The Education of an Idealist

The Education of an Idealist
Samantha Power

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER ‘Samantha Power is a Pulitzer winner, an incredible writer, and a great friend. Her memoir grapples with the balance between idealism, pragmatism, advocacy, and governancy. It’s a must read for anyone who cares about our role in a changing world. ’ Barack Obama What can one person do? At a time of division and upheaval, Samantha Power offers an urgent response to this question – and calls for a clearer eye, a kinder heart, and a more open and civil hand in our politics and daily lives. The Education of an Idealist combines gripping storytelling, vivid character portraits and deep political insight, tracing Power’s journey from Irish immigrant to war correspondent and presidential Cabinet official. In 2005, her critiques of US foreign policy caught the eye of newly elected Senator Barack Obama, who invited her to work with him on Capitol Hill and then on his presidential campaign. After Obama was elected president, Power went from being an activist outsider to a government insider, navigating the halls of power while trying to put her ideals into practice. She served for four years as Obama’s human rights adviser, and in 2013 took one of the world’s most powerful diplomatic positions, becoming the youngest ever US Ambassador to the United Nations. A Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, Power transports us from her early years in Dublin to the streets of war-torn Bosnia into the White House Situation Room and the arena of high-stakes diplomacy. The Education of an Idealist lays bare the searing battles and defining moments of her life and shows how she juggled the demands of a 24/7 national security job with the challenge of raising two young children. Along the way, she illuminates the intricacies of politics and geopolitics, and reminds that in the face of great challenges there is always something each of us can do to advance the cause of human dignity.  Honest, inspiring and evocatively written, Power’s memoir is an unforgettable account of the world-changing power of idealism – and of one person’s fierce determination to make a difference.

THE EDUCATION OF AN IDEALIST

Samantha Power

Copyright (#ulink_9e47bb40-6359-5723-82e5-d8b2677289ad)

William Collins

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

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www.williamcollinsbooks.com (http://www.williamcollinsbooks.com)

This eBook first published in Great Britain by William Collins in 2019

Copyright © Samantha Power 2019

Cover photograph by Geoffrey W. King

Samantha Power asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

The opinions and characterizations in this book are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the US government.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins

Source ISBN: 9780008274900

Ebook Edition © August 2019 ISBN: 9780008274931

Version: 2019-08-28

Dedication (#ulink_33dce28b-319f-578f-9b30-f6fd7ea0fcbb)

For Cass, Declan, and Rían

CONTENTS

Cover (#ub95d0d4e-b70b-5fad-8ef0-3da3c3fc3aea)

Title Page (#uc6bf0b3e-02cb-522e-b7ff-0b8264d1ce06)

Copyright (#u66e84d10-1e38-55b7-990b-b28304da269a)

Dedication (#u8cc17484-9ca7-5cfe-a341-e45065efb14a)

Preface (#uf28f710b-d478-5035-9b33-0e723db8b125)

PART ONE (#ub156aa29-b66c-5c85-a3b7-ba73c1981e96)

1. Ireland (#uc22bb802-58ea-5270-9d8e-f99c0c04e2ae)

2. America (#ufc702379-5746-5896-a655-615a378024b7)

3. Loss (#u18e28999-b283-536c-b222-8f6230180804)

4. Dignity (#u7a87e1b9-558c-564a-a217-307bc3ceb5fd)

5. Tank Man (#ub3cdc604-1c26-5dc7-8f9c-7ab01fe2293c)

6. Doers (#ubf4ae9c2-f730-5948-97b4-57580ef49aff)

7. Risk (#u18c4facb-e436-5d1c-920f-2ba64e3932eb)

8. Hearts of Darkness (#u5eb2fd22-d98e-5004-a845-a21ead1e20d3)

9. “Tell Clinton” (#ud269d0a1-acb5-5ddc-964b-ad79e27211e2)

10. The Secret to a Long Life (#u94c1657c-a2cf-572f-9c23-1dbede18bd33)

11. “Go Remember” (#u80770e93-66cb-58b1-a9dc-5a82b9d0b02f)

12. “A Problem from Hell” (#u3b3043ab-742d-51d9-8c81-dffc2fcbca0f)

13. Upstanders (#u5d518733-e970-57ad-86c8-689ea792539f)

14. Going to Washington (#litres_trial_promo)

15. The Bat Cave (#litres_trial_promo)

16. Yes We Can (#litres_trial_promo)

17. Monster (#litres_trial_promo)

18. Victory (#litres_trial_promo)

PART TWO (#litres_trial_promo)

19. No Manual (#litres_trial_promo)

20. Can We Go Home Now? (#litres_trial_promo)