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Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents
From Pete Souza, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Obama: An Intimate Portrait, comes a powerful tribute to a bygone era of integrity in politics.
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.
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.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 16, 2018
386 people are currently reading
5528 people want to read
About the author
Pete Souza
14 books161 followersPete Souza was the Chief Official White House Photographer for President Obama and the Director of the White House Photo Office. Previously Souza was an Assistant Professor of Photojournalism at Ohio University, the national photographer for the Chicago Tribune, a freelancer for National Geographic, and an Official White House Photographer for President Reagan. His books include the New York Times bestseller The Rise of Barack Obama, which documents the president's meteoric ascent from his first day in the United States Senate through the 2008 Pennsylvania presidential primary. Souza is currently a freelance photographer based in Washington, D.C. and is a Professor Emeritus at Ohio University's School of Visual Communication.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 713 reviews
November 13, 2018
Contrasting a time when our White House had some dignity, with a President who didn't tweet nasty stuff, and actually cared about more than himself The pictures are stirring. I could just cry.
October 22, 2018
🌟🌟🌟🌟
When I first heard about this book, I could not wait to get my hands on it!! I thought about Pete Souza's 2017 release, Obama: An Intimate Portrait, and how good it made me feel. I thought that this one would evoke similar emotions. Maybe with a little humor and biting sarcasm thrown in for good measure. Little did I know what was hiding behind the cover.
Unlike Souza, I did not have to look up the word shade in order to understand its modern-day meaning. Nonetheless, I had hoped this book would bring a smile to my face and warm feelings, as I reminisced about the days of yore. Interestingly enough, it did just the opposite. I found myself asking, as I turned each page, "What happened? Where did we go wrong? What does our future hold, as a country?"
It goes without saying that the pictures are absolutely beautiful. Each shot tells a poignant tale within its own right. Yet, the juxaposition between Obama and Trump is extremely powerful. And, I have reached the point where I am too tired to get on my soapbox and complain. Every day it becomes harder and harder to wake up and turn on the news. I just never know what is going to come out of Trump's mouth or what he is going to tweet into the Twitter-verse.
I will applaud Pete Souza for ending Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents the ony way he could. He calls for us to get out and vote. He calls for us to make sure our voices are heard at all levels of government. Sitting on the sidelines is not an option.
Should you read this one? Yes. But, more importantly, make sure you are active in our political system and encourage your love ones to do the same. It is time that we protect our democracy and not take her for granted.
When I first heard about this book, I could not wait to get my hands on it!! I thought about Pete Souza's 2017 release, Obama: An Intimate Portrait, and how good it made me feel. I thought that this one would evoke similar emotions. Maybe with a little humor and biting sarcasm thrown in for good measure. Little did I know what was hiding behind the cover.
Unlike Souza, I did not have to look up the word shade in order to understand its modern-day meaning. Nonetheless, I had hoped this book would bring a smile to my face and warm feelings, as I reminisced about the days of yore. Interestingly enough, it did just the opposite. I found myself asking, as I turned each page, "What happened? Where did we go wrong? What does our future hold, as a country?"
It was a carnival barker who ascended to the presidency by sheer bravado, bullshit, and outright lies.
It goes without saying that the pictures are absolutely beautiful. Each shot tells a poignant tale within its own right. Yet, the juxaposition between Obama and Trump is extremely powerful. And, I have reached the point where I am too tired to get on my soapbox and complain. Every day it becomes harder and harder to wake up and turn on the news. I just never know what is going to come out of Trump's mouth or what he is going to tweet into the Twitter-verse.
I will applaud Pete Souza for ending Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents the ony way he could. He calls for us to get out and vote. He calls for us to make sure our voices are heard at all levels of government. Sitting on the sidelines is not an option.
As Abraham Lincoln said...our task is that...
'government of the people,
by the people,
for the people,
shall not perish from the earth'.
Should you read this one? Yes. But, more importantly, make sure you are active in our political system and encourage your love ones to do the same. It is time that we protect our democracy and not take her for granted.
November 22, 2019
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
If you know me, you know I was raised to believe that you don’t talk about politics or religion outside the family home if you want to maintain relationships. That being made clear, if you feel the need to defriend/unfollow me for posting something up about this book, I’ll have zero problem with it.
I will fully admit I have wanted to get my hands on a copy of Shade ever since I heard about it. I will also do something I never thought I’d do and disclose to you that I did not vote for Obama. Either time. (Just in case people were starting to gather their pitchforks and torches to tell me what a “Libtard” I am.) Not that it’s really anyone’s business, but I’ll even give you the reason. The first time was simply due to the fact that I’m from Illinois – born and bred and there has been nothing but corruption in that state my entire life. I wasn’t about to vote for a Junior Senator who may have been as phony as a three dollar bill just because he knocked my socks off with one speech and Oprah told me to. The next time was for the simple fact that I consider myself socially liberal and fiscally conservative and so does Mitt Romney. And that’s all I’m going to say about that. (Nice knowing some of you.)
