The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future

Franklin Foer

Penguin, Sep 5, 2023 - Political Science - 432 pages

The New York Times bestseller

Franklin Foer tells the definitive insider story of the first two years of the Biden presidency, with exclusive access to Biden’s longtime team of advisers, and presents a gripping portrait of a president during this momentous time in our nation’s history.

"You might love Biden or you might hate Biden, but either way, if you want to understand him, you will want to buy this book." —Politico

“A triumph of reporting.” — Geoff Bennett, PBS NewsHour 

“Deeply reported . . . a terrific read.” —Chuck Todd, Meet the Press

“Fantastic . . . The first real insider account of the Biden White House and a fascinating read about Biden himself.” —Jon Favreau, Pod Save America

On January 20, 2021, standing where only two weeks earlier police officers had battled with right-wing paramilitaries, Joe Biden took his oath of office. The American people were still sick with COVID-19, his economists were already warning him of an imminent financial crisis, and his party, the Democrats, had the barest of majorities in the Senate. Yet, faced with an unprecedented set of crises, Joe Biden decided he would not play defense. Instead, he set out to transform the nation. 

With unparalleled access to the tight inner circle of advisers who have surrounded Biden for decades, Franklin Foer dramatizes in forensic detail the first two years of the Biden presidency, concluding with the historic midterm elections. The result is a gripping and high-definition portrait of a major president at a time when democracy itself seems imperiled.

The Last Politician is a landmark work of political reporting—which includes thrilling, blow-by-blow insider reports of the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan and the White House’s swift response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine—that is destined to shape history’s view of a president in the eye of the storm.

Contents

• Prologue: 1
• PART ONE DARK WINTER JanuaryMarch 2021: 9
• Day One: 11
• Taking the Call: 21
• Visions of Rescue: 24
• Waiting for the Jab: 34
• The Nod of the Head: 48
• Take Me Home: 56
• Normal People: 62
• The Captain Cook Incident: 71
• Border Crush: 82
• PART TWO GREEN SHOOTS AprilJune 2021: 89
• Bidens War: 91
• Hug Bibi Tight: 105
• Rabbit Ears: 112
• Go Left Young Man: 117
• Face to Face: 131
• Independence Day: 137
• The Highway to Bipartisanship: 142
• PART THREE LEAVING JuneAugust 2021: 153
• Gut Check: 155
• The Kill List: 162
• Withdrawal: 166
• The White Scarves: 180
• John Bass Stands at the Gates of Despair: 183
• Sullivans Choice: 191
• Lily Pads: 196
• The Red Dot: 200
• The Bitter End: 203
• PART FOUR THE BOG SeptemberDecember 2021: 211
• Mr Zelensky Comes to Washington: 213
• Manchinema: 216
• Mark Milleys Map: 222
• The Big Ask: 230
• Pressure Drop: 236
• Variant of Concern: 245
• The Eruption: 250
• Where Have the Better Angels Gone?: 261
• Get Caught Trying: 268
• Vacancy: 275
• The End of the Dream: 298
• The Battle of Kyiv: 306
• Bankova: 317
• The Gorge: 323
• The Spring of SelfPity: 329
• Dobbs v Biden: 335
• The Bath: 344
• Truth and Reconciliation: 350
• War Games: 360
• Waves Crashing: 367
• Acknowledgments: 377
• Index: 399

About the author

Franklin Foer is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of World Without Mind and How Soccer Explains the World. For seven years, he edited The New Republic.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Last Politician: Inside Joe Biden's White House and the Struggle for America's Future
• Author: Franklin Foer
• Publisher: Penguin, 2023
• ISBN: 1101981148, 9781101981146
• Length: 432 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Political; Political Science / American Government / Executive Branch; Political Science / Public Policy / General