The Chancellor

The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel

By Kati Marton
The “captivating” (The New York Times), definitive biography of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, detailing the extraordinary rise and political brilliance of the most powerful—and elusive—woman in the world.
Learn More

Hardcover

LIST PRICE $30.00

PRICE MAY VARY BY RETAILER

Get 20% off with code JUNE20 plus free shipping on orders of $40 or more. Discount on physical products only. Terms apply.

Buy from Other Retailers

A Conversation with Kati Marton about Angela Merkel

History in Five: What drew you to write about Angela Merkel?
Kati Marton: Her remarkable generosity and humanitarian spirit in allowing a million, mostly Middle Eastern refugees to enter Germany in 2015 – while most Western nations were erecting barriers to keep them out intrigued me. I wanted to know who this rather plain, seemingly uncharismatic woman was and how she rose to become German’s first woman chancellor, and hold on to her office for 16 years. Frankly, I had never written a biography of a woman and she struck me as the most interesting and least known woman on the world stage. It turned out to be the most challenging and exciting project of my writing life.
 
Hin5: Merkel is extremely private. In writing this book, what was it like to capture Merkel’s public and private lives side by side for the first time?
KM: It was excruciating hard work to penetrate her iron façade. Through patience, and time consuming interviews with friends, classmates, teachers, fellow heads of state and her closest advisers over the course of four years of research, I think a fully fleshed out portrait of a complex woman emerges.
 
Hin5: Germany is now a reflection of Angela Merkel: stable, civil and moderate. How did Merkel transform the former Third Reich into the world’s moral center?
KM: She achieved this dramatic transformation partly by example of her own behavior, her basic decency,  her modest life style, and in never letting Germans forget the debt they owed the world for the Holocaust. In fact, she made Israel and Israel’s security one of the pillars of German existence. Her generosity toward refugees, as well as an absolutely scandal free reign, were more powerful than speeches could ever be.
 
Hin5: During her time as Chancellor, Merkel successfully negotiated with politicians like Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. What will readers learn about diplomacy from her example?
KM: Her example of successful diplomacy should be studied by any aspiring politicians or really anyone interested in leadership – political, corporate, or other. Through patience, through an absolute mastery of facts, and stamina (she was usually the last one to leave the negotiating table), she was usually rewarded for her dogged effort.  Moreover, by not taking credit for her personal achievements, she achieved a great deal. Hers is an ego-free style of leadership from which we can all learn. Her ultimate goal is to prevent the use of arms as a means to solve problems.
 
Hin5: Unlike her predecessors, Angela Merkel leaves the chancellery at the height of her stature and popularity. How do you think her legacy will influence future German chancellors?
KM: I would hope that future chancellors and leaders worldwide will carefully study how she achieved her stature, her longevity, and her remarkable popularity until her very last day in office. Her brand of tolerance, moderation, and anti-nationalist decency is virtually unique and needs to be widely imitated if we are to survive the present tumultuous era.
 
Hin5: In her time in office, how did Merkel redefine the image of a woman leader? What do you think her example will mean for future female leaders?
KM: Angela Merkel has quite simply transformed the image of how a woman leader behaves, appears, and is perceived, and made gender almost a non-issue in her leadership style. She surrounded herself with powerful women – her closest aides were women - and made it acceptable for women to reach for the highest positions of power more by her example than with rhetoric. Angela Merkel has permanently put to rest any question people might still have had about a woman’s ability to lead.
 
Hin5: What would you like readers to take away from The Chancellor?
KM: At a time when there are so few role models on the world stage, I would like readers to be inspired by this remarkable life story. Through handwork, fierce determination, and a great deal of sympathy for the neediest even beyond her own borders, Angela Merkel has transformed her own country and has shown the way for the rest of us in troubled times.  She demonstrated that you can be a successful deal maker without abandoning your core values.
BACK TO TOP