A Literary Renaissance of Books and Photography related to Barack Obama, just in time for ByeDon Election

A potent commentary on the Presidency — and our country

After a CNN documentary aired last Friday – centered on the official White House photographer during the Obama Presidency, Pete Souza; a funny thing happened on the bestseller charts. 

Pete Souza’s #1 NYT bestselling coffee table book of photographs shot during his time in the White House, “Obama: An Intimate Portrait”, re-entered the charts at #3 and was followed by, not one but 2 other books at #1 and #22 respectively: the Hardcover (#1) and Paperback (#22) editions of “Shade”.

“Shade“, unlike “Obama: An Intimate Portrait” is a chronicle, not merely of the Obama years of yore, but a diary of sorts detailing the unfolding disgrace of the Trump years we’ve all endured since. 

Having spent so many intimate moments with the Obamas, indeed years of close interaction and friendship, he is in a unique position to contrast the differences, not only of the personalities but also of the actions and acts of these two historical figures, and the vast differences between the two. 

The virtually immediate and resounding success of the more recent, and more outspoken, tomes is a testament to how many of us share his frustration and outrage at what was, hopefully only temporarily, lost when Obama handed over the “keys” to the White House to its current resident. For a short time longer, perhaps?

Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents

From Pete Souza, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Obama: An Intimate Portrait.

As Chief Official White House Photographer, Pete Souza spent more time alongside President Barack Obama than almost anyone else. His years photographing the President gave him an intimate behind-the-scenes view of the unique gravity of the Office of the Presidency — and the tremendous responsibility that comes with it.

Now, as a concerned citizen observing the Trump administration, he is standing up and speaking out. Shade is a portrait in Presidential contrasts, telling the tale of the Obama and Trump administrations through a series of visual juxtapositions. Here, more than one hundred of Souza’s unforgettable images of President Obama deliver new power and meaning when framed by the tweets, news headlines, and quotes that defined the first 500 days of the Trump White House.

What began with Souza’s Instagram posts soon after President Trump’s inauguration in January 2017 has become a potent commentary on the state of the Presidency, and our country. Some call this “throwing shade.” Souza calls it telling the truth.

In Shade, Souza’s photographs are more than a rejoinder to the chaos, abuses of power, and destructive policies that now define our nation’s highest office. They are a reminder of a President we could believe in, and a courageous defense of American values.

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