Angela Merkel: Europe's Most Influential Leader : Europe's Most Influential Leader

The illuminating and in-depth biography of Angela Merkel, using exclusive new sources and research to tell how the daughter of a clergyman from East Germany rose to become one of the most powerful women in the world.

Angela Merkel is an extraordinary woman: born a pastor's daughter, she earned a doctorate in Quantum Chemistry and, despite having no political experience, succeeded in becoming the first female German Chancellor. She has transformed German and European politics; her achievements at home and abroad have seen her top Forbes Most Powerful Women list ten times; and she is still going strong after more than a decade in office. Her trajectory is fascinating and impressive but how has she done it? What drives her?

Understanding Merkel is essential for anyone interested in current affairs in particular now, with Brexit on the horizon. Matthew Qvortrup's Angela Merkel: Europe's Most Influential Leader is the story of a truly remarkable personality, based on more than a decade's worth of study and original archival research. It explores the cultural, historical and political influences that shaped Merkel's life and character, and combines the narrative of her life with a lively account of the history of Germany from 1945 to the present day.

Praise for Angela Merkel: Europe s Most Influential Leader

'Qvortrup's useful biography reads sometimes like an Icelandic saga' Times

'Qvortrup's portrait is affectionate and detailed' Herald Scotland

'An absorbing, wide-ranging and detailed account of European power struggles over the last 50 years' Marxist Review

'Provides insight and clarity... This eye-opening biography, drawing from rich behind-the-scenes knowledge, is necessary reading for anyone who wants to broaden his or her perspective on the world today' Kirkus starred review

'A sympathetic, engaging and informative political biography of one of Europe's foremost contemporary leaders. Qvortrup's highly readable prose leads one on a dramatic, whirlwind tour of a history that is still unfolding before us' Aviel Roshwald, Professor Department of History, Georgetown University

'Written in a lively and engaging style, Angela Merkel is a joy to read. It is an extraordinary and incisive book, which gives us a unique insight into the life and times of the woman who almost single-handedly transformed the politics of her country and of the world'

Matthew Qvortrup is currently professor of political science at Coventry University’s Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations. Previously, he was academic director in the Department of Security and Management at Cranfield University. He was educated at Oxford and the University of Copenhagen and has written for Bloomberg Businessweek, The Sun, The Scotsman, and The Times. He also appears as a regular commentator for the BBC, on both radio and television.