If you know anything about Pete Souza you know he’s not necessarily just another “snowflake” either. Before photographing the Obama White House he did the same for Reagan. Now, Souza most certainly was an Obama fan, but that doesn’t negate the near necessity of releasing his little slice of history. This book shows the complete mockery electing a narcissistic, mentally unstable reality star has made of the Presidency. While I may not have agreed with all of Obama’s ideas and/or policies, I never doubted that he knew just how important his role as President was. Trump??? Well . . . I think this image says just about everything . . . . .
This book is full of examples – both in the form of Tweets and “fake” news – demonstrating just how out of touch with the pulse of the nation the current President is. No matter your politics, it should serve as a reminder that the next time you go to the polls (whether it’s to pull red, blue or other) you should try to vote for someone who at least attempts to . . . .
A reviewer copy was provided by Little Brown in exchange for this review. I have thumbed through this enough times at the local bookstore to know that it would receive 5 Stars so the freebie had zero bearing on my rating.
If you know me, you know I was raised to believe that you don’t talk about politics or religion outside the family home if you want to maintain relationships. That being made clear, if you feel the need to defriend/unfollow me for posting something up about this book, I’ll have zero problem with it.
I will fully admit I have wanted to get my hands on a copy of Shade ever since I heard about it. I will also do something I never thought I’d do and disclose to you that I did not vote for Obama. Either time. (Just in case people were starting to gather their pitchforks and torches to tell me what a “Libtard” I am.) Not that it’s really anyone’s business, but I’ll even give you the reason. The first time was simply due to the fact that I’m from Illinois – born and bred and there has been nothing but corruption in that state my entire life. I wasn’t about to vote for a Junior Senator who may have been as phony as a three dollar bill just because he knocked my socks off with one speech and Oprah told me to. The next time was for the simple fact that I consider myself socially liberal and fiscally conservative and so does Mitt Romney. And that’s all I’m going to say about that. (Nice knowing some of you.)
If you know anything about Pete Souza you know he’s not necessarily just another “snowflake” either. Before photographing the Obama White House he did the same for Reagan. Now, Souza most certainly was an Obama fan, but that doesn’t negate the near necessity of releasing his little slice of history. This book shows the complete mockery electing a narcissistic, mentally unstable reality star has made of the Presidency. While I may not have agreed with all of Obama’s ideas and/or policies, I never doubted that he knew just how important his role as President was. Trump??? Well . . . I think this image says just about everything . . . . .
This book is full of examples – both in the form of Tweets and “fake” news – demonstrating just how out of touch with the pulse of the nation the current President is. No matter your politics, it should serve as a reminder that the next time you go to the polls (whether it’s to pull red, blue or other) you should try to vote for someone who at least attempts to . . . .
A reviewer copy was provided by Little Brown in exchange for this review. I have thumbed through this enough times at the local bookstore to know that it would receive 5 Stars so the freebie had zero bearing on my rating.
November 9, 2018
Shade:A Tale of Two Presidents by Pete Souza is a book I got from the library and it was funny and sad at the same time. Sad because Obama came into his presidency when he had a tremendous job ahead of him! I think Americans get amnesia quite easily at times. Looking back at the pictures of Obama, a normal president, no tweet storm, no name calling, not stirring up hate, trying to solve problems, having fun with his family, it just seems like 10 years ago!
The book is laid out where it gives a Trump tweet or news article then next page is a picture of Obama with author's caption. That is what is funny. Sometimes just the pictures.
Boy I miss that President!
The book is laid out where it gives a Trump tweet or news article then next page is a picture of Obama with author's caption. That is what is funny. Sometimes just the pictures.
Boy I miss that President!
October 23, 2018
Five stars for the mere concept, the snarky title and the wonderful Obama pics! However, there could have been better, more pointed juxtapositions. Some were a bit tepid and unparallel. The contrast between 44 and 45 is so stark and another editor may have taken a more truculent approach. But the point was made.
November 14, 2020
Edit 11/14/20 to say SUCK IT to anyone who voted for Trump because I can, you bunch of goddamn morons, and also I'm laughing maniacally that this and Mr. Souza's other marvelous book Obama: An Intimate Portrait: The Historic Presidency in Photographs are back on the NYTimes bestseller list and checked out of basically every library in my system.
Pete Souza was elevated to the status of "one of Sara's favorite people ever" when his first book "Obama: An Intimate Portrait" reminded me, however briefly, that the office of the president has not always been the utter farce it is today. Now he's cemented his place with this slightly more satirical, sometimes funny, sometimes deeply upsetting comparison of two men who, and I shudder to say this, share the title "president."
This particular book was born from a couple of particularly blistering burns Souza leveled at President dipshits Twitter vomit. That's the basic premise of this book. Souza highlights a particular, usually wildly insane sounding, Tweet or article about whatever batshittery Mein Fuhrer has spewed juxtaposed against a photo of President Obama usually doing the polar opposite of said nonsense. There's a couple of especially hilarious, less then serious moments but for the most part its yet another blinding spotlight on how bloody far this office has fallen.
