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    My Life in Politics
    My Life in Politics
    My Life in Politics
    Audiobook15 hours

    My Life in Politics

    Written by Jacques Chirac

    Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Two-time president of France, mayor of Paris, and international politician, Jacques Chirac stands with Mikhail Gorbachev, Helmut Kohl, and Margaret Thatcher as one of the most iconic statesmen of the twentieth century.

    In this revealing and informative memoir, Chirac looks back at his 50 years in politics, giving us both an intimate window onto the challenges of leadership and a broad reference for much of our recent history. A protégé of both General Charles de Gaulle and President Georges Pompidou, Chirac enjoyed a meteoric rise that earned him the nickname “bulldozer.” He was at the center of some of the twentieth century’s most significant events, serving as confidante to Yasser Arafat during the Camp David peace talks, as well as being France’s point person in the early planning stages for what became the European Union. Here he discusses his relationship with Saddam Hussein and other Arab leaders and takes us through the toughest challenge that he faced as president - standing up to George W. Bush in the run-up to the Iraq War and then deciding to keep France’s army out of the military conflict.

    As much a tour of the historic events that defined the twentieth century as an intelligent and philosophical meditation on the nature and purpose of power, My Life in Politics shows us global politics from an original viewpoint, forcing us to reconsider our own perspective. With his singular brio, surprising candor, and lively wit, Jacques Chirac gives us a revealing look at the political forces that shaped the world we live in today - as well as an inside look at a perennially fascinating country.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    TranslatorCatherine Spencer
    Release dateNov 13, 2012
    ISBN9781469220055
    Author

    Jacques Chirac

    Jacques Chirac is a lifelong French politician and one of the most charismatic figures of twentieth century politics. He was president of France from 1995 to 2007. He also served as Prime Minister of France twice in the 1970s and 1980s, and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995. He is best known for being one of the most prominent international opponents of the Bush administration's intention to go to war in Iraq. He also worked to abate nuclear armament, banning the further continuation of nuclear tests in France.

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    Reviews for My Life in Politics

    3.5/5

    34 ratings16 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This book gave me a better understanding of the machinations of French politics. If you like politics and the human drama involved, I can unreservedly recommend this book.

