DNF @ 61%
I was a bit worried when the book started off with scant details and little access to the famously private Merkel. Knowing nearly nothing about Germany or Merkel meant that even if details were sparse, a book length treatment would have plenty to offer.
After briefly describing Merkel’s rise, Marton focuses on her foreign policy; here the author lost me. I realized that I had already sampled more contextual accounts of the same interactions from the other side of the table, be it from Putin , Obama, or other European leaders perspectives. Instead of detail or access, Marton fills in the blanks with assertions of the correctness of Merkel’s policies.
This might be the best book we have right now on the amazing character that is Angela Merkel, and it’ll take years for somebody to write a proper biography. That’s fine, when such a biography comes out, I’ll be here for it.