First published 2024
Angela Merkel opens her memoir by examining the question that shaped her entire life: what does freedom mean? From her early years in East Germany until 1990, through the reunification and her rise within the CDU, she traces her unlikely path from eastern outsider to Germany's first female chancellor. Merkel takes readers inside the Chancellor's office during her sixteen years in power, revealing the intense days and nights when she made crucial decisions in Berlin, Brussels, and beyond. She shows how personal conversations between world leaders can matter enormously, while also acknowledging their limitations. The former chancellor explores the mounting pressures politicians face when solving complex problems in our interconnected world. She examines how international cooperation has shifted over time and reflects on the conditions necessary for effective political action during an era of growing confrontation. Her account provides an insider's view of power dynamics while making a strong case for democratic freedoms and the rule of law.
Genres: biography, political-science, autobiography, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: insider-perspective, personal-journey
Setting: Berlin, Brussels, East Germany
Period: 1990, 21st-century
709 pages · Hardcover · Macmillan