The Secretaryis the first book of its kind: A foreign correspondent and author with both an insider and a global perspective, Ghattas had unparalleled access to Clinton and her entourage for four years. She draws on extensive interviews with Clinton, administration officials, and other players around Washington and overseas to paint an intimate portrait of one of the most powerful global politicians in the world.
Populated by a cast of real-life characters, The Secretarytells the story of Hillary Clinton as America's envoy to the world in compelling detail: from the first days of the Obama administration, to the drama of Wikileaks and the "Arab Spring" uprisings. Through Ghattas' eyes, we see Clinton under the intense professional spotlight of high stake diplomacy but also in the softer lighting of the more personal nuances of foreign relations - cheerfully boarding her plane at 3 AM after no sleep, or cajoling foreign ministers to keep the coalition together during the war in Libya, all the while trying to restore American leadership.
Viewed through Ghattas' vantage point as a half-Dutch, half-Lebanese citizen who grew up in the crossfire of the Lebanon civil war, the book offers a close-up of diplomacy at the highest level while seeking to answer pivotal questions about the United States. Is America still the global superpower? If not, who or what will replace it, and what will it mean for America and the world?