      Jacques Chirac set a goal at a young age to get to the top of French politics. After over 4 decades of trying he finally achieved his goal. Like his friend Bill Clinton of the USA, these were extremely talented politicians who knew and understood human behavior and could influence others. But like his friend Clinton, not much seems to have come of this talent. Outside of his opposition to the terrible George Bush Iraq war, all I see are small scale achievements that any other president could have easily achieved. From that standpoint, his career is a little disappointing. What a shame that you spend a lifetime chasing an office and don't do anything transformative with the power you have sought all of your life.
    • 4/5
      This memoir starts slowly and was very hard for me to get into. The early chapters are very short and impersonal; Chirac throws out fact after fact with a brief and trite opinion about the obvious correctness, morally or politically, of his own position, as if he is just offering sound bites to the media. This opening section smacks of a ghost-writer and does little to draw the reader in, and if you are not up on your French politics, the lack of contextualisation may leave you frustrated.However, the tone of the book changes entirely when Chirac begins describing his presidency. Historical events are fleshed out in thorough detail, personal reflections become more intimate, and the entire scope of Chirac's beliefs and actions gets grounded in the broader schema of France's national identity and history. The foreign reader begins to get a sense of the character not just of this leader, but of his people and their shared ideals, as much a real and living being as any American dream. I wish the whole book had read so pleasantly, but I'm ultimately glad that this finds a place on my shelf, as it illuminates another perspective on the recent history I thought I knew.
    • 3/5
      Jacques Chirac served 12 years as the President of France, from 1995 to 2007. Chirac has led a long and colorful life as one of the world's leading political figures.As such, his memoirs make for a fascinating and politically enlightening read, giving great insight into France's political scene over the past 15-20 years, behind the scenes as well as the resulting public decisions. The beginning section, in which Chirac spoke about his family, and his service in Algeria, was particularly interesting, and seemed to give the closest view of him as a person, separate from his public life.The book is perhaps more formal in tone than many political biographies that Americans are used to, but is no less worthy for it. It would be well worth a read for anyone who is seriously interested in politics or recent European history.
    • 4/5
      Jacques Chirac was President of France, 1995-2007. This is an engaging story of his rise in politics, spending time as Prime Minister and as Mayor of Paris before rising to the top. He had a strong relationship with Tony Blair, Prime Minister of Britain, and rather liked Bill Clinton, U.S. President. His views of President George Bush were very reserved, as he was distressed of Bush's decision not to follow the Kyoto protocols and the decision to invade Iraq.Chirac served as Prime Minister under Giscard d'Estaing, and was a non-Gaulist trying to bring a forward-looking but more conservative view to government. He was there for only two years, before becoming Mayor of Paris, a basically re-established office so that the city would have a buffer from an overarching national government. Being mayor was not really a prime focus of Chirac, despite being in this office for 18 years.In 2007, French voters elected Nicolas Sarkozy, another center-right politician but not necessariy well liked by Chirac. He did set up a foundation to help do thos things dear to his heart, international "development, conflict prevention, the preservation of languages and cultures, and defense of the environment." (Page336).
    • 4/5
      Although in a political memoir the author, of course, gives his side of the story,Jacques Chirac's memoir is well worth reading. He began as a young officer in the very difficult Algerian War in the 1950s. He worked his way up to the French cabinet under Pompidou, to become prime minister, mayor of Paris, and, at last, President of the Republic. He was a strong supporter of both European integration and a major role for France in world affairs, especially in the Middle East. He is proud of trying to help the "socially excluded" while at the same time keeping France fiscally strong. He seems to have got along better with the Socialist President Francois Mitterand than with the president from his own party Valery Giscard d'Estaing. While his concerns and aspirations are usually of the loftiest sort, he allows himself to note that when Chirac and wife visited Giscard and wife at the home of the latter, Giscard and wife sat in armchairs while the Chiracs had to sit in chairs without arms. Anyone who has read the Duc de Saint Simon's memoir of the 17th century court of Louis XIV has read similar complaints. Chirac, despite being a Gaullist, was concerned both about the less fortunate and about members of cultures which many French view with condescention. He had a passion for primitive art and for recognizing the less heroic aspects of recent French history. His own story by a humaine, judicious, and rational man.
    • 3/5
      Mr Chirac provides a unique look into the politics of France over the past half-century. At times a bit difficult to follow the timing of subsequent events, he covers the events preceding his presidency and in the second half of the book he covers his major events of the precedence. Agree or disagree, he provides additional insight into why France, and Europe, are in the condition they are. His likes, and dislikes of the people he associated with during his climb to the top, and while as president of France, are evident. All in all, an interesting read about the political machinations of a major force in recent French history.
    • 2/5
      Like many memoirs written by political figures it features a glossing over of the bad times, mistakes made, and a glorification of the past. This one is no exception. It is generally a glowing picture of a political figure who spent all his working life in politics. Just your run of the mill memoir.
    • 3/5
