When I saw that Claudia Clark was debuting a non-fiction book about her relationship with Former president Barack Obama I knew it was a must read. In this well written, well researched book, the friendship between two important leaders was captured with true essence. I loved. all the stories, and the events referenced. A well written must read book for sure!

Replete with melodramatic references straight out of a Danielle Steele or a Nicholas Sparks playbook, “Dear Barack” by author Claudia Clark, is a curious book. In attempting to unravel the secrets underpinning a phenomenal rapport enjoyed by two former leaders of their respective nations, President Barack Obama of the United States and Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, the book falls an unwitting prey to an unabashed bias nurtured by the author towards both politicians. As a consequence, the work ends up an unashamed paean that waxes lyrical at almost every page.

The book begins on a very enthusiastic note charting the humble beginnings of both Obama and Merkel. While Merkel spent a predominant part of her formative years under the unrelenting scrutiny of the East German Statsi, Obama grew up under the loving care and astute guidance of a mother who, despite facing the travails of life in the form of a single parent, was determined to ensure that her offspring got the best of education. However as Clark illustrates, the initial meeting between the two protagonists, began, putting it mildly, on a testy note. Visiting Germany as a Presidential candidate, Obama was denied an opportunity to address the German crowd at the famed Brandenburg Gate, a venue where former President John F. Kennedy delivered his immortal “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech at the heights of the Cold War. Merkel apparently remarked that the venue was reserved for talks to be delivered by ‘actual Presidents’. A chastised Obama in turn is said to have retorted that he never demanded that he be accorded a prospect to talk at the hallowed venue.

However as future events depicted, Obama not only got to address a teeming, pulsating crowd of Germans egging him on at the Brandenburg Gate, but also succeeded in establishing a friendship with Merkel, which he himself claimed to be the most cherished political relationship throughout his tenure as President of the United States. Setting aside various differences in opinions concerning key political issues such as the potential arming of Ukraine against the impudent annexation of Crimea by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Obama’s unflinching philosophy of bolstering the corrupt banks that caused the Financial Recession of 2007 or the reticence of Germany in supplying troops to Afghanistan, Obama and Merkel agreed to disagree. But still they managed to forge ahead in tandem, resolutely supporting each other in troubling times. The pinnacle of this relationship was attained when the normally reserved Merkel began addressing Obama as “Dear Barack” instead of the more formal “President of the United States”.

The transformation from “President” to “Dear Obama” is the nub of this book. Unfortunately it is its tedium too. Almost every formal visit made by the two leaders between Germany and The United States are referred to, and entire paragraphs from the talks given by the duo, paraphrased. In addition the key highlights of the speeches as captured by publications of note from both nations such as Der Spiegel and the New York Times are reproduced. To cap it all, the author liberally engages in hyperbole. “On more than one occasion when the camera zoomed in on the chancellor for her reaction to something the president had said, her eyes almost looked wet with tears. Similarly, several times she bit her lip and smiled awkwardly as she acknowledged the president’s remarks”.

The book however has its moments too. The remarkably adroit manner in which Merkel, with inputs received from Obama tackled the Crimea invasion by Putin, before the finalization of the Minsk II peace accord, makes for some interesting and introspective reading. Similarly, the elucidation on how the P5+1 Platform (USA, UK, France, China, Russia + Germany) was leveraged to force Iran to sign a landmark nuclear deal to prevent the autocratic regime from building a nuclear bomb is worth every word. Unfortunately, as the author illustrates, all the hard work and dedication expended by the P5+1 was brought to naught when Donald Trump after assuming power not only pulled USA out of the deal but also deemed it appropriate to impose additional sanctions on Iran.

Similarly the conscientious labour undertaken by a plethora of nations to commit themselves to control emissions so that the perils of climate change could be mitigated if not obviated, received a calamitous set back when an idiosyncratic Trump pulled America out of the Paris Climate accord citing climate change as a ‘manufactured hoax’.

“Dear Barack” could have been so much more riveting.

(Dear Barack: The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel by Claudia Clark is published by Disruption Books and will be available from the 19th of October 2021).

Thank you, Net Galley for the Advance Reviewer Copy,

This book looks not only at the powerful and beneficial friendship between two world leaders, but also at their individual backgrounds that were outside the norm of their predecessors in their respective roles.

Merkel grew up in East Germany, the daughter of a Lutheran pastor and an English teacher. She recalls the Berlin Wall going up and coming down, and rose to prominence valuing science and fact.

Barack's path took him from Hawaii to Kenya to Pasadena, New York, and Chicago. His background working in law and civil rights uniquely positioned him for a moment in time when the rights of many were on the chopping block.

That these two found common ground despite her conservatism and his progressiveness is a marvel, and yet their common ground united them.

Merkel became the first East German and woman Chancellor.
Obama became the first Black President.

They often consulted and supported each other, spoke to each other in familiar terms and seemed to understand each other's way of processing and making important decisions that required proper deliberation and consideration. They were united by the conviction democracy could uplift the world.

I particularly appreciated the wealth of research that had gone into each quote and factoid about this partnership with thorough footnotes throughout. I've seen few meaningful books delve into friendships of world leaders unless there was a hanging question of romance but there's none of that here - it's purely a unification, likemindedness and a recognition that being the "firsts" of each of their own countries meant they each faced extra but sometimes shared challenges that made how they respond to national and international issues all the more important, as they represented not only themselves and those like them, but also future women and people of color that would take on these roles in the future. Both Merkel and Obama had to pick and choose their battles - not shy away from their backgrounds but also know when not to take the bait that some media wanted them to lean into. For all the various gasps related to both of their rises to power, their administrations have overall been the most scandal-free terms in decades.