Weirdly though its not as upsetting to see it spelled out as I anticipated. In much the same way that his first book did, this one reminded me again that we've survived worse in this country and come out stronger on the other side. For every goddamn buffoon that holds this office there is a fucking cool badass mofo with class and intelligence and an unshakable moral compass who respected his office and the people he served.
Alright there was one. That's something anyway.
Pete Souza was elevated to the status of "one of Sara's favorite people ever" when his first book "Obama: An Intimate Portrait" reminded me, however briefly, that the office of the president has not always been the utter farce it is today. Now he's cemented his place with this slightly more satirical, sometimes funny, sometimes deeply upsetting comparison of two men who, and I shudder to say this, share the title "president."
This particular book was born from a couple of particularly blistering burns Souza leveled at President dipshits Twitter vomit. That's the basic premise of this book. Souza highlights a particular, usually wildly insane sounding, Tweet or article about whatever batshittery Mein Fuhrer has spewed juxtaposed against a photo of President Obama usually doing the polar opposite of said nonsense. There's a couple of especially hilarious, less then serious moments but for the most part its yet another blinding spotlight on how bloody far this office has fallen.
Weirdly though its not as upsetting to see it spelled out as I anticipated. In much the same way that his first book did, this one reminded me again that we've survived worse in this country and come out stronger on the other side. For every goddamn buffoon that holds this office there is a fucking cool badass mofo with class and intelligence and an unshakable moral compass who respected his office and the people he served.
Alright there was one. That's something anyway.
November 29, 2018
Pete Souza’s Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents is a photographic essay of President Obama’s first 500 days contrasted with the tweetstorm that emanated multiple times daily from the Trump White House during his first 500 days. While much is as would be expected, the book’s design serves to heighten the differences between these men serving in the same office, sometimes leading to smiles, often to feelings of sadness and wistful hope for the future [we had sanity once, can’t we have it again?]. The photos are often thoughtful and apparently thoughtfully chosen. Opposite a page of Trump tweets about money paid to Stormy Daniels and his team’s flip-flopping answers about her payoff, is a photograph of the White House surrounded by dark, black clouds. The one word caption: “Stormy”
Souza came to the idea for the book after starting an Instagram account post Mr Trump’s inauguration. He felt a strong need to express his thoughts and feelings about what he considered very basic wrongs. The response to his Instagram postings was so strong and supportive, it led to planning this book. And lest readers believe that Souza is a left wing only supporter, before the eight years spent as President Obama’s photographer, he also was the official photographer for Ronald Reagan.
No one’s political mind is apt to be changed by this book, but I found it another source of hope, much needed as the major institutions of this country are under attack, seemingly a more vicious attack than even Watergate.
I recommend this book as a friendly haven, a reminder of sanity and law, and a reminder that there ARE stark differences between good and evil, much as most in our time do not like those words. I am not saying that Obama was a saint, only that he lived with, by and under the law, tried to work with all branches of government as the Constitution would have him do. And he managed to be a family man and apparent loving husband at the same time. Well enough said. Quite possibly, too much!
4.5* rounded to 5
Souza came to the idea for the book after starting an Instagram account post Mr Trump’s inauguration. He felt a strong need to express his thoughts and feelings about what he considered very basic wrongs. The response to his Instagram postings was so strong and supportive, it led to planning this book. And lest readers believe that Souza is a left wing only supporter, before the eight years spent as President Obama’s photographer, he also was the official photographer for Ronald Reagan.
No one’s political mind is apt to be changed by this book, but I found it another source of hope, much needed as the major institutions of this country are under attack, seemingly a more vicious attack than even Watergate.
I recommend this book as a friendly haven, a reminder of sanity and law, and a reminder that there ARE stark differences between good and evil, much as most in our time do not like those words. I am not saying that Obama was a saint, only that he lived with, by and under the law, tried to work with all branches of government as the Constitution would have him do. And he managed to be a family man and apparent loving husband at the same time. Well enough said. Quite possibly, too much!
4.5* rounded to 5
October 19, 2018
I miss President Obama every single day.
May 3, 2021
“As Chief Official White House Photographer, Pete Souza spent more time alongside President Barack Obama than almost anyone else.” He has had his photos published in several books including one that I read and reviewed --- a 50 year retrospective of Presidential photographers. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
There is no doubt Souza has deep feelings for President Obama. In this book he expresses some of those, ranging from dissatisfaction to outrage at what the following President attempted to do to Obama’s legacy and the “alternative facts” that were offered in support of the new Administration’s actions.
This book is almost entirely a side-by-side comparison of how these two people attempted to conduct themselves in the Office of the President of the United States of America. For many readers it will be a stressful reunion with their own feelings at the time of these events. There isn’t much more that should be said…except, perhaps, that the photography meets a high standard (and I was unaware of any “photoshoping.”
There is no doubt Souza has deep feelings for President Obama. In this book he expresses some of those, ranging from dissatisfaction to outrage at what the following President attempted to do to Obama’s legacy and the “alternative facts” that were offered in support of the new Administration’s actions.
