Angela Merkel: Europe's Most Influential Leader

“Angela Merkel has been Chancellor of Germany for the past 11 years; arguably, she remains the most powerful political leader in Europe. Yet most Americans are unfamiliar with her personal or political life, so this first English-language biography can help alleviate that shortcoming. A well-written and informative tribute to an extraordinary political leader.” (Booklist)

“Qvortrup’s writing comes alive when recounting political machinations...The reader leaves the book with plenty of facts about Merkel’s life and possessing a better understanding of recent German politics.” (Publishers Weekly)

“In Angela Merkel, Matthew Qvortrup masterfully weaves together the key episodes of this turbulent life and most unlikely political career, and provides compelling evidence that there is no better way toward a deeper understanding of the present than revisiting the past.” (Professor Ludger Helms, University of Innsbruck; author of Presidents, Prime Ministers and Chancellors)

“In a world full of disappointing national leaders, Matt Qvortrup provides us with an insightful, revealing, vivid reading of a leading woman who tops them all.” (Amitai Etzioni, author of The Active Society)

“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.” (Arend Lijphart, Research Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of California, San Diego)

About the Author
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.