As the time soon approaches that Merkel will no longer be in office, this seems a timely read to acknowledge an era many of us have just observed. I found this book to be hopeful, all the more in the face of the last 4-5 years - a reminder than unity and peacefully forged international relationships are not out of reach and - if we're lucky - we may see two leaders like these again.


Dear Barack
The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel
by Claudia Clark / @claudiaclarkauthor73
Available Now
Publish Date 19 Oct 2021
Disruption Books
Biographies & Memoirs | Nonfiction (Adult) | Politics
#DearBarack #NetGalley
#ClaudiaClark #AngelaMerkel #BarackObama
#Leadership #Friendship #Politics
#Biography #History #Nonfiction

This extraordinary partnership is constructively portrayed in this well researched book. I liked how the author introduced the book and gave her rationale for the publication. The content is interesting and informative although slightly repetitive in parts.

The author did extensive research about the relationship between Barack Obama and Angela Merkel. I enjoyed learning more about their working dynamic, especially since I didn't know much about Merkel prior to reading this book. I also appreciated how the author included an introduction as to why she decided to explore this topic. I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in their friendship or foreign policy!

A timely release, given the recent German Elections and the retirement reflections of Angela Merkel, comes Dear Barack by Claudia Clark. It’s subtitled The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel which clearly states the nature of the book. The book begins with their initial frosty relationship and covers various events and dealings until Barrack left office in 2015 at which time they were the best of friends. Containing thirteen chapters, covering a variety of topics from the World Financial Crisis, G20 meetings, NSA Spy Scandal, Climate Change, Iran Nuclear Agreement, State visits and much more, this is an insight into the most two most respected world leaders, with clear analysis and accompanying citations. The strength of their relationship, despite its ups and down and at times varying position on issues, shows the character of two intelligent heads of governments. Overall, a well-balanced analysis that isn’t overtly political and an enjoyable read with a four-star rating. Footnotes and a helpful index are provided but there was no accompanying bibliography to follow up particular aspects. With many thanks to Disruption Books and the author, for an uncorrected proof copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and are made without fear or favour.

However, it is well written and informative. It would have made a great article. However, the book is slightly repetitive.

I found the unlikely partnership between Angela Merkel and Barack Obama to be super interesting. I really enjoyed reading Dear Barack and found it to be informative as well as a well written read.

Claudia Clark, Dear Barack The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel, Disruption Books NY, 2021

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

With the partnership of Angela Merkel and Barack Obama over the eight years of the Obama Government as the focus, and a dedication to John Lewis, Stacy Abrahams, Beto O’Rourke and citizens who fight for Americans right to vote, Claudia Clark’s book had every possibility of being a winner for me. I was not mistaken. My only negative feeling is that sometimes the repetition of the nature of the closeness of the relationship became a bit cloying – but then, Claudia Clark would be fully justified in telling me what nonsense, this is what the book is about- the relationship between two politicians! It is, but there is so much more for anyone who feels (erroneously or not) as I did at times, to raise this book into the ‘must read’ category. It really is a winner.

Beginning with an author’s note in which Claudia Clark provides a background to why she chose to write on this topic, the book comprises chapters with informative titles; photographs; an Afterword that takes in the change of President and Party in the 2016 American Presidential election; copious and detailed notes and a good index, meeting the necessary academic criteria. However, as academically sound as it is, Clark does not forget that her audience will include those who are intrigued by Merkel and Obama, those who welcome an insight into foreign affairs and relationships between heads of state: an audience who revel in a good read. Clark fulfils these criteria admirably also – Dear Barack is a wonderful amalgam of character portraits; revelation of the value and intricacies of diplomatic understandings; insight into the importance of leadership in difficult political environments, at home and abroad; and accessible lively writing.

Clark is a consummate observer of the relationship between Merkel and Obama from its beginnings in the rejection of Obama’s (possible) desire to speak before the Brandenburg Gate before he became President and the developing friendship following this inauspicious beginning, to his speech there in June 2013, and after. Clark follows the burgeoning relationship between these two events, marking as they do a rejection, and then a wholehearted acceptance of one leader by another, and its reciprocation. Her insight lets the reader into the expansion of the professional and personal relationship during the succeeding years, until the end of Barack Obama’s Presidency, and officially a short time afterwards. She provides useful detail about the way in which what would have been major crises were restrained by the friendship and respect between Obama and Merkel.

Through the relationship between the major characters, at times including commentary on their spouses, officials around them, and other world leaders, Claudia Clark weaves together an engrossing story of political events throughout the period. Dear Barack establishes a surfeit of knowledge that is accessible to readers for whom foreign affairs, diplomatic ties, dealing with trade agreements, incursions into other countries that need to be addressed, refugee crises and policies on monumental issues such as climate change are part of a world that is not always easy to comprehend. At the same time, it adds a dimension to the ‘facts’ that may be well understood and known by experts in the field. This dimension is the purpose of this book, and one that is accomplished with decisive success.

This is a fascinating and historical account of the relationship between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and USA President Barack Obama. The author clearly did her research and documented the historical events alongside the personal relationship between the two leaders. I didn’t know much about Merkel before picking up this book and I really appreciated the biographical and personal information about her. Being an American, I am much more familiar with Obama but I still learned a lot about him as well. It was interesting reading how the relationship between Merkel and Obama started out with much suspicion and trepidation but developed into one of mutual respect and admiration, and even friendship. We could all learn a lot from their relationship, about focusing on the things that bring us together - shared beliefs and ideals - instead of focusing on the things that divide us. Merkel and Obama were able to accomplish great things together, despite their differences politically and personally.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book..