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Obama Launches Audible Series Exploring Six Influential Books

8/10/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Barack Obama will host the Audible series “A Great Book with Barack Obama,” debuting September 24, 2026.
Audible and Higher Ground are producing the series as their sixth collaborative release.
The podcast will examine six books—“The Fire Next Time,” “Song of Solomon,” “All the Pretty Horses,” “Gilead,” “All the King’s Men,” and “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”
Obama said the titles shaped his life and he hopes listeners discover them.

History

Historical Context

Bill Clinton released his memoir My Life on June 22 2004; the 1,008-page book sold over 2.3 million copies, earned a $15 million advance, and its audiobook, read by Clinton, won the 2005 Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album. That high-profile presidential publishing effort set a precedent for later leaders, such as Barack Obama, to partner with audio platforms for their own series.

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Story summary

Barack Obama will host the Audible series “A Great Book with Barack Obama,” debuting September 24, 2026.
Audible and Higher Ground are producing the series as their sixth collaborative release.
The podcast will examine six books—“The Fire Next Time,” “Song of Solomon,” “All the Pretty Horses,” “Gilead,” “All the King’s Men,” and “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”
Obama said the titles shaped his life and he hopes listeners discover them.

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