Member-only story
Barack Hussein Obama has written his third autobiography and arguably his best. In this article, no attempt is made to summarize the book; the reader is encouraged to read or listen to Obama’s own words, as he is a wonderful writer with the ability to turn a phrase. It is overall an excellent book, well written, with a style that’s both plain and artistic at times. He is fair and balanced (as one would expect). His thumbnail sketches of political personalities like Mitch McConnell, Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin, Hillary Clinton, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vaclav Havel, Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, and many others are worth the read alone!
Instead, in this brief article, I highlight his potted histories. These are important summaries and tutorials that are worthwhile reading in themselves. I have quoted them at length but also summarized somewhat for clarity and of course I provide my own critical analysis, sometimes pointing out errors or misconceptions. These are rendered in italics, to distinguish them from Obama’s words or my summary of them.
Iran
Obama provides a good thumbnail history of the trials that Iran and America have faced.
“Heir to the great Persian empires of antiquity, once an epicenter of science and art during Islam’s medieval golden age, Iran had for many years barely registered in…