Madeleine K. Albright (1937–2022)

If you are interested in the history of Czechoslovakia during WWII, this is an interesting account. While the book is more history than memoir, Madeleine Albright also relates what she knows of her family's story during those times. It's very depressing. Most interesting were the questions raised about how and why certain decisions were made by governments (and the importance of leader's personalities as they related to other leaders) and ordinary individuals when put in seemingly no-win situations.… (más)

Signed copy.
“Jewelry isn’t ordinarily a tool of political persuasion, but in this beautiful book, Madeleine Albright, American ambassador to the United Nations and then the nation’s first female secretary of state, tells the compelling story of how these small objects became part of her ‘personal diplomatic arsenal.’” — The Chicago Tribune

From New York Times bestselling author and former secretary of state Madeleine Albright, Read My Pins is a story and celebration of how one woman’s jewelry collection was used to make diplomatic history.

Part illustrated memoir, part social history, Read My Pins provides an intimate look at Albright's life through the brooches she wore. Her collection is both international and democratic—dime-store pins share pride of place with designer creations and family heirlooms. Included are the antique eagle purchased to celebrate Albright's appointment as secretary of state, the zebra pin she wore when meeting Nelson Mandela, and the Valentine's Day heart forged by Albright's five-year-old daughter. Read My Pins features more than 200 photographs, along with compelling and often humorous stories about jewelry, global politics, and the life of one of America's most accomplished and fascinating diplomats.… (más)