Biden to Publish "Promise Me, America" Memoir Nov 17, Just After Midterms, Covering Decision to Exit Race

NEW YORK — Former President Joe Biden will publish a memoir this fall titled "Promise Me, America," publisher Little, Brown and Company confirmed Wednesday, with the book set to address topics ranging from the U.S. economy to his decision to abandon his 2024 reelection campaign.

The memoir is scheduled for release on November 17, roughly two weeks after the November midterm elections, in which Democrats will seek to regain control of Congress. That timing could raise concerns within Biden's own party, as many Democratic leaders remain divided over his legacy and hope to keep the fall campaign focused squarely on President Donald Trump's record rather than on Biden's own polarizing tenure.

Biden Describes the Book's Focus

Biden addressed the memoir's content directly in a video statement accompanying Wednesday's announcement.

"'Promise Me, America' is about the challenges we faced as a nation. It's about the decisions I made and why I made them," Biden said. "Most of all, it's about my faith in the promise of America."

In the same video, Biden elaborated further on the specific topics the book will cover, describing it as an account of "the challenges we have faced as a nation, about the decisions I made, why I made them. Leading the country through Covid, rebuilding our economy and restoring our democracy after the attack on January 6. Ending our nation's longest war in Afghanistan, strengthening NATO and supporting Ukraine. It's about why I chose to run for president and why I chose to step aside."

According to publisher Little, Brown, the memoir will reveal for the first time "the deeply agonizing calculation" behind Biden's decision in the summer of 2024 to step aside from the presidential race, a choice the publisher described as putting his party and the nation before his own personal ambitions.

A Presidency Defined by Crisis and Consequential Decisions

Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on January 20, 2021, just two weeks after a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol carried out by Trump supporters attempting to stop certification of the 2020 election results. He inherited a nation grappling with a mismanaged and politicized global pandemic, rising unemployment, deteriorating infrastructure, and some of the deepest economic and political divisions the country had seen in generations.

His presidency went on to encompass a wide range of major events and policy achievements, from his administration's handling of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East to the passage of ambitious infrastructure and economic aid legislation. The memoir's title echoes Biden's 2017 book, "Promise Me, Dad," which centered on the death of his son, Beau Biden.

Health Concerns Loom Over the Book's Reception

Despite the broad scope of topics the memoir is expected to cover, many readers are likely to focus particular attention on questions surrounding Biden's health during his time in office. Biden was the oldest person to ever serve as U.S. president, and speculation about his health persisted throughout much of his term, culminating in intense criticism from both Democrats and Republicans over allegations that he and his White House advisers concealed the true extent of his health issues from the public.

That scrutiny intensified significantly following Biden's widely panned debate performance against Trump in June 2024, a moment many political observers credit as the turning point that ultimately led to his decision to abandon his reelection bid. A prominent book on the topic released in 2025, journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's "Original Sin," carried the subtitle "President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again."

Biden Addresses His Cancer Diagnosis

In his video announcement, Biden also directly addressed his current health status, referencing a cancer diagnosis he received last year.

"I've been spending a lot of time with my family. I'm dealing with a cancer diagnosis, been getting treatment, and it's going really well," Biden said. "I want to thank all those who have offered their prayers and support and well-wishes. It's meant the world to me and to Jill."

Biden will turn 84 just three days after the memoir's publication date.

A Long Tradition of Presidential Memoirs

With a handful of exceptions, modern U.S. presidents dating back to Harry Truman in the 1950s have published memoirs recounting their time in the White House, and Biden has long positioned himself as someone who upholds such institutional traditions. Little, Brown declined to disclose specific financial details of the deal for "Promise Me, America," though presidential memoirs have typically commanded advances of at least seven figures in recent decades.

The book marks Biden's third major published work, following his earlier campaign-oriented book "Promises to Keep," published in 2008 during his eventual selection as Barack Obama's running mate, and "Promise Me, Dad" in 2017.

Publishing Rights and Release Details

Joe Zigmond, publishing director at John Murray, has acquired the book's UK and Commonwealth publishing rights, with John Murray set to publish the memoir simultaneously alongside Little, Brown on November 17. A spokesperson for Little, Brown confirmed that Biden plans to embark on a promotional tour in support of the book and will give interviews tied to its release.

A Challenging Market for Political Books

The memoir arrives during a year in which overall nonfiction book sales have declined, and relatively few political titles have managed to break through commercially. Notable exceptions this year have included Vice President JD Vance's memoir "Communion," along with "Regime Change," an inside account of Trump's second term written by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan.

Reports of Biden's planned memoir had circulated for more than a year prior to Wednesday's formal announcement, with Biden himself previously referencing the project during public remarks in ways that had suggested it might be released before the 2026 midterm elections rather than after them. Whether the post-election timing helps insulate the fall campaign from renewed scrutiny of Biden's presidency, or instead reignites internal Democratic debate over his legacy just as voters head to the polls, remains to be seen as the November release date approaches.