Autobiography: historical, political and military Books

Book SynopsisFor more than thirty years, Giora Even-Epstein flew fighters for the Israel Air Force, achieving recognition as a highly skilled military aviator and the highest-scoring jet-mounted ace with the most number of confirmed victories in the French Mirage. Having overcome numerous hurdles just to learn how to fly, he went on to compile a record of Arab MiGs and Sukhoi kills that bettered any other combat aviators’ tally in the entire world. This fast-moving autobiography details his experiences particularly in the intense conflicts of 1967, the Six Day War, and 1973, the Yom Kippur War. The reader shares the cockpit with him as he describes every action he undertook with 101 and 105 Squadron, including the greatest jet-versus-jet air battle in history with four MiG-21 kills in one engagement. His final score was seventeen aerial victories. After his last battle he became commander of the First Jet Squadron, 117, began civilian flying, retrained to command 254 MMR Squadron in the 1982 Lebanon War, and flew the F-16 at the age of fifty before retirement. Along the way he met numerous fighter pilot legends such as Douglas Bader, Al Deere, Pierre Clostermann and Randy Cunningham. Affable and enthusiastic, Giora gained the nickname ‘Hawkeye’ because of his amazing vision of more than 20/15, enabling him to pick out enemy aircraft long before his squadron mates. His story is of one man’s unfaltering dedication to his dreams and his country. As the leading jet ace it is one well worth telling and, critically, it can be told in his own words.Trade Review“It is the quite fascinating tale of an outstanding airman…his story is so gripping as it takes so many twists and turns along the way to his eventual well-deserved retirement” * Aeromodeller *“Thoroughly engrossing book – well illustrated with personal photographs” * Flypast *“As a former fighter pilot and air attaché to Israel, I had high hopes for this book, and it did not disappoint.” -- Marshall Michel * Aviation Historian *

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Book SynopsisAfter being called up for National Service in July 1960, twenty-year-old Chas Hall joined the RAF and signed on to extend his time for an extra three years becoming a regular serviceman. Following initial training, he became a wireless operator and served at RAF Mildenhall. It was shortly after this that he got his first foreign posting in late 1961 to Christmas Island. It was on this island, that Chas encountered the horrors of nuclear testing. In an operation codenamed ‘Brigadoon’ by the British government and ‘Dominic’ by the Americans, Chas experienced 25 atmospheric nuclear tests. This he describes as his ‘12-month sentence’ alongside over 300 British and 10,000 American servicemen who were posted to one corner of a remote coral island. Facing Armageddon reveals the true extent of the controversial nuclear testing and how it affected servicemen; with 25 men dying during Chas’s time on Christmas Island and many more suffering mentally as they continued serving on the island. With the British government announcing medals for nuclear test veterans in November 2022 to recognise their contribution in the tests after a four-year campaign by participants and The Mirror newspaper, Chas’s story gives insight to why these servicemen deserve the recognition for their part in these tests. This book will contain a number of unpublished photos from the author’s personal collection and is an essential piece of work in understanding the tough conditions servicemen faced during their time on Christmas Island.

