''Barack and Michelle: Portrait of An American Marriage '' is an unauthorized "tell-all" biography about Barack and Michelle Obama, focusing on their marriage, written by No. 1 ''New York Times'' best-selling author Christopher Andersen and published in 2009.

Background

Andersen previously wrote 28 popular biographies about

Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

, the Kennedys, and the

Bush family The Bush family is an American dynastic family that is prominent in the fields of American politics, news, sports, entertainment, and business. They were the first family of the United States from 1989 to 1993 and again from 2001 to 2009, and w ...

, among others. ''Barack and Michelle'' describes the Obamas' marriage as being difficult for several years, as Barack left his accomplished wife, Michelle, to care for children and household, himself turning away from a lucrative legal career to pursue his political ambitions with little success or income. The couple grew closer, according to the book, beginning in 2001 after the sickness of their daughter, Sasha, and Obama's growing political success. The book draws in part on previously published accounts and Obama's own memoirs. It has been described as a "glowing" portrait of the Obamas, and characterizing their marriage as "solid". Andersen interviewed 200 friends and relatives of the Obamas in Chicago, Hawaii, and Indonesia, many of whom are identified in the book's chapter and source notes, but not the Obamas themselves.

References

2009 non-fiction books Books about Barack Obama HarperCollins books Books about marriage Michelle Obama Unauthorized biographies {{AfricanAmerican-poli-bio-book-stub