NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Former President will publish a memoir this fall, publisher Little, Brown and Company told The Associated Press.
鈥淧romise Me, America,鈥� which Biden says will touch upon everything from the economy to his decision to drop his bid for reelection, is scheduled to come out Nov. 17.
The timing of the book 鈥� two weeks after midterm elections in which Democrats seek to regain control of Congress 鈥� could raise concerns within his party. Many Democrats remain divided on Biden’s legacy and his ill-fated determination to seek a second term in the White House, and leaders hope to keep the fall campaign focused on the record of Republican President .
鈥�’Promise Me, America’ is about the challenges we faced as a nation. It鈥檚 about the decisions I made and why I made them,鈥� Biden said in a video statement accompanying Wednesday’s announcement. 鈥淢ost of all, it鈥檚 about my faith in the promise of America.鈥�
Reports of Biden’s book have circulated for more than a year, and the former president himself has referred to it during public remarks, appearing to suggest it would be released before November’s election.
Biden, who will turn 84 three days after the publication of 鈥淧romise Me, America,” has long presented himself as an upholder of standards and traditions; presidential memoirs are one of them. With a handful of exceptions, modern presidents since Harry Truman in the 1950s have published books about their White House years. Little, Brown declined to release financial details for 鈥漃romise Me, America,” although presidents have usually reached deals worth at least seven figures.
The book’s title echoes , 鈥淧romise Me, Dad,鈥� which centered on the death of his son, Beau Biden.
Vowing as a candidate to 鈥渞estore the soul鈥� of his country, Biden was in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters seeking to stop his certification as president. Biden’s term was defined by a wide range of conflicts and achievements, from his handling of wars in Ukraine and the Middle East to the passage of ambitious infrastructure and economic aid bills. But many readers will likely want to know more about his health while president, including the disastrous debate in June 2024 against Trump that led to his giving up his reelection bid. Then-Vice President , who ran instead, lost decisively to Trump.
Former first lady wrote in her own book that her husband seemed so weak and disoriented during the debate that she feared he was having a stroke. In 鈥淰iew from the East Wing,鈥� published in June, she noted that the White House had initially said he was suffering from a cold.
鈥淭he biggest lesson for us, I think, was that if you don鈥檛 explain something well enough then the question won鈥檛 go away,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淭here was never a satisfying enough explanation offered for Joe鈥檚 debate performance, and a lot of people never got over it.鈥�
Biden was and his health was a source of speculation for much of his term; Biden and his White House advisers have faced intense criticism from Democrats and Republicans for allegedly concealing the extent of his problems. A notable book release from 2025, Jake Tapper’s and Alex Thompson’s 鈥淥riginal Sin,鈥� was subtitled 鈥淧resident Biden鈥檚 Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.鈥�
That year, Biden announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Biden’s previous books also include 鈥淧romises to Keep,鈥� a campaign work published to boost his run for president in 2008, when was the eventual nominee and Biden his running mate. 鈥漃romise Me, America” comes out during a year when nonfiction sales have declined and few political books have caught on, although recent bestsellers have included and an inside account of Trump’s second term, by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, 鈥淩egime Change.鈥�
A Little, Brown spokesperson said that Biden plans to tour on behalf of the book and give interviews. In his video announcement, Biden said that many people had been asking him how he was doing.
鈥淚鈥檝e been spending a lot of time with my family. I鈥檓 dealing with a cancer diagnosis, been getting treatment, and it鈥檚 going really well,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to thank all those who have offered their prayers and support and well-wishes. It鈥檚 meant the world to me and to Jill.鈥�
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