Joe Biden and Barack Obama were a study in sharply contrasting styles. That they came to form a dynamic professional partnership and close personal relationship is remarkable in so many ways.

Wary of each other at first—Obama, a young freshman disdainful of the Senate’s plodding ways; Biden, a veteran of the chamber and proud of its traditions–they came together as a united front in the White House. Beginning in 2008, Obama and Biden were a team as they  moved the country through two terms filled with a range of historic moments: a devastating economic crisis, racial confrontations, war in Afghanistan, and the dawn of same-sex marriage nationwide. Biden remade the role of vice president into that of chief adviser to the president, and Obama came to respect and rely on Biden’s expertise in foreign affairs and legislative matters.

Author Steve Levingston explores the evolution of this relationship in his new book, Barack and Joe: The Making of an Extraordinary Partnership. Working from original interviews, media reports, memoirs and other sources, he offers a new look at the Obama presidency and its legacy.

Copies of Barack and Joe (Hachette Books) are available for purchase and signing.