Obama: The Call of History | Peter Baker

Correspondent for The New York Times, about the 44th president of the United States. In this vivid and in-depth illustrated account of Barack Obama’s years in office, Baker chronicles a period of great hope, tumult, accomplishment and, yes, failure. His is the story of a young president who took on the worst financial disaster since the Great Depression, forged a controversial health care program, watched anxiously in the Situation Room after approving the raid that killed Osama bin Laden and endured mid-term election defeats. In a presidency buffeted by one crisis after another, he struggled with the Syrian civil war, a Russian invasion of its neighbor, the rise of the Islamic State, and, at home, often violent racial strife and a recalcitrant Congress.
Inspiring in a crowded stadium yet diffident behind the scenes, Obama was a master politician who loathed politics. To many, he was an enigma, often seen through the lens of the observer – a liberal zealot to the right, an overeager compromiser to the left. “I am like a Rorschach test,” he once noted. But he was the dominant figure of his age. After eight eventful years, he would never be the same – and neither would his country.
PETER BAKER is the Chief White House Correspondent for The New York Times and covered President Obama’s tenure from its inception. Previously he covered the White House for The Washington Post during the presidencies of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He is the author of three other books, including Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, which was named one of the five Best Non-Fiction Books of 2013 by The New York Times Book Review.  He has won the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Coverage of the Presidency twice, the Aldo Beckman Memorial Award for White House Reporting twice and the Merriman Smith Award.
A light reception will precede the event beginning at 5:30 pm, with the lecture starting at 6:00 pm. Seating is limited, and not guaranteed. Parking will be available on the SMU campus. FREE passes will be emailed to registered guests before the event. Baker's publication of the same title will be available for purchase and signing after the event.
TEACHERS ONLY -- Please sign in at the registration table to receive continuing education credit.