The Chancellor

‘[Marton] has recruited a formidable cast of talking heads … and obtained a remarkable degree of access to the chancellor’s inner circle’ The Times ‘One of the best and most readable text books we have about this “indispensable European” … a fascinating portrait of a powerful woman’ Literary Review ‘A masterpiece of discernment and insight’ New York Times ‘A riveting story, adroitly told, full of engrossing anecdotes and rich details’ Los Angeles Review of Books ‘This is the best English-language biography of her rise from a tough and traditional family, through her career as a physical chemist in communist East Germany, to her current renown’ Foreign Affairs ‘It’s instructive to spend time in Merkel’s competent and humane company … [Marton] has doggedly retraced Merkel’s trail, and the story she brings is a good one’ New York Times ‘Fascinating. For anyone who thinks they know a lot about Angela Merkel; for anyone who knows nothing about Angela Merkel – pick up this book and do not put it down until the very last page’ New York Journal of Books ‘With her signature superpowers of rigorous research and unparalleled empathy, Marton brings us deep into the private sphere of Angela Merkel’ Eliza Griswold ‘A compelling and memorable portrait … Angela Merkel’s life is a testament to the power of commitment, diligence, and the possibilities of politics … Tells that story with insight and grace’ JON MEACHAM ‘An intimate, insightful portrait of an extraordinarily private leader, who, in her quiet and determined way, made Germany the economic and moral leader of Europe’ WALTER ISAACSON ‘It’s a thrilling tale, skillfully told, and a reminder of the role of fate and timing in leadership’ JONATHAN ALTER ‘Definitive and brilliantly written, I discovered again in reading it how astonishing Merkel’s life and career have been – and how eventful the period’ VOLKER SCHLÖNDORFF