Treads back along the trail of horrendous tragedies, dashed hopes and dramatic implosions that preceded Biden's improbable third run at the presidency . . . It is impossible to come away from Osnos's biography without a sense of awe at what Biden has overcome to arrive at this point . . . Osnos has written a fast-paced biography that draws on extensive interviews with his subject, as well as with Obama and a host of Democratic party heavyweights

Guardian

There's just something about Joe, as this short biography from New Yorker writer Evan Osnos illustrates. At 77, Biden has overcome unimaginable tribulation, multiple presidential primary humiliations, a potentially crippling speech impediment and his own mediocrity. Now he carries the hopes of billions upon his shoulders . . . Eloquent and well-informed

Sunday Times

What kind of president would Biden make? Osnos, who has been writing about Biden for years for the New Yorker, believes he could be more radical in office than people who have tracked his career might believe . . . [A] beautifully written short volume

Financial Times

Reveals Biden's flaws but also the compassion and courage needed to start America's healing process

Observer

Beautifully written . . . A light, enjoyable read . . . Osnos gives you a taste of what could be to come under a Biden presidency … He has a delightful turn of phrase

Telegraph

A timely and stylish work at a key juncture in US history . . . This book tries to get behind Joe Biden the person to analyse Joe Biden the politician . . . [It] is strongest on Biden's relationship with Obama, where the author draws on interviews he conducted with both men when they were in the White House . . . As Osnos moves to Biden's most recent political chapter, his analysis of how a Biden presidency might work is fascinating . . . Osnos's fluid style, access to Biden, and insightful analysis makes it a worthwhile and eminently readable portrait

Irish Times