Madeleine Albright

In 1997, Madeleine Korbel Albright made history when she became the highest-ranking female government official in U.S. history, an extraordinary achievement made all the more remarkable given that she arrived in the United States as an eleven-year-old refugee. After four years as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and four more years as Secretary of State in the Clinton administration, Albright has firmly established herself as a formidable presence on the international stage. Born in Czechoslovakia, Albright and her family escaped to the United States after being forced to flee her homeland twice -- first from Hitler and the Nazis and then from the Communists. Through sheer hard work and determination, Albright managed to break down barriers to the traditionally male-dominated world of foreign policy, becoming one of the country's foremost experts on global affairs. Famous for her signature one-liners, sense of humor, and characteristic bluntness, Albright has become one of the most popular, albeit controversial, diplomats of the modern era. Book jacket.Acker, Kerry is the author of 'Madeleine Albright', published 2004 under ISBN 9780791079980 and ISBN 0791079988.