The Education of an Idealist

Samantha Power

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Hardback

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English

William Collins
24 September 2019

Memoirs; Diplomacy; Human rights

‘Her highly personal and reflective memoir … is a must-read for anyone who cares about our role in a changing world’ Barack Obama

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR

AN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR

A TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR

What can one person do?

At a time of division and upheaval, Samantha Power offers an urgent response to this question – and calls for a clearer eye, a kinder heart, and a more open and civil hand in our politics and daily lives.

The Education of an Idealist combines gripping storytelling, vivid character portraits and deep political insight, tracing Power’s journey from Irish immigrant to war correspondent and presidential Cabinet official. In 2005, her critiques of US foreign policy caught the eye of newly elected Senator Barack Obama, who invited her to work with him on Capitol Hill and then on his presidential campaign. After Obama was elected president, Power went from being an activist outsider to a government insider, navigating the halls of power while trying to put her ideals into practice. She served for four years as Obama’s human rights adviser, and in 2013 took one of the world’s most powerful diplomatic positions, becoming the youngest ever US Ambassador to the United Nations.

A Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, Power transports us from her early years in Dublin to the streets of war-torn Bosnia into the White House Situation Room and the arena of high-stakes diplomacy. The Education of an Idealist lays bare the searing battles and defining moments of her life and shows how she juggled the demands of a 24/7 national security job with the challenge of raising two young children. Along the way, she illuminates the intricacies of politics and geopolitics, and reminds that in the face of great challenges there is always something each of us can do to advance the cause of human dignity. Honest, inspiring and evocatively written, Power’s memoir is an unforgettable account of the world-changing power of idealism – and of one person’s fierce determination to make a difference.

By: Samantha Power
Imprint: William Collins
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 240mm, Width: 159mm, Spine: 42mm
Weight: 970g
ISBN: 9780008274900
ISBN 10: 0008274908
Pages: 592
Publication Date: 24 September 2019
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Samantha Power founded the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University, and is now a faculty affiliate. From 1993 to 1996 she covered the wars in Yugoslavia as a reporter for US News and the Economist. A native of Ireland, she moved to the US in 1979 at the age of nine, and graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School.

Reviews for The Education of an Idealist

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AN IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2019 AN ECONOMIST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019 A TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019 'Her highly personal and reflective memoir ... is a must-read for anyone who cares about our role in a changing world.' Barack Obama 'Samantha Power's book is honest, personal, revealing. It is about the development of a young woman's inner strength and self-knowledge. But it is also a political book, alert to both the power of political will and its limitations.' Colm Toibin 'It's a profound, heart wrenching, uplifting, and emotional journey through her life and what she's seen; starting in her youth in Ireland, and taking us through places like Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda, Sudan, and eventually the White House ... All while navigating war zones and political culture as a woman and eventually a mother.' Sophia Bush 'An unusually engaging political memoir...Power is an excellent storyteller, with a deft touch with anecdotes and a nice sense of humour.' Times Literary Supplement 'Refreshingly frank and self-deprecating ... An energizing reminder that conscience has a place in the process of shaping foreign policy.' TIME Magazine 'Uniquely personal and absorbing ... A riveting fly-on-the wall insight.' Irish Times 'A wonderful book ... The interweaving of Power's personal story, family story, diplomatic history and moral arguments is executed seamlessly - and with unblinking honesty.' New York Times Book Review 'Engaging ... Power's memoir is an insider's account of foreign-policy-making, and an intensely personal one.' Economist 'Power is a master storyteller' Independent (Ireland) 'Lively ... And strikingly personal ...[Power] writes vividly and lucidly here about her turn in the international spotlight.' Vogue