Barack Obama

by F Erik Brooks and Macherie M Placide

Published 7 October 2019

An essential resource for readers analyzing the presidency of Barack Obama, this book provides a comprehensive summary of the life of 44th president of the United States.

Barack Obama stated, "Our destiny is not written for us. It is written by us." Was the former president talking about himself and his rise to the American presidency?

On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, the first African American to be elected to this office. Former President Obama's politics of unity appealed to many segments of American society. When Obama became president, the United States faced challenges at home and abroad. Internationally, the country was stalled in two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Domestically, the country faced a financial and banking crisis, and poverty was on the rise. Undaunted by these colossal challenges, former President Obama noted, "We did not come to fear the future. We came to shape it."

Barack Obama: A Life in American History discusses the life of Barack Obama chronologically and discusses his post-presidential life. Readers of all levels with an interest in Barack Obama, politics, political parties, political ideology, presidential elections, government, and the U.S. presidency will find this book compelling.


  • Provides readers with insight into Barack Obama's rise in politics, from community organizer to president, the highest political office in the United States
  • Provides an understanding of how the Obama presidency had a significant impact on the United States
  • Deconstructs key events during the first and second terms of the Obama presidency
  • Examines the Obama administration's foreign and domestic policies

Jesse Owens

by F Erik Brooks and Kevin M. Jones

Published 5 November 2021
A compelling resource for sports enthusiasts, Jesse Owens: A Life in American History places the life and athletic accomplishments of Jesse Owens within the context of race and American history in the early 20th century.

The year 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the death of one of the greatest track and field athletes in intercollegiate and Olympic history. This book examines Jesse Owens' upbringing, religious and spiritual life, and collegiate years and includes an examination of race, politics, and Nazi Germany as a backdrop to the 1936 Olympics. It also considers Owens' personal economic hardships after his triumph at the Olympic Games, his death, and his legacy.

This biography series title will appeal to general readers, history buffs, and sports enthusiasts. Chapters are organized around the major developments in Jesse Owens' life, from his birth in Oakville, Alabama in 1913 to his death in Tucson, Arizona in 1980, and all of his groundbreaking athletic achievements in between. Primary source documents, sidebars, a timeline, and a bibliography provide valuable additional information for readers. The final chapter, "Why Jesse Owens Matters," explores his cultural and historical significance.