      Chirac’s autobiography was an Early Reviewer choice. Autobiography is always of interest to me. This particular volume ended up being of interest due to the glimpse into French politics more than Chirac’s personal reflections. Chirac’s reflections appeared to be more a defense, than an illumination, of the motives behind decisions of state. As an American who is often proud of our country yet frustrated with our political machine, I was highly curious about the ministry and party system differences between our countries. It is well written, readable and informative; however, you do not feel that you understand Chirac, the man, any better as a result of the time devoted.
    • 3/5
      For a politician's memoirs, "My Life In Politics" is a rather thin volume -- 334 pages of text in my paperback edition. Unfortunately, its content is almost as meagre. The title is appropriate, as Chirac discusses almost none of his personal life; the narrative is concerned primarilly with his political career as a cabinet minister, prime minister, and president of France. While his observations on other world leaders is interesting, there is not a great amount of self-observation, of introspection. It is likewise easy to glean whom Chirac admires (and doesn't) among his contemporaries within France; no need to guess. Having relatives who are French ciizens, "My Life In Politics" made for an interesting read; some episodes from post-WW2 Frenc h history and politics I was familar with, and could compare my relatives' viewpoints, opinions, and perspectives with those of M. Chirac. Others were completely new to me, and thus gained new awareness. M.Chirac's political memoirs may seem meagre compared to, say, President Clinton's encyclopedic recollections, but it has been an intriguing read all the same. But for one who served as mayor of Paris for almost 2 decades (1977-95), as PM of France for over 4 years (1974-76 and 1986-88), and as President of the Republic for over a decade (1995-2007), one would have assumed -- and wished! -- that M. Chirac had had a bit more to say.
    • 3/5
      I spent a summer in France in 1979 and studied French, so I thought I had an interest in this book, but I found it to be too involved in the politics of the last 25 years to truly follow. I simply did not know enough about France to be thoroughly interested in this book. It seemed to be well written and well translated into English. Chirac's life covers enough time in recent history to make a good read, but most of it is from his entry into politics through present day. Someone truly interested in the man, the nation, it's politics would enjoy this book.
    • 4/5
      I don't know that much about recent European history so I can't judge the depth or spin that former French President Jacques Chirac puts on events in his memoirs.If a reader can get over the somewhat dry writing style, this is an informative book. Of particular interest to me were the discussions of Chirac's relations with foreign leaders, particularly American presidents, as well as the inner workings, behind-the-scenes type stuff involving French government. This concept of cohabitation is quite interesting for instance. It sounds like it involves the two heads of the French executive, president and prime minister, being of two different parties.Anyway, Chirac has led an interesting life dating back to his political days in the 1960s with Georges Pompidou and Charles DeGaulle and his being up for election without even knowing it. After government ministry work, Chirac also served as mayor of Paris for years, as well as prime minister, and eventually president.
    • 4/5
      I received a copy of this book as an Early Reviewer.M. Chirac has enjoyed a long and rewarding career in French politics. Over the course of 40 years he served twice as Prime Minister, Mayor of Paris, and finally as President of France for 12 years.His memoirs follow the traditional chronological model of starting with childhood and moving on to an account of his career, ending with leaving office. In M. Chirac's case, the story takes on its most interesting account beginning when he is elected president. Prior to that, it was not as interesting for me as a casual reader and not well informed about French politics. What was interesting in the pre-presidential days was M. Chirac's close relationships with such people as General de Gaulle and Presidents Pompidou and Mitterrand, even though the latter was a political enemy. President d'Estaing's petty behaviour towards M. Chirac is humourous in hindsight. During his presidency M. Chirac was of course active in foreign affairs on behalf of France, notably the Syrian occupation of Lebanon and leading the opposition to the US invasion of Iraq. It is noteworthy how accurate he was about the outcome of the invasion: his warning to President Bush at a private meeting (reported at page 261) came true. He explains away the charges against him over campaign financing during his tenure as Mayor of Paris, by saying there were no clear rules at the time and he operated as did everyone else. Reviewing a politician's memoirs actually produces a review of the person and his achievements. I agree with other reviewers that M. Chirac comes across as "likeable, unpretentious and intelligent". In the final analysis however, he seems to have beeen more of a manager than a leader. He was a good president, but not a great one.On a technical level, I found the translation convoluted at times, with some really long sentences. That may be a function of the original text although I would think between a translator and an editor, it could have been smoothed out. I noted some factual/editing errors, e.g. there is a reference to the 80th anniversary of the 1916 Battle of Verdun in 2006, when it was actually the 90th anniversary.All in all, it's an interesting account of President Chirac's career and I came away better appreciating his role in international affairs, particularly in Europe and the Middle East.
    • 3/5
      Jacques Chirac served 12 years as the President of France, from 1995 to 2007. Chirac has led a long and colorful life as one of the world's leading political figures.As such, his memoirs make for a fascinating and politically enlightening read, giving great insight into France's political scene over the past 15-20 years, behind the scenes as well as the resulting public decisions. The beginning section, in which Chirac spoke about his family, and his service in Algeria, was particularly interesting, and seemed to give the closest view of him as a person, separate from his public life.The book is perhaps more formal in tone than many political biographies that Americans are used to, but is no less worthy for it. It would be well worth a read for anyone who is seriously interested in politics or recent European history.