This book is almost entirely a side-by-side comparison of how these two people attempted to conduct themselves in the Office of the President of the United States of America. For many readers it will be a stressful reunion with their own feelings at the time of these events. There isn’t much more that should be said…except, perhaps, that the photography meets a high standard (and I was unaware of any “photoshoping.”
January 25, 2019
Another fantastic book by Pete Souza, “Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents!” I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but the concept of this book was genius! Souza juxtaposes his iconic photos of the Obama presidency with some of Trump’s most insane tweets and comments to highlighting the differences between the 44th president and Trump. I laughed at how brilliantly Souza executed his “shade” and just how absurd the last couple of year has been, but cried at the profound lost I left. Highly recommend! **spoiler: one of the greatest shades can be found under the cover of the book! 😩✌️📖
November 25, 2018
Just finished.
Jesus wept.
...So did I.
What a damning indictment of a PO(TU)S who's determined to destroy the world.
Souza's shade is nicely done.
I miss President Obama every fucking day.
Jesus wept.
...So did I.
What a damning indictment of a PO(TU)S who's determined to destroy the world.
Souza's shade is nicely done.
I miss President Obama every fucking day.
November 23, 2019
Once upon a time there was a White House,
Where they used to have a laugh or two,
Remember when the news broadcasts were boring?
And Twitter didn't leave us feeling blue.
Those were the days, my friend,
We wished they'd never end...
The days when we had a president who was compassionate, intelligent, respectful, professional, patriotic, curious, funny, honest, and free from scandal. He was far from perfect, and I didn't care for a lot of his decisions, but he was, and is, always a decent human being. Oh, and also, he didn't have to cheat to get elected.
As for the other guy, all I can say is Vivement 2020! It can't get here fast enough for me.
For those too young to get the musical reference, here ya go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3KEh...
Where they used to have a laugh or two,
Remember when the news broadcasts were boring?
And Twitter didn't leave us feeling blue.
Those were the days, my friend,
We wished they'd never end...
The days when we had a president who was compassionate, intelligent, respectful, professional, patriotic, curious, funny, honest, and free from scandal. He was far from perfect, and I didn't care for a lot of his decisions, but he was, and is, always a decent human being. Oh, and also, he didn't have to cheat to get elected.
As for the other guy, all I can say is Vivement 2020! It can't get here fast enough for me.
For those too young to get the musical reference, here ya go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3KEh...
January 30, 2020
It's hard to differentiate between feeling enraged or inordinately sad. Pete Souza, the very definition of an insider, presents his case eloquently, stunningly illustrated with his intimate portraits of an era sadly passed but still rooted in memory.
On second look, the contrast between the current and past administration as witnessed by an insider is even more devastating, particularly during these impeachment proceedings. There was never a whiff of scandal about Obama, and the way Souza constructed this book, with a tweet from youknowhow facing off with a photo in direct opposition, says all you need to know about his feelings. Eloquent.
On second look, the contrast between the current and past administration as witnessed by an insider is even more devastating, particularly during these impeachment proceedings. There was never a whiff of scandal about Obama, and the way Souza constructed this book, with a tweet from youknowhow facing off with a photo in direct opposition, says all you need to know about his feelings. Eloquent.
February 26, 2019
I miss having a real President
December 8, 2018
Pete Souza, official photographer for Presidents Reagan and Obama REALLY despises Donald Trump. Which every decent, rational, and intelligent person should. Souza, however, started an Instagram account that subtly mocked Trump by uploading photos from the Obama administration in reaction to whatever batshit insane, bullshit lie, or idiotic comment Trump made. The contrast between the two is often hilarious but always telling.
In this book the reactions are made explicit, usually by printing one of Trump’s crazy tweets or comments on the left page and a corresponding photo illustrating a grown-up’s actions on the right page. It’s pretty great. Because Trump is a never-ending wellspring of idiocy, this is refillable content. This collection superbly drives the point home, though.
In this book the reactions are made explicit, usually by printing one of Trump’s crazy tweets or comments on the left page and a corresponding photo illustrating a grown-up’s actions on the right page. It’s pretty great. Because Trump is a never-ending wellspring of idiocy, this is refillable content. This collection superbly drives the point home, though.
November 5, 2018
Pete Souza was in Chicago this weekend, the keynote speaker at the JEA/NSPA national convention, and so it was something of a bizarre coincidence today, shortly after the Bears kickoff, when my mother showed up at the door with a pork roast and a copy of Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents, Souza's recently published slam at the racist, whore mongering liar currently occupying the White House.
Souza was the official White House photographer for Obama during his eight blessed Twitter-free years as president of the United States. Apparently Souza has been throwing shade at Trump over the past two years on his Instagram account to an overwhelming positive response which led to the publication of this book, which juxtaposes those Instagram posts and his photographs from the Obama presidency side by side with Trump's moronic tweets and contemporary headlines and news stories featuring various gaffes and blunders Trump has committed as president. It truly is a tale of two very different presidents, one genuine, comfortable, eloquent, and intelligent; the other clownish, poorly spoken, arrogant and embarrassing.
