NEW YORK, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Newsweek is releasing four biographies on the presidential and vice presidential candidates for distribution exclusively on the Amazon Kindle, Amazon's portable reader that wirelessly downloads books, blogs, magazines and newspapers in less than 60 seconds to a crisp, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper (http://amazon.com/kindle). Culled from the best of Newsweek's up-close coverage of these two historic tickets, "Mr. Cool," "Mr. Hot," "The Insider," and "The Outsider" tell the stories of Barack Obama, John McCain, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin. Available at $9.99 beginning today for pre-order and Wednesday, October 15 for immediate delivery, this exclusive Kindle collection represents a groundbreaking collaboration for both Newsweek and Amazon.com.

The book-length biographies contain archived reporting and commentary from Newsweek's coverage of the candidates from the magazine's award-winning political correspondents Evan Thomas, Jon Meacham, Howard Fineman, George Will, Anna Quindlen, Eleanor Clift, Richard Wolffe, Jonathan Darman, Holly Bailey and others. Each biography takes readers through the lives of the candidates, from their personal beginnings to their political breakthroughs.

Newsweek is the first periodical to publish a collection of coverage as an e-book on Kindle. Kindle offers a unique platform optimized for books with topical immediacy, and with historic public interest in these four candidates, Newsweek's "Up-Close" biographies are books truly of the moment.

"We have reported deeply and written searchingly about these candidates, and the Kindle platform has created the opportunity to give readers something with the breadth of a political biography, but with digital immediacy," said Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham. "This is a vote for the kind of content we produce well, and which means so much to readers."

"With Newsweek's one-of-a-kind, timely biographies -- Mr. Cool, Mr. Hot, The Insider, and The Outsider -- Kindle customers are just a click and 60 seconds away from some of the most thought-provoking and informative perspectives on what may prove to be the most important election of our time," said Ian Freed, Vice President, Amazon Kindle.

About Newsweek:

Founded in 1933, Newsweek provides comprehensive coverage of national and international affairs, business, society, science and technology, and arts and entertainment. Headquartered in New York, Newsweek has 20 bureaus located in the U.S. and around the globe. In addition to its U.S. edition, Newsweek publishes three English-language editions overseas and is the only news magazine with eight weekly local-language editions-in Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Polish, Arabic Chinese and Russian. Newsweek's worldwide circulation is nearly 3.0 million, garnering a total readership of more than 20 million. The magazine appears in more than 190 countries. Newsweek holds more National Magazine Awards, given by the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME), than any other newsweekly. Newsweek is also on the World Wide Web at www.Newsweek.com.

Amazon Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, significant amount of indebtedness, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, and subsequent filings.

SOURCE Newsweek