Promises to Keep

President-elect Joe Biden tells the story of his extraordinary life and career prior to his emergence as Barack Obama's beloved, influential vice president.

"I remain captivated by the possibilities of politics and public service. In fact, I believe that my chosen profession is a noble calling." - Joe Biden

Joe Biden has both witnessed and participated in a momentous epoch of American history. In Promises to Keep, he reveals what these experiences taught him about himself, his colleagues, and the institutions of government.

With his customary honesty and wit, Biden movingly and eloquently recounts growing up in a staunchly Catholic multigenerational household in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware; overcoming personal tragedy, life-threatening illness, and career setbacks; his relationships with presidents, world leaders, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle; and his leadership of powerful Senate committees.

Through these and other recollections, Biden shows us how the guiding principles he learned early in life—to work to make people's lives better; to honour family and faith; to value persistence, candour, and honesty—are the foundation on which he has based his life's work as a husband, father, and public servant.

Promises to Keep is an intimate series of reflections from a politician who surmounted numerous challenges to become one of America's most effective leaders and who refuses to be cynical about politics. It is also a stirring testament to the promise of the United States.

"A compelling personal story." - The New York Times

"Moving ... Biden's response to tragedy and near death is both admirable and likeable." - Salon

"A ripping good read ... Biden is a master storyteller and has stories worth telling." - The Christian Science Monitor