Souza writes in the introduction, "The White House now emanates a constant barrage of lies and hateful comments. The president acts like he does not respect democracy or the rule of law....He does not respect women, minorities, or immigrants; he often doesn't appear to respect even his wife." Souza skewers Trump repeatedly in all these areas and more, and concludes the intro by saying, "With this book, I'm standing up and shouting out. I can't be subtle any longer."
Some of Souza's pairings are funny and goofy and sad at the same time. For example, there's a tweet from Trump decrying as "fake news" the reports of leaks coming from the White House paired with a photo of first dog Bo seated in the Oval Office and Souza's assertion that Bo never once leaked in the White House. And there's a headline about the current First Lady slapping away her husband's hand next to a remarkable picture of the Obamas holding hands in Selma, Alabama.
Some of it's powerfully meaningful, such as Trump pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017 paired with a photo of Obama's signature on the document in 2016 or Trump moronically tweeting "Mission Accomplished" after a minor effort in Syria paired with the grim photo of Obama and his staff as they monitor the execution of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
Some of it's just sad and awkward when you realize how pathetic a human being Trump is and how out of his depths he is pretending to run this country. And speaking of "running," maybe the most pathetic is Trump (the man who dodged serving his country in Vietnam because of supposed bone spurs) claiming that he would have run into the high school during the shooting in Parkland, Florida: "I really believe I'd run in there even if I didn't have a weapon," he claimed. That boner is paired with a picture of Obama running down the tarmac outside of Airforce One with the caption, "Back in the day when our President could run."
It's a quick read, unless you voted for Trump, and in that case you'll probably have to take a couple of days to puzzle out some of the text on the Obama pages. Fortunately for you, then, there are many purty pictures to gaze at while you are mouthing out some of those big old fifty-cent words. Souza's photos range from the warm to the funny to the very serious, but for me the very best are those unscripted moments capturing the warmth and humanity of a president and his staff who are connected to the life of the country itself: Obama with the nation's children or his own, with his wife Michelle, with his shirt sleeves rolled up, getting down to business, all startling images when you come to think of it since the current president is never photographed doing any work at all and is entirely unable to interact with children or even with his wife in any but the most strained, superficial situations. There's a humanity there with Obama and the people surrounding him in the White House, something absolutely missing today.
And to Souza's credit, speaking of children, the potentially most terrible juxtaposition is never made in the book at all. Souza mocks Trump and his non-existent relationship with his wife (the comment on Fox & Friends about being too busy to get her a birthday gift is there paired with a shot of the previous happier First Couple), but he doesn't expose the sadly missing First Son in the White House. Juxtaposing the genuinely warm interactions between Obama and his two daughters with the absent relationship between the current president and his son would no doubt have caused many Trump fans to cry foul, but even the absence of such photos calls attention to what a terrible father, husband, and human being the current president is.
As I said, it's a quick read, less than two hours, and either you're going to love the book or you won't even look at it. Sure, it's all kind of fluffy, but it grows out of Souza's Instagram account after all. It's a great reminder, however, of how different life in America was just two years ago, back when we could be proud of our president and the image he portrayed to the rest of the world. Seeing Obama in Souza's book standing with the Pope or Angela Merkel or Nieto or Trudeau can remind us of a better time and, as Souza writes at the end, remind us that, although it may take a while, we can bring respect back to the Oval Office and to our country.
My favorite photograph in the whole collection doesn't feature Obama at all. It's a powerful image of Stevie Wonder running his hands over the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Oval Office. Another favorite photo features Obama with 2009 Kennedy Center honorees Robert De Niro and Bruce Springsteen, another couple of my heroes. Those are three guys who won't be visiting the Oval Office any time soon.
So make sure you vote on Tuesday, folks. Let's see if we can truly make America great again, minus the buffoon in the Oval Office right now. I hate to remind you, but it's your fault Donald Trump is president anyway, so let's make up for being so goddam lazy about our civic responsibilities two years ago and get out there and vote.
Souza was the official White House photographer for Obama during his eight blessed Twitter-free years as president of the United States. Apparently Souza has been throwing shade at Trump over the past two years on his Instagram account to an overwhelming positive response which led to the publication of this book, which juxtaposes those Instagram posts and his photographs from the Obama presidency side by side with Trump's moronic tweets and contemporary headlines and news stories featuring various gaffes and blunders Trump has committed as president. It truly is a tale of two very different presidents, one genuine, comfortable, eloquent, and intelligent; the other clownish, poorly spoken, arrogant and embarrassing.
Souza writes in the introduction, "The White House now emanates a constant barrage of lies and hateful comments. The president acts like he does not respect democracy or the rule of law....He does not respect women, minorities, or immigrants; he often doesn't appear to respect even his wife." Souza skewers Trump repeatedly in all these areas and more, and concludes the intro by saying, "With this book, I'm standing up and shouting out. I can't be subtle any longer."
