What books does Joe Biden recommend?
Poetry, more than policy, defines the book recommendations of Joe Biden. The 46th President of the United States, who spent 36 years in the Senate and served as Vice President before the White House, has repeatedly returned to two works of verse, quoting them from public podiums. The touchstone is Seamus Heaney's The Cure at Troy, source of the lines he made a signature: "once in a lifetime / The longed-for tidal wave / Of justice can rise up, / And hope and history rhyme." The second is The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats, and Biden makes no secret of his fondness for Irish verse: "My colleagues always kid me about quoting Irish poets all the time... I do it because they're the best poets." Together they form a small, deeply personal literary canon.
Last updated February 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
The Cure at Troy: A Version of Sophocles' Philoctetes
A Version of Sophocles' Philoctetes
bySeamus Heaney
199096 Pages“History says, don't hope / On this side of the grave. / But then, once in a lifetime / The longed-for tidal wave / Of justice can rise up, / And hope and history rhyme.”
— Joe Biden
Source: 2020 Democratic National Convention Acceptance Speech
The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats
Definitive Edition
byW. B. Yeats
1996544 Pages“My colleagues always kid me about quoting Irish poets all the time. They think I do it because I'm Irish. I do it because they're the best poets.”
— Joe Biden
Source: Remarks at the 2022 Kennedy Center Honorees Reception
Also recommends books in
Frequently asked questions
What books does Joe Biden recommend?
Joe Biden has repeatedly quoted two works of poetry: Seamus Heaney's The Cure at Troy: A Version of Sophocles' Philoctetes and The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats.
What is Joe Biden's favorite book?
Seamus Heaney's The Cure at Troy is his most-quoted. From it he draws the lines he returns to often: "once in a lifetime / The longed-for tidal wave / Of justice can rise up, / And hope and history rhyme."
Where do Joe Biden's book recommendations come from?
Both surface in his public remarks — The Cure at Troy in his 2020 Democratic National Convention acceptance speech, and Yeats in remarks at the 2022 Kennedy Center Honorees Reception.
Why does Joe Biden quote Irish poets?
By his own account, for their quality rather than his heritage: "My colleagues always kid me about quoting Irish poets all the time. They think I do it because I'm Irish. I do it because they're the best poets."
Has Joe Biden written any books?
Yes. He is the author of Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics (2007) and Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose (2017), a memoir centered on his son Beau.