Angela Merkel: Europe's Most Influential Leader [Expanded and Updated Edition] - Tapa blanda

'In a world full of disappointing national leaders, Matt Qvortrup provides us with an insightful, revealing, vivid reading of a leading woman who tops them all' -- Amitai Etzioni, author of The Active Society 'Qvortrup masterfully weaves together the key episodes of this turbulent life and most unlikely political career, and provides compelling evidence that there is no better way toward a deeper understanding of the present than revisiting the past' -- Professor Ludger Helms, University of Innsbruck and author of Presidents, Prime Ministers and Chancellors 'Written in a lively and engaging style, Angela Merkel is a joy to read. It is an extraordinary and incisive book, which gives us a unique insight into the life and times of the woman who almost single-handedly transformed the politics of her country and of the world' -- Arend Lijphart, Research Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of California, San Diego 'A sympathetic, engaging and informative political biography of one of Europe's foremost contemporary leaders. Qvortrup's highly readable prose leads one on a dramatic, whirlwind tour of a history that is still unfolding before us' -- Aviel Roshwald, Professor Department of History, Georgetown University 'Provides insight and clarity... This eye-opening biography, drawing from rich behind-the-scenes knowledge, is necessary reading for anyone who wants to broaden his or her perspective on the world today' * Kirkus starred review * 'Qvortrup's portrait is affectionate and detailed' * Herald Scotland * 'An excellent book... from leader of Germany to leader of Europe, to leader of the west, a clear picture of Merkel emerges' -- Simon Kuper * Financial Times * 'Qvortrup's biography reads like an Icelandic saga... a complex life, full of little and greater mysteries' * The Times * 'An absorbing, wide-ranging and detailed account of European power struggles over the last 50 years' * Marxist Review *

The illuminating and in-depth biography of Angela Merkel, using exclusive new sources and research to tell how the daughter of a clergyman from East Germany rose to become one of the most powerful women in the world. This is the fascinating tale of Angela Merkel's political ascent, in which she outmaneuvered her male colleagues and made Germany the strongest economy in Europe. With the storytelling gifts of a novelist, as well as nuanced political expertise garnered from over a decade of experience as an academic and journalist, Matthew Qvortrup gives readers unprecedented, personal insight into Frau Merkel's upbringing under communism, describing how the Secret Police tried to recruit her as a spy, how she lived as a squatter in Berlin, and how she went from distributing leaflets to sitting at the Cabinet table in Helmut Kohl's government in less than a year. This is the story told for the first time in English of how Merkel and her staff of mostly female advisors repeatedly outsmarted the old boys network of conservative male politicians in Germany, turning her country into a more liberal and more prosperous place. Angela Merkel Europe's Most Influential Leader combines the narrative of Merkel's life with a vivid account of German history from 1945 to the present day, featuring cameo appearances by Willy Brandt, Konrad Adenauer, and Helmut Kohl. At a time when Merkel is the chief representative of the West in the negotiations with Putin over the Ukraine, she is also the woman who holds the keys to British membership of the EU. Anyone interested in our time, in the politics of today, should read this lively account of the woman with a doctorate in quantum physics who has become the undisputed queen of Europe.