The Center Holds

A narrative thriller about the battle royale surrounding Barack Obama's quest for a second term amid widespread joblessness and one of the most poisonous political climates in American history.

In this sequel to his bestselling The Promise, Jonathan Alter digs into the back story of the campaign and Obama's performance as president. This will be the most penetrating account of how Obama won or lost the election and how he confronted the implacable forces arrayed against him—a sluggish economy, vicious partisan opposition, his own failures as a politician and communicator.

The book will bring to life today's climactic clash over the fate of the middle class and the future of the American Dream. On the ground and in the air, the 2012 election pits Obama's still-formidable citizens' army versus Mitt Romney's Super PAC moneyed elite.

Alter takes readers deep inside Obama's Chicago headquarters and Romney's Boston-based campaign, as the candidates battle over jobs, their records, and who is more out of touch.

Alter explains why the 2012 election will be long remembered as a pivotal contest. At stake, he writes, is not just the presidency but the role of government and our definition of what we owe each other.

Obama has always believed he could hit the three-point shot at the buzzer. Alter takes us on the court with the president as he tries to nail the last big shot of his political career.