Ben Rhodes Bücher

Beachten Sie auch das Special zum Buch Acht Jahre lang sah Ben Rhodes fast alles, was im Herzen von Barack Obamas Präsidentschaft passierte. In seinem rasant geschriebenen, aufrichtigen, klugen Buch schildert er die Dramen dieser Präsidentschaft, die Ideale, von denen Obama sich leiten ließ, und die Grenzen des Machbaren, auf die er traf. Seltem hat man einen so intimen, luziden Einblick in die inneren Gesetze der Politik im Zentrum der amerikanischen Weltmacht. Mit 29 Jahren und einem Sack voll Hoffnung stößt Ben Rhodes 2007 zum Team von Barack Obama und wird zu einem seiner engsten Vertrauten. Er ist mittendrin, als das Atomabkommen mit dem Iran ausgehandelt wird, als die Annäherung an Kuba eingeleitet wird, als die Entscheidung fällt, in Syrien nicht zu intervenieren, und als die Wahl von Donald Trump das Projekt Obama jäh beendet. Wir sehen Barack Obama aus nächster Nähe, mit seiner großen Persönlichkeit, seinem scharfen Verstand, seinen Träumen und Zweifeln, seinem Charisma und Charme. Ein einzigartiges Zeitdokument und ein Lehrstück darüber, was in der Politik möglich ist.

Ben Rhodes, who served Barack Obama as a foreign policy adviser and speechwriter from beginning to end, has written a book that reflects the president he served-intelligent, amiable, compelling and principled. And there is something more: The World as It Is is a classic coming-of-age story, about the journey from idealism to realism, told with candor and immediacy. It is not a heavy policy book. There are anecdotes galore, but they illuminate rather than scandalize. Even Donald Trump-a politician who seems the omega to Obama's alpha-is treated with horrified amazement rather than vitriol. . . . Ben Rhodes is a charming and humble guide through an unprecedented presidency. . . . He never quite loses his idealism; in a crass political era, he impressively avoids becoming a cynic. . . . His achievement is rare for a political memoir: He has written a humane and honorable book.-Joe Klein, The New York Times Book Review In The World as It Is, Rhodes shows no trace of the disillusionment that gave George Stephanopoulos's tale of Bill Clinton its bitter, gossipy flavor, or of the light irony that came to inflect Peggy Noonan's adoration of Ronald Reagan. More than any other White House memoirist, Rhodes is a creature of the man he served. . . . This is the closest view of Obama we're likely to get until he publishes his own memoir.-George Packer, The New Yorker The World as It Is offers a peek into Mr. Obama's tightly sealed inner sanctum from the perspective of one of the few people who saw him up close through all eight years of his presidency. Few moments shook Mr. Obama more than the decision by voters to replace him with a candidate who had questioned his very birth.-Peter Baker, The New York Times The World As It Is opens and closes with Obama's reaction to the election of Donald Trump. In between, it recounts world events in a newsy, intimate chronology.-Karl Vick, Time For insight on that Obama playbook, it makes sense to consult Ben Rhodes's fine new memoir of the Obama years. . . . Rhodes was 'in the room' for almost every foreign policy decision of significance that Obama made during his eight years in office and in a privileged position to chronicle how the idealism of the early Obama administration faded as it confronted the realities of an often-Hobbesian world.-Peter Bergen, CNN Ben Rhodes is one of the most brilliant minds and powerful storytellers I've ever known. In The World as It Is, he doesn't just bring you inside the room for the key moments of Obama's presidency, he captivates you with the journey of an idealistic young staffer who becomes the president's close friend and advisor-a journey that both cynics and believers will find riveting and hopeful.-Jon Favreau The World as It Is is a page-turning, unfiltered, altogether human look at Barack Obama's presidency. Ben Rhodes-one of Obama's closest and most important advisors-opens up the defining issues of the presidency, from the role of race and the rise of conspiracy theories to the hunt for bin Laden, the Syria 'red line' debate, and the secret negotiations Ben himself led to normalize ties with Cuba. Insightful, funny, and moving, this is a beautifully observed, essential record of what it was like to be there.-Samantha Power

In 2017, as Ben Rhodes assisted former President Barack Obama in transitioning to his next chapter, the legacy they built was under threat. To grasp the unfolding situation in the U.S., Rhodes looked beyond its borders. Over three years, he traveled to numerous countries, engaging with politicians, dissidents, and activists facing the same forces that led to the Trump presidency: nationalism, authoritarianism, and disinformation. His journey included encounters with former Mossad operatives and the Chinese government, as well as meetings with Hong Kong protesters and Russian opposition figures. Across Europe, Asia, and the U.S., he witnessed individuals grappling with their identities amid the crude nationalism of their leaders while seeking new ways to resist. This work combines memoir and reporting, offering a vital exploration of discovery. Rhodes reflects on how the 2008 financial crisis eroded public trust in America, globalization, and democracy, paving the way for strongman leaders like Viktor Orban, Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping. He examines how the desire for identity and belonging has been exploited by nationalists and learns from a diverse array of figures—from Obama to rebels and emerging politicians—about crafting a more hopeful narrative for the future.