Joe Biden to release memoir 'Promise Me, America' on November 17, after US midterms

Former US President Joe Biden will publish a new memoir titled "Promise Me, America" on November 17, two weeks after the country's midterm elections, publisher Little, Brown and Company confirmed on Wednesday. The book is expected to cover Biden's time in office, from the economy to his decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race.

In a video statement announcing the book, Biden said it was about the challenges the country faced and the decisions he made and why. He also addressed his health directly, saying he has been undergoing treatment for a cancer diagnosis and that it has been going well.

Timing raises questions within his own party

The release date has already drawn scrutiny. Coming out just after the midterms, when Democrats are trying to retake control of Congress, the book could put Biden back in the spotlight at a moment when party leaders reportedly want the campaign focused squarely on President Donald Trump's record rather than Biden's legacy.

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Biden and his 2024 campaign have faced sustained criticism from within his own party over his decision to seek a second term despite visible age and health concerns, criticism that intensified after his widely scrutinised debate performance against Trump in June 2024.

A fourth book, and an echo of his last one

The book's title echoes Biden's 2017 memoir "Promise Me, Dad", which centred on the death of his son, Beau Biden. It will be his fourth book overall, following "Promises to Keep" in 2008. Little, Brown has not disclosed financial terms, though presidential memoirs typically command seven-figure deals. Biden, who turns 84 three days after the book's release, is expected to tour in support of it and give interviews.

The announcement comes in a year when nonfiction book sales have broadly slowed, with few political titles breaking through commercially, notable exceptions this year being JD Vance's "Communion" and Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan's "Regime Change".