Jacques Chirac

Two-time president of France, mayor of Paris, and international politician, Jacques Chirac stands with Mikhail Gorbachev, Helmut Kohl, and Margaret Thatcher as one of the most iconic statesmen of the twentieth century. In this memoir, Chirac looks back at his 50 years in politics, giving us both an intimate window onto the challenges of leadership and a broad reference for much of our recent history. A protégé of both Charles de Gaulle and Georges Pompidou, Chirac was at the center of some of the twentieth century's most significant events, serving as confidante to Yasser Arafat during the Camp David peace talks, as well as being France's point person in the early planning stages for the European Union. He discusses his relationship with Saddam Hussein and other Arab leaders and takes us through his toughest challenge--standing up to George W. Bush in the run-up to the Iraq War. As much a tour of the historic events that defined the twentieth century as an intelligent and philosophical meditation on the nature and purpose of power, My Life in Politics shows us global politics from an original viewpoint.--From publisher description.