Madame Secretary
In
this outspoken and much-praised memoir, the highest-ranking woman in
American history shares her remarkable story and provides an insider's
view of world affairs during a period of unprecedented turbulence. A
national bestseller on its first publication in 2003, Madam Secretary
combines warm humor with profound insights and personal testament with
fascinating additions to the historical record.
The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs
“In
this fascinating book, Madeleine Albright weaves together history,
personal experiences, and brilliant analysis in exploring how religion
can be a force for liberty and tolerance rather than oppression and
terror." Walter Isaacson, author of The Code Breaker The New York
Times bestselling author and former secretary of state Madeleine
Albright offers a provocative and very personal look at the role of
religion in America’s foreign policy Traditionally, America’s foreign
policy professionals have sought to downplay the impact of religious
beliefs in international affairs. Reinforced by the constitutional
separation between church and state, policymakers have shied away from
this potentially volatile and divisive issue. In this timely precient
book, one of the most renowned figures in American politic argues that
in today’s climate, a secular approach is no longer sufficient. The 21st
century seems to be devolving into a period of religious war, and in an
era of confrontation between international terrorism and the West, our
political leaders can no longer avoid dealing directly and explicitly
with religious issues. In The Mighty and the Almighty, Madeleine
Albright examines religion and foreign affairs through the lens of U.S.
history as well as her own experience in public office. She offers a
sharp critique of U.S. policy, condemnation for those who exploit
religious fervor for violent ends, and praise for political, cultural,
and spiritual leaders who seek to harness the values of faith to unite
us in these confusing and dangerous times. Illuminating and engrossing,
this is a provocative work calling for leadership that is bold enough to
rein in divisive religious rivalries and lay the groundwork for a new
moral consensus.
Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership
The
next president, whether Democrat or Republican, will face the daunting
task of repairing America's core relationships and tarnished credibility
after the damage caused during the past seven years. In Memo to the
President Elect, former secretary of state and bestselling author
Madeleine Albright offers provocative ideas about how to confront the
striking array of challenges that the next commander-in-chief will face
and how to return America to its rightful role as a source of
inspiration across the globe.
Much more than a set of policy
prescriptions, Secretary Albright's writing blends lessons from the past
with forward-looking suggestions about how to assemble a first-rate
foreign policy team, anticipate the actions of other key countries, make
full use of presidential power without repeating the excesses of the
Bush administration, and revive America's commitment to its founding
ideals.
Albright's advice is candid as conveyed in a confidential
memo and seasoned with humor and stories from her years in office.
Drawing on her extensive experience as an advisor to two presidents and a
key figure in four presidential transitions, she provides an insider's
analysis of U.S. options in addressing the decisive issues of our era:
terrorism, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, rivalries in the Middle East,
the potential for nuclear war, and headaches created by such troublesome
leaders as Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Russia's Vladimir Putin,
Venezuela's Hugo Chávez, and North Korea's Kim Jong-il.
The 2008
election promises to be one of the most dramatic in our nation's
history. Memo to the President Elect offers indispensable guidance for
the next occupant of the White House and a wealth of insights for voters
to think about before deciding who that person will be.
Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948
Before
Madeleine Albright turned twelve, her life was shaken by the Nazi
invasion of Czechoslovakia the country where she was born the Battle of
Britain, the near total destruction of European Jewry, the Allied
victory in World War II, the rise of communism, and the onset of the
Cold War.
Albright's experiences, and those of her family,
provide a lens through which to view the most tumultuous dozen years in
modern history. Drawing on her memory, her parents' written reflections,
interviews with contemporaries, and newly available documents, Albright
recounts a tale that is by turns harrowing and inspiring. Prague Winter
is an exploration of the past with timeless dilemmas in mind and,
simultaneously, a journey with universal lessons that is intensely
personal.
The book takes readers from the Bohemian capital's
thousand-year-old castle to the bomb shelters of London, from the
desolate prison ghetto of Terezín to the highest councils of European
and American government. Albright reflects on her discovery of her
family's Jewish heritage many decades after the war, on her Czech
homeland's tangled history, and on the stark moral choices faced by her
parents and their generation. Often relying on eyewitness descriptions,
she tells the story of how millions of ordinary citizens were ripped
from familiar surroundings and forced into new roles as exiled leaders
and freedom fighters, resistance organizers and collaborators, victims
and killers. These events of enormous complexity are never-the less
shaped by concepts familiar to any growing child: fear, trust,
adaptation, the search for identity, the pressure to conform, the quest
for independence, and the difference between right and wrong.
"No
one who lived through the years of 1937 to 1948," Albright writes, "was
a stranger to profound sadness. Millions of innocents did not survive,
and their deaths must never be forgotten. Today we lack the power to
reclaim lost lives, but we have a duty to learn all that we can about
what happened and why."
At once a deeply personal memoir and an
incisive work of history, Prague Winter serves as a guide to the future
through the lessons of the past as seen through the eyes of one of the
international community's most respected and fascinating figures.
Hell and Other Destinations: A 21st Century Memoir
In
this revealing, funny, and inspiring memoir, seven-time New York Times
bestselling author and former Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright among the world’s most admired and tireless public
servants reflects on the challenge of continuing one’s career far beyond
the normal age of retirement.
In 2001, when Madeleine Albright
was leaving office as America’s first female secretary of state,
interviewers asked her how she wished to be remembered. “I don’t want to
be remembered,” she answered. “I am still here and have much more I
intend to do. As difficult as it might seem, I want every stage of my
life to be more exciting than the last.”
In that time of
transition, the former Secretary considered the possibilities: she could
write, teach, travel, give speeches, start a business, fight for
democracy, help to empower women, campaign for favored political
candidates, spend more time with her grandchildren. Instead of choosing
one or two, she decided to do it all. For nearly twenty years, Albright
has been in constant motion, navigating half a dozen professions,
clashing with presidents and prime ministers, learning every day.
Hell
and Other Destinations reveals this Albright at her bluntest, funniest,
most intimate, and most serious. It is the tale of our times anchored
in lessons for all time, narrated by an extraordinary woman with a
matchless zest for life.
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