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Book Synopsis'Dawn Butler is a history-making, game-changing, ceiling-smashing politician.This powerful book offers a fascinating insight into both the personal and political sides of her journey.'Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London'When I was younger my parents taught me to be resilient and my brothers told me to be resistant, and now I think it's time for a revolution. Let's complete the power of three.'As the third Black woman ever to be elected as an MP, and the first elected African-Caribbean woman to become a Government Minister, Dawn Butler is a true pioneer. Famously ejected from the House of Commons for calling Boris Johnson a liar, her tireless campaigning to eradicate injustice - from the NHS to the Metropolitan Police - has changed lives. Until now, she's never talked openly about what has inspired and motivated her to persevere in the face of oppression.Drawing on lessons from her own life, Dawn shows how traditional routes to power are outdated and reveals that it's easier than we think to disrupt a broken system. From her early life to the Palace of Westminster, she shares the values, people, places and beliefs that have helped her to forge her own authentic path to power.Now she is on a mission to give others the courage and conviction to dream big and make positive change, even when everything feels broken around us.Trade ReviewA funny, lively authorial voice. There are truths here that indisputably needed telling, and an irrepressibly bouncy confidence that inspires. An unexpectedly warm and uplifting read -- Gaby Hinsliff * The Observer *Dawn Butler is a history-making, game-changing, ceiling-smashing politician whose passionate campaigning has transformed the lives of thousands. As the first Black woman to speak at the despatch box in Parliament, Dawn has inspired many others to blaze their own paths. This warm, witty and powerful book offers a fascinating insight into both the personal and political sides of her journey. * Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London *Dawn's story is testimony to her extraordinary abundance of bravery and commitment to seeking and telling the truth in every circumstance.She constantly fills those around her with hope and encouragement. I am continually inspired by Dawn's positivity and dedication to lifting her community with boldness and unwavering honesty. * Emeli Sandé *Dawn Butler writes like she lives: direct, clear, engaged, empathic, funny, principled, outspoken. She is an inspiration: her book is a triumph. * Gary Younge, author of Dispatches from the Diaspora *Dawn Butler's book is a testament to her strength and resilience. A rallying cry to rise above adversity and embrace your innate power, it's a source of inspiration and a call to action for people from all walks of life. * Kanya King, CEO & Founder of the MOBO Awards *Dawn Butler is a trailblazing politician who leads by example: the woman who first christened Boris Johnson a liar whilst others stood back, a great ally to the LGBTQIA community, and she puts that capital D into Diversity, this book is a must-read and will be an inspiration to so many. * Linda Riley, Publisher and Editor of Diva magazine *The Labour movement is where working class people do extraordinary things. None more so than Dawn, whose incredible journey is testimony to the power of solidarity in transforming lives. She has never forgotten where she comes from. * Gary Smith, General Secretary, GMB *Dawn Butler's story is one worthy of telling. How a child of the Windrush generation in a life of activism in the Trade Union movement and the wider community became an MP and Britain's first elected Black woman minister. Her courageous battle against cancer adds to a story marked by a determination to overcome all obstacles. This book deserves to be read. * The Rt Hon. the Lord Boateng CVO DL, Britain's first Black Cabinet Minister *

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Book SynopsisIn this heartfelt memoir, spanning the 1950s and '60s, Major Margaret Thomas ARRC rises through the ranks of the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (the QAs), the nursing branch of the British Army, healing injured soldiers far from home as well as educating and recruiting sisters back in Britain.

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Book SynopsisMacLellan’s reminiscences were first recorded in Gaelic in the early 1960s, and later transcribed and translated by John Lorne Campbell into this outstanding English language autobiography. Written in an unusual yet captivating prose style, this is a life story in the oral tradition. Born in 1869 into a poverty-stricken crofting community on South Uist, Angus MacLellan spent his childhood and youth with his family before travelling to the island to find work first in the militia and then on the farms of the mainland. His travels came to an end when he returned to assist, and eventually to succeed his parents on their croft on South Uist in 1900.

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Book SynopsisLieutenant-Colonel (Retd) Diane Allen had 30 years' experience in the British Army. She was one of the first women at Sandhurst. Sandhurst was so unprepared there were no boots small enough for women and no beds for them (a recurrent theme). She served in Northern Ireland and Germany in the regular army, then 25 years in the reserves, alongside a career in the public and private sector. She moved through the ranks into more senior military leadership, creating new intelligence units. But with each success she achieved, resistance from those in charge increased. In November 2018, Diane was awarded the OBE for services to military intelligence. But by November 2019, she had started a messy divorce with the Army. She isn't leaving voluntarily - she has been pushed out. This is her account of her time in the army; the comical, the tragic, the painful and the honest story of a woman for whom the Army will always be her true family.

