Before the historic presidential election of 2008, LIFE Books published a best-selling volume entitled The American Journey of Barack Obama. In researching that book, the editors came to be deeply impressed not only by the exotic story of the candidate himself but also by the life and personality of the woman who would, if Obama were to prevail, enter the White House at his side. Michelle Robinson, the daughter of a Chicago municipal worker-and, in fact, a woman with slavery represented in her family tree-had risen to be educated in the Ivy League and was already embarked upon a successful legal career back in theWindy City before she ever met Barack Obama.Once she did, these two bright, charismatic young people influenced each other and rose together in Chicago politics. The rest, as they say, is history.

As the nation came to know Michelle Obama, the nation fell for her-and for Malia and Sasha as well (plus now, of course, Bo). The same has happened on the world stage, where it has been observed that Michelle, with her vivacity and sense of style, has sometimes eclipsed her husband in the way that Jackie Kennedy outshone JFK back in the early 1960s.

Meantime, Michelle has been out and about in Washington, working at the food bank, tending the garden, shepherding the kids. That, too, is part of the story-and all of it is here, in words and vibrant pictures, in LIFE's Michelle Obama: A Portrait of the First Lady. This is Michelle's story, from her girlhood to her current crucial role. It is not the story of the President's wife. It is the complete, illustrated biography of one of the most intriguing and captivating women in America....

With the passing of Edward Moore Kennedy on August 25, 2009, a climactic chapter in a thunderous American political saga came to an end, a chapter that featured the very greatest triumphs and the darkest tragedies. In this commemorative book, the Kennedys' remarkable story is retold-the clan's rise from the grinding poverty of America's immigrant stock to the highest reaches of power and influence. With the driven patriarch Joe piloting the political machine, the second son of the Kennedy's greatest generation, Jack, achieved the unthinkable and became the nation's first Catholic president. The came Bobby and Ted-cultural icons as much as legislators, each of the men instantly knowable by his first name-and the Kennedy's epic extended, with ever more glory and ever more sorrow.

In this new book from the editors of LIFE, the constant drama of the Kennedy tale are captured in a riveting narrative and characteristically stunning photography, much of which first appeared in the pages of the renowned magazine. The great moments on the public stage are here, as are intimate photographs of warm family gatherings on Cape Cod and at Hickory Hill. In LIFE The Kennedys, which gives a complete account starting with the desperate 19th century flight from the famine in Ireland through the late senator's recent funeral, all the characters come to life-the legendary politician called Honey Fitz; the ruthless Joe; the matriarch Rose; the charismatic Joe Jr., killed in World War II; the famous trio of brothers; their remarkable sisters, including the heroic Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who died just before her younger brother in August; the next generation-John Jr., Caroline, Bobby Jr. and their many kin-who have also experienced life's joy and pain.

The Kennedys have legions of Americans who are devoted to them and their legacy, and, yes, they have their detractors. But one point is inarguable: In the history of our country, there has never been a family like them. Their story is truly Shakespearean.

In these pages, that story comes vibrantly to life....

The editors at LIFE vigorously carry on the traditions of excellence in photography, in journalism, and in telling the story of our country and our world which began with LIFE magazine in 1936 by founding editor and publisher, Henry R. Luce. They have published books on a broad range of subjects, including New York Times bestsellers One Nation, LIFE Picture Puzzle and The American Journey of Barack Obama ....