    • 5/5
      I must admit that prior to reading this book I had always taken French politics as it is caricatured in the media at face value. I viewed it as radicalized and removed from common sense to a certain extent. But Chirac has now altered a lot of my perceptions and presumptions.Chirac's lengthy and accomplished career, which spanned from General de Gaulle's time to just a few years ago and which he describes at length here, are a testament to his persistence and political acumen, first and foremost. His evolving views of the role of government and their applications at various times show the acute incision of an active mind. Chirac displays a willingness and ability to delve deep into questions of human nature which, I suspect and fear, increasingly few politicians are able to do.Some of the more interesting episodes involve his interactions with Valery Giscard D'Estaing as a leader of the opposition to his presidency and as mayor of Paris. Chirac pursues a case study of a man whose leadership consisted of following what he perceived as the course of action which failed to alienate the most people but who refused to listen to the advice of his ministry for the implementation of effective policy and whose character led him at times to sadistically gloat in his social superiority to others. While some of Chirac's motivations might be questioned, I find him rather credible in his accounts of this man's behavior, much as I find him credible in his accounts of his deep respect for, amid strong disagreements with, the Socialist Francois Mitterand. I do not see him as having a particular axe to grind.My next step, after reading this, which I did not have on my list of things to get to before, is to read a biography of General de Gaulle. And that alone tells you that I've drawn inspiration and meaning from Chirac's account of his experiences as the leader of what remained of de Gaulle's policies after the end of the de Gaulle and Pompidou administrations.
    • 4/5
      It is likely that there will be some readers in North America who will find a large portion of this book to be tedious and rather boring (admittedly I found myself skimming over sections of the text, especially during the first half of the book) because the events narrated within the first half of this book do no pertain to issues dealt with in North America. As a sign of our ignorance, we read "foreign" biographies and political memoirs in an attempt to comprehend familiar issues from a different perspective, and thus, any concept or idea that doesn't correlate to our own political structuring or beliefs we simply disregard as unimportant or uninteresting. Jacques Chirac's "My Life in Politics" is a candid memoir from France's former President that looks at the ideals and beliefs of the man who held power from 1995 until 2007. Chirac’s assertive and forceful persona shines through and it is evident why he was chosen by the people of France to lead their nation for 12 years as President. He is open about his thoughts on his political opponents and his views on world leaders and he doesn't shy away from acknowledging both the highs and lows he endured throughout his political career. As stated above, much of the issues that Chirac focuses on, especially in the first half of the book will likely hold the interests of those who have a personal interest or connection to France and its government and politics. For those who are unfamiliar with French political history, the narration of Chirac's rise to power as Mayor and Prime Minister of France can at times be dry and somewhat dull; many of the individuals Chirac speaks of in the first part of the book will likely be people Americans and Canadians have never before heard of. Yet this isn't to say that this book should be disregarded by North Americans or those unversed in France's political history. Even through translation, Chirac is able to weave his personal history with his firmly held views into a memoir that is blunt, honest, and open and he conveys to the reader a sense of full disclosure on his part. Given the secrecy that many of our own political leaders have when confronted with tough questions, it is refreshing to see a political leader like Jacques Chirac be candid and open about his time spent leading the country of France.For those who wish to read a revealing, no holds barred memoir from a government leader who dedicated his life to serving his country, Jacques Chirac's "My Life in Politics" is a good choice. Despite the sometimes difficult task of connecting to some of the issues and concepts discussed, especially for those unfamiliar with French politics, this book does provide an excellent example of a governmental leader who devoted his career to serving the people of France through diligence, determination, and dedication towards his fellow countrymen.4/5
    • 5/5
      As a person who has very passively followed the politics of France over the past fifty years, this book was exceedingly enlightening and educational. The book could have been titled The History of French Politics from 1960 to 2007,( a period of almost fifty years) Although written from the Gaullest point of view, I confess agreeing with Chirac on almost all issues. This is not the first book Chirac has written. He wrote at least one other during an election campaign. Having written about his life earlier and having Jean-Luc Barre helping him write the book in French, and then translated into English by C. Spencer, the book reads like a novel. For such a complicated story, it is very well written and re-written. The personal touches are very interesting: His relationship with his wife Bernadette- She helped him in college to get better grades than she. His relationship with his daughters and Claude helping in his office as a modern advisor. The little side notes like Pompidou telling him, "you're next". His honest reporting of the strained relations between he and Giscard d'Estaing and Pompidou.. His relationship with the stand offish de Gaulle--are all most interesting. In his last 12 years as President the book reads like a who's Who of World Politics. After all he was a world leader. He was the first leader to visit Bush after 9/11.He is not ashamed to discuss his relationship with the hated Iraq president and France's need for oil. It was a most interesting and enlightening book and very well written. This review should not be interpreted as a critique of a political analyst, but that of a relatively unknowledgable citizen of the USA.