Some of Souza's pairings are funny and goofy and sad at the same time. For example, there's a tweet from Trump decrying as "fake news" the reports of leaks coming from the White House paired with a photo of first dog Bo seated in the Oval Office and Souza's assertion that Bo never once leaked in the White House. And there's a headline about the current First Lady slapping away her husband's hand next to a remarkable picture of the Obamas holding hands in Selma, Alabama.
Some of it's powerfully meaningful, such as Trump pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017 paired with a photo of Obama's signature on the document in 2016 or Trump moronically tweeting "Mission Accomplished" after a minor effort in Syria paired with the grim photo of Obama and his staff as they monitor the execution of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
Some of it's just sad and awkward when you realize how pathetic a human being Trump is and how out of his depths he is pretending to run this country. And speaking of "running," maybe the most pathetic is Trump (the man who dodged serving his country in Vietnam because of supposed bone spurs) claiming that he would have run into the high school during the shooting in Parkland, Florida: "I really believe I'd run in there even if I didn't have a weapon," he claimed. That boner is paired with a picture of Obama running down the tarmac outside of Airforce One with the caption, "Back in the day when our President could run."
It's a quick read, unless you voted for Trump, and in that case you'll probably have to take a couple of days to puzzle out some of the text on the Obama pages. Fortunately for you, then, there are many purty pictures to gaze at while you are mouthing out some of those big old fifty-cent words. Souza's photos range from the warm to the funny to the very serious, but for me the very best are those unscripted moments capturing the warmth and humanity of a president and his staff who are connected to the life of the country itself: Obama with the nation's children or his own, with his wife Michelle, with his shirt sleeves rolled up, getting down to business, all startling images when you come to think of it since the current president is never photographed doing any work at all and is entirely unable to interact with children or even with his wife in any but the most strained, superficial situations. There's a humanity there with Obama and the people surrounding him in the White House, something absolutely missing today.
And to Souza's credit, speaking of children, the potentially most terrible juxtaposition is never made in the book at all. Souza mocks Trump and his non-existent relationship with his wife (the comment on Fox & Friends about being too busy to get her a birthday gift is there paired with a shot of the previous happier First Couple), but he doesn't expose the sadly missing First Son in the White House. Juxtaposing the genuinely warm interactions between Obama and his two daughters with the absent relationship between the current president and his son would no doubt have caused many Trump fans to cry foul, but even the absence of such photos calls attention to what a terrible father, husband, and human being the current president is.
As I said, it's a quick read, less than two hours, and either you're going to love the book or you won't even look at it. Sure, it's all kind of fluffy, but it grows out of Souza's Instagram account after all. It's a great reminder, however, of how different life in America was just two years ago, back when we could be proud of our president and the image he portrayed to the rest of the world. Seeing Obama in Souza's book standing with the Pope or Angela Merkel or Nieto or Trudeau can remind us of a better time and, as Souza writes at the end, remind us that, although it may take a while, we can bring respect back to the Oval Office and to our country.
My favorite photograph in the whole collection doesn't feature Obama at all. It's a powerful image of Stevie Wonder running his hands over the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. in the Oval Office. Another favorite photo features Obama with 2009 Kennedy Center honorees Robert De Niro and Bruce Springsteen, another couple of my heroes. Those are three guys who won't be visiting the Oval Office any time soon.
So make sure you vote on Tuesday, folks. Let's see if we can truly make America great again, minus the buffoon in the Oval Office right now. I hate to remind you, but it's your fault Donald Trump is president anyway, so let's make up for being so goddam lazy about our civic responsibilities two years ago and get out there and vote.
November 17, 2020
I recently saw a wonderful documentary called The Way I See It which highlighted the differences between the Obama & Trump administrations as seen through the eyes of Pete Souza-White House photographer. Souza was the WH photographer for both the Reagan & Obama administrations. Anyway, in the documentary Souza mentioned this book & how it came about which made me want to "read" it. I put read in quotations because it juxtaposes Trump tweets & news headlines of his first 500 days with photos from the Obama WH with comments, snarky & otherwise, below the photo which he began to post on his personal instagram.
I appreciated that Souza had to look up what "throwing shade" meant when people starting making comments about these instagram posts. I remember when I first began to hear that term being used and had to figure it out also. Kinda like having to look up in the urban dictionary when a talking head began to refer to someone as a tool. I was like "What?!" I digress.
I enjoyed reading through these but have to admit after how great the documentary was, I was left wanting more.
Oh one more thing, in the documentary you find out that Trump does not allow his official photographer free access, everything is staged. Souza had free access & that is why he has so many candid shots and was in on so many of the important moments of Obama's presidency.
I appreciated that Souza had to look up what "throwing shade" meant when people starting making comments about these instagram posts. I remember when I first began to hear that term being used and had to figure it out also. Kinda like having to look up in the urban dictionary when a talking head began to refer to someone as a tool. I was like "What?!" I digress.
I enjoyed reading through these but have to admit after how great the documentary was, I was left wanting more.
