Award-winning photojournalist, Pete Souza, documents the meteoric rise of the charismatic Barack Obama from his first day in the U.S. Senate right up to the Pennsylvania presidential primary. More than 80% of these candid and stunning photographs capturing private and political moments have not been seen before. Souza provides extended commentary about each photo to place it in context, and describe the scene and participants. Photo-by-photo the viewer is allowed to examine the senator and candidate’s path to the very cusp of history.

Photographs of politicians in public settings are innumerable, but the images that often become timeless are the quiet moments captured in more intimate surroundings — moments that often reveal the true character of a person.

The Rise of Barack Obama by photojournalist Pete Souza is filled with exclusive captivating photographs that capture the charisma, passion, intellect, mass appeal, and rare behind-the-scenes moments of Barack Obama beginning with his first day in the U.S. Senate and culminating on the campaign trail prior to the spring primaries.

Souza, who also accompanied the senator to seven countries including Kenya, South Africa, and Russia, had unprecedented access to photograph the senator and presidential candidate in private and public moments during Obama's unbelievable rise to political stardom. He is now allowing the world to be a part his remarkable journey through photos such as:

• Obama opening Nelson Mandela's former prison cell in South Africa in 2006
• Ethel Kennedy reacting to a quip from Senator Obama prior to the Robert F. Kennedy memorial Human Rights Award ceremony in 2005
• Obama's daughters interrupting their father during a break for lunch
• Obama catching some sleep while being detained in Perm, Russia for 3 hours
• An intimate moment between Barack and his wife Michelle as they wait to be introduced at Iowa State University
• Obama jokingly showing his hip-hop moves for a group of high school students
• Obama conferring with John McCain as senators prepared to discuss the immigration bill

The Rise of Barack Obama also includes extended captions and pull-out quotes from the speeches Obama gave during the time each photo was taken. Readers are able to put each moment in context as if they were there.

The American people now have the opportunity to see a great American leader in the making. One who inspires and provides hope and who is on track to become the Democratic Presidential nominee for the United States of America in 2008.

"[P]recontextualizes [Obama] as a historical figure, making this the only one of the books to transcend mere political usefulness to become a real work of art." The Stranger

Former official White House photographer, Pete Souza captures Barack Obama from his first day in the US Senate to his historic campaign trail.

Pete Souza is a freelance photographer and assistant professor of photojournalism at Ohio University. He has worked as an official White House photographer for President Ronald Reagan and was also the official photographer for the President's June 2004 funeral. He is the author of two celebrated photographic books of President Reagan's term in office, Unguarded Moments: Behind-the-Scenes Photographs of President Reagan (1992) and Images of Greatness: An Intimate Look at the Presidency of Ronald Reagan by Triumph Books (2004). Souza's photographs have also appeared as photo spreads or covers in renowned magazines as National Geographic, Life, Fortune, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report. His photographs have also been part of group exhibits at the National Archives, Smithsonian Museum of American History, and Corcoran Gallery of Art.