY 2018.

No prizes for guessing that my pick goes to Ta-Nehisi Coates'

"WE WERE EIGHT YEARS IN POWER. AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY'.Read more

Published 24 days ago

Kiera J. Northington

We Were Eight Years in Power

I hope that this book and Between the World and Me become required reading in high school and university classrooms across this country. Mr.Read more

Published 26 days ago

Powerful, a tutorial for old white folks who need to know this

This is a major book, amazing, powerful, educational. We choose it as a book study for our Vermont church. We knew we had a lot to learn and this taught us so much.Read more

Published 1 month ago

An accessible and powerful meditation on race and racism in America

A powerful collection of essays on race and racism in America, reflecting the author's evolving understanding of these issues over the eight years of the Obama presidency.Read more

Published 1 month ago

Published 1 month ago

exceptional in every way

Vine Customer Review of Free Product

Ta-Nehisi Coates is a treasure of our era. Buy this. Read it.

Published 1 month ago

A Brilliant Seething Insightful Look at US

Vine Customer Review of Free Product

Ta-Nehisi Coates does NOT mince words. We have gone far, but no, we have NOT gone far........ What was attacked (Black government, Black Education, racial inequity, Education,...Read more

Published 1 month ago

Alexzandria Johnson

Great book!! Book came in great condition!

Published 1 month ago

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