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Book SynopsisMany a loft is full of family memorabilia, but Bryony Hill’s collection is extraordinary. Packed to the rafters with photographs and historical documents, Bryony Hill has finally achieved her dream of studying those precious albums to reveal a record of her British family who left the Highlands for India during the reign of George III, continuing through to the reign of Queen Victoria, the high noon of the Raj. In Scotland to Shalimar – a Family’s Life in India you’ll find family portraits dating back to the 18th century, her ancestor’s watercolour images and precious sketches that mingle amongst favourite family recipes, stories of courage, riddles and rhymes – all collected through the generations. This well-researched, fascinating book creates a vivid and unique portrait of life at different stages in the ever-fascinating history of the British and their on-going relationship with India.Trade Review‘This is a charming book, which captures a side of our history seldom remembered; stoicism and invention in India before the dawn of the Raj, delight in the flowers and landscape, filling time during long days in a foreign land newly under British rule, and a sense of cheerful duty when confronted with the unexpected…Completely enchanting’; Joanna Lumley OBE FRGS

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Book SynopsisWhen the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the forces of resistance were disparate and divided mujahideen groups, as interested in fighting each other and competing for Western arms as opposing the Russians. The exception was Ahmed Shah Massoud, the military strategist and political operator who solidified the resistance and undermined the Russian occupation by leading its members to a series of defensive victories. Sandy Gall was embedded with Massoud during Soviet offences and reported on the war in Afghanistan for a number of years. He has now written an illuminating biography of this charismatic guerrilla commander, which contains excerpts from the surviving volumes of Massoud's diaries. Massoud's prolific diary-keeping was little known during his lifetime, and his entries detail crucial moments in his life and throw fascinating light on his struggles, both in the resistance and in his personal life. Born into an ostensibly liberalising Afghanistan in the 1960s, Massoud ardently opposed communism and Mohammed Daoud, Afghanistan's puppet leader. He quickly rose to prominence and distinguished himself by coordinating the defence of the Panjshir Valley against repeated Soviet offensives. As the occupation wore on, Massoud became the resistance's unifying force. Massoud's assassination in 2001 presaged the attack on the Twin Towers just two days later and it is widely believed to have been ordered by Osama bin Laden. Forever the underdog in a life dominated by conflict, Massoud's attempts to build political consensus in Afghanistan were ultimately frustrated. Despite that, he is recognised today as a national hero.Trade Review"Afghan Napoleon offers an overdue portrait of one of the most remarkable figures of the twentieth century. Napoleon tried to conquer the world; Massoud by contrast fought the world-scale Soviet empire to a stand still on behalf of his people from a tiny valley in Afghanistan. In this book we see, not just the daily nuts and bolts of his military genius but catch glimpses of the social graces and the warmth that made this man so beloved among his followers." -- Tamim Ansary, author of The Invention of Yesterday: A 50,000-Year History of Human Culture, Conflict, and Connection ; "The unputdownable story of an authentic Afghan hero by one of the greatest chroniclers of modern Afghanistan's travails, and occasional triumphs." -- Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, former British Ambassador to Afghanistan, and British Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan; "I can think of no one better than the legendary foreign correspondent Sandy Gall to tell the compelling story of Ahmad Shah Massoud's extraordinary life and death. . . . Gall weaves analysis, first-hand reporting and primary sources into a brilliant and important book." -- Jeremy Bowen ; "Ahmad Shah Massoud was one of the greatest military commanders of the 20th century and was instrumental in forcing the Soviets to retreat from Afghanistan in 1989. Yet, he is now barely known in the West. That will surely change as a result of Gall's authoritative, beautifully written and deeply reported biography of Massoud." -- Peter Bergen, author of The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden; "This is a remarkable book, both a coruscating memoir by Gall and a revealing insight into a guerrilla leader-one whose reputation ranks with the icons of revolutionary insurgency and whose thinking is here revealed in his own words." -- Hew Strachan; 'A remarkable and emotionally affecting portrait of one of the most successful and brilliant soldiers of the modern world and a magnificent statesman. Sandy Gall is himself a major figure of late-twentieth-century journalism, and his book is the best and most insightful I have read on modern Afghanistan.' John Simpson; ‘extraordinary story’ –The Telegraph.Table of ContentsContents Introduction ix Rory Stