Kathrine Frich
On social media, the former president shared a personal note about his recovery.
When a major new book hits the shelves, the author usually spends weeks traveling from studio to studio to promote it.
For one high-profile political figure, though, that traditional media tour is going to look very different.
A personal health battle is now forcing a sudden change of plans just days before launch.
A candid health update
According to the Irish Star, former US President Joe Biden is scaling back promotional appearances for his upcoming memoir, “Promise Me, America,” as he deals with the effects of aggressive prostate cancer.
After doctors diagnosed the illness in May 2025, Biden went through hormone therapy and finished a round of radiation treatment in October 2025, the outlet reported. On social media, the former president shared a personal note about his recovery.
“While writing the book, I was diagnosed with cancer, a disease known all too well to millions of Americans and their families. My doctors continue to be encouraged by how I’ve responded to treatment. And the prayers and kind words and well wishes from so many of you have meant more to me and Jill and our family than you can ever know,” Biden wrote on social media, as quoted by the Irish Star.
Still, the physical toll is real.
“Some days are better than others. It hasn’t stopped me. But sometimes it slows me down. What that means is, unfortunately, I won’t be able to do as many conversations about my book as I’d hoped. However, I’m hopeful the words on the page speak for themselves,” he added in his post.
Party nerves and tradition
Published by Little, Brown and Company, the book arrives on November 17, just two weeks after Democrats won back control of Congress in the midterm elections, the Irish Star noted. That timing could make some party members nervous by pulling Biden back into the media glare.
According to the Irish Star, Democrats are still split over Biden’s record, as many blame his push for a second term for helping Republican President Donald Trump return to the White House.
In a video message released with Wednesday’s announcement, Biden addressed those exact debates.
“‘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 in the video, according to the report. “It’s about why I chose to run for reelection and why I chose to step aside.”
Turning 84 just three days after the release, Biden joins a long line of commanders-in-chief since Harry Truman in the 1950s who have penned White House books.
According to the publisher, a “small editorial team” helped him write the memoir, though Little, Brown kept the financial terms private for a deal that typically brings former presidents millions.