Oh one more thing, in the documentary you find out that Trump does not allow his official photographer free access, everything is staged. Souza had free access & that is why he has so many candid shots and was in on so many of the important moments of Obama's presidency.
October 15, 2018
Quite an interesting and creative set up. I loved the juxtaposition of the tweets and photographs. The images used were an intriguing “backstage” look at the presidency. I could have easily read and looked at another 500 pages.
February 18, 2019
This was an interesting look at the Obama White House, as captured by the official White House photographer at the time. Because the pictures are juxtaposed to throw “shade” at something Trump said or did - I found the compilation of the things the Trump Administration has done in two years - overwhelmingly sad and jarring when put all together in this format: Trump revoking Obama Guidelines on Transgender Bathrooms; WH Bars Some News Organizations From Briefing; Trump’s Travel Ban Blocks Migrants From Six Nations; Trump’s Push To Repeal Healthcare; Trump’s Orders Change On 6 Obama Climate Policies; Trump’s WH Will Not Make Visitor Logs Public; Trump Revealed Highly Classified Information To Russian Foreign Minister And Ambassador; Trump Announces U.S. Will Exit Paris Climate Deal; Trump Ends DACA Program. The sad part is - there’s still half the book left to go that reminds you that this is an Administration of hate, science deniers and corruption that permeates every level.
October 17, 2018
A powerful book, with an important comparison between our current and past presidents. Makes you really think about what our country's values are, and how different presidencies can be.
December 2, 2018
I loved this book. So much. If you’ve seen any of Peter Souza’s photos of President Obama in the last couple of years and thought they offered an interestingly sane contrast to one of Donald Trump’s latest demented tweets, that was no mere coincidence.
An American photojournalist, Souza was the former Chief Official White House Photographer for U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama and the former director of the White House Photography Office.
Souza had admired the qualities in the men he had worked and spent countless hours with as their official photographer. He had observed them every day and respect them for their hard work, for making tough but well-informed decisions on important issues after having asked thoughtful questions from their qualified staff and listening to advice. He was a non-partisan but admired the qualities of qualified leadership in both Presidents Reagan and Obama.
On Inauguration Day 2017, he was emotional and depressed. He felt it was surreal that the man he had come to respect so much was now handing over the keys to what was essentially “a carnival barker who had ascended to the presidency by sheer bravado, bullshit, and outright lies”. He had seen what the presidency required under Reagan and Obama, who both took the job seriously and respected the office of the presidency.
And now, the man who had entered the field of politics by accusing Obama of having a fraudulent birth certificate was every day making it his specialty to play “how low can you go” as the leader of the American people and took the world hostage to play in the greatest live reality show project ever. With him in the lead role, naturally.
Peter Souza has something to say about all this. He is a photojournalist* at heart and is also a man of few words when one of his images can tell a whole story. He started sharing his pictures of the Obama years on Instagram, accompanied by short captions that offered righteous criticism of the sitting president. He gave no explanations for his image choices, leaving his viewers to link them to the latest news items or countless presidential tweets.
He also didn’t give interviews or explain his motives to anyone publicly. Many said he was “throwing shade” on the sitting president. When he googled the expression, Merriam-Webster explained it as a “subtle, sneering expression of contempt for or disgust with someone—sometimes verbal, and sometimes not.”
He decided this was an accurate description of what he had been doing, and he kept it up for the first 500 days of the new administration, which is what we find profiled in this book, though he says he has every intention of keeping throwing shade at President T for a good while to come still.
For this book, he’s chosen to give the reader more context, so he’s included the president’s specific tweets or the news articles which led him to respond to with his own photographs of the former administration with pointed snarky captions. For those who’ve more or less kept up with both his feed and the daily news, this makes for lots of sighing and nods of recognition, and inevitable nostalgia.
For those who were not familiar with Peter Souza before... my best guess would be nostalgia? Which was my initial reaction, but perhaps also a sobering and even necessary context in which to put the current events, since I can see from a distance—living over the border in the safety of the Canadian wilderness (aka Montreal!) and not being exposed to Fox News and then no TV at all and only as much news as I want to see at this point, which has dwindled down to very little for my own wellbeing—that it can be easy enough to lose track of what sanity is supposed to look like.
If it helps any at all, I have many many friends in the US and being an empath and always having had an interest in history, I live in constant alarm that the apocalypse could just be around the corner. In other words, a reminder that sanity lives among us too is always a helpful and even necessary and life-giving thing to cherish.
*He was a photographer with The Chicago Tribune, stationed at the Washington, D.C., bureau from 1998 to 2007; during this period he also followed the rise of then-Senator Obama to the presidency. —Wikipedia
My partner just texted me. I told him I had just finished typing and needed to edit this review just now, so instead of my bland “definitely recommend this one” I’ll copy:
LOVED this book 2 bits!!!
5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rare rating from me!
An American photojournalist, Souza was the former Chief Official White House Photographer for U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama and the former director of the White House Photography Office.
Souza had admired the qualities in the men he had worked and spent countless hours with as their official photographer. He had observed them every day and respect them for their hard work, for making tough but well-informed decisions on important issues after having asked thoughtful questions from their qualified staff and listening to advice. He was a non-partisan but admired the qualities of qualified leadership in both Presidents Reagan and Obama.
