Renegade

Barack Obama's impressive 2008 presidential campaign is one of the watershed moments in recent political history. Against all odds, Obama ran a bottom-up campaign, getting grassroots support to carry him to the White House. Narrator Arthur Morey delivers an insider's narrative of the campaign, from the early days through the election itself. Morey tells this story in a conversational style, betraying little emotion, which might have livened up his reading a bit. But the story is exciting enough that listeners will remain riveted, even though they already know the outcome. At 16 hours, this long work covers the details of the campaign and shows just how well planned it was. K.M. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

The author was one of the few reporters to closely cover Barack Obama all the way from the early days of the presidential campaign to his first days in the Oval Office. Narrator Arthur Morey employs a simple, clean narrative style throughout. His sensitive reading and perfect pacing also bring out the emotional involvement of the author with his subject. This intimate connection between the reporter and his topic is often unavoidable--even with a professional newsman like Wolffe. However, the overall objectivity of his examination is preserved by Morey's deft delivery. This insightful analysis will be welcomed by the many people who have asked just who Barack Obama is. M.C. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine