JOE BIDEN

An experienced nonfiction writer ably summarizes the life of the 46th president.

Long political and personal preparation led to Joe Biden’s inauguration as U.S. president in 2021. Currie neatly fits the details of Biden’s public and private lives into the publisher’s format, dividing his information into five chapters covering the Scranton, Pennsylvania, native’s early years; his Delaware political experience and the deaths of his first wife and daughter; his years in the Senate; his years as vice president; and the successful 2020 presidential campaign. An introduction describes the four-day wait for results after Nov. 3, 2020, and offers an overview of Biden’s path to the presidency. The opening chapter stresses his modest origins compared to most of his predecessors. The author gives examples of Biden’s ability to work across political differences and of some actions which, looking back, caused controversy. He mentions the accusations of plagiarism that derailed his first presidential run in 1988 and the long but unsuccessful primary struggle in 2007-8 before he was offered the position of vice president on Barack Obama’s winning team. The final chapter focuses on the winning campaign of 2020. The writing is clear and evenhanded, documented with primary sources including Biden’s own memoir and a range of news sources. Occasional photographs, with family members as well as political opponents, support the generally positive tone.

Fittingly solid, if not exciting.