On Inauguration Day 2017, he was emotional and depressed. He felt it was surreal that the man he had come to respect so much was now handing over the keys to what was essentially “a carnival barker who had ascended to the presidency by sheer bravado, bullshit, and outright lies”. He had seen what the presidency required under Reagan and Obama, who both took the job seriously and respected the office of the presidency.
And now, the man who had entered the field of politics by accusing Obama of having a fraudulent birth certificate was every day making it his specialty to play “how low can you go” as the leader of the American people and took the world hostage to play in the greatest live reality show project ever. With him in the lead role, naturally.
Peter Souza has something to say about all this. He is a photojournalist* at heart and is also a man of few words when one of his images can tell a whole story. He started sharing his pictures of the Obama years on Instagram, accompanied by short captions that offered righteous criticism of the sitting president. He gave no explanations for his image choices, leaving his viewers to link them to the latest news items or countless presidential tweets.
He also didn’t give interviews or explain his motives to anyone publicly. Many said he was “throwing shade” on the sitting president. When he googled the expression, Merriam-Webster explained it as a “subtle, sneering expression of contempt for or disgust with someone—sometimes verbal, and sometimes not.”
He decided this was an accurate description of what he had been doing, and he kept it up for the first 500 days of the new administration, which is what we find profiled in this book, though he says he has every intention of keeping throwing shade at President T for a good while to come still.
For this book, he’s chosen to give the reader more context, so he’s included the president’s specific tweets or the news articles which led him to respond to with his own photographs of the former administration with pointed snarky captions. For those who’ve more or less kept up with both his feed and the daily news, this makes for lots of sighing and nods of recognition, and inevitable nostalgia.
For those who were not familiar with Peter Souza before... my best guess would be nostalgia? Which was my initial reaction, but perhaps also a sobering and even necessary context in which to put the current events, since I can see from a distance—living over the border in the safety of the Canadian wilderness (aka Montreal!) and not being exposed to Fox News and then no TV at all and only as much news as I want to see at this point, which has dwindled down to very little for my own wellbeing—that it can be easy enough to lose track of what sanity is supposed to look like.
If it helps any at all, I have many many friends in the US and being an empath and always having had an interest in history, I live in constant alarm that the apocalypse could just be around the corner. In other words, a reminder that sanity lives among us too is always a helpful and even necessary and life-giving thing to cherish.
*He was a photographer with The Chicago Tribune, stationed at the Washington, D.C., bureau from 1998 to 2007; during this period he also followed the rise of then-Senator Obama to the presidency. —Wikipedia
My partner just texted me. I told him I had just finished typing and needed to edit this review just now, so instead of my bland “definitely recommend this one” I’ll copy:
LOVED this book 2 bits!!!
5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rare rating from me!
December 11, 2018
I loved this book in a visceral and carthartic way. I wept at a few of the pics that brought out such a surprising amount of emotion as I read it in one sitting in a Starbucks (I'm typing this on phone and making a lot of fat finger mistakes). I'm not alone according to my lcsw when I say this administration has made me an angry, anxiety- riddled mess. I love how much shade Pete Souza throws , as if he's being honest AF about the shit stain that is this administration. It's a picture book that is delightful to pour over. I lingered over many of the photos, delighting in these candid moments. But hands down, my favorite is the photo of potus at a window with a few little toddlers looking at at him as he extends a hand to greet them. It is accompanied by a Mandela quote about babies not being born with hatred towards others skin color. It moved me to tears. Get his book if you're a fan of Obama. You will support the author, and enjoy a walk down memory lane.
January 31, 2020
Damn, I miss Obama.
October 29, 2018
I miss President Obama!
November 29, 2020
That was a fun and educational read. Lots of excellent photos and commentary that compares and contrasts two Presidents. Very little text.
October 29, 2018
Wonderful coffee table book! Shade juxtaposes tweets and quotes from Trump, as well as news stories or headlines about him, with Souza's Instagram posts, each of which is accompanied by a photo from the Obama White House. It shows a stark contrast by reminding us both of all the ways Trump is awful and what a smart, compassionate, and sophisticated president we had in Obama. Great photos and allows the reader to indulge in a bit of nostalgia while also reminding us what is at stake. Vote blue on November 6!
January 18, 2019
Well it wasn’t quite the funny read I thought it would be, but it’s a great way to sum up the beginning of one Presidency and how strikingly different it was and is from the one before....through some surreal juxtaposition between Tweets and photos.
January 18, 2019
I can’t say this book made me feel better about the current state of politics as it made me miss Obama even more than I already did. Still, it was nice to remember a time when I was proud of our president.
February 20, 2019
A snarky, hilarious, and thought-provoking collection of photos from Obama’s official photographer, alongside tweets from 45. Souza throws shade, but also encourages readers to “use our energy to do something about it. Vote, for one.”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - I miss Obama.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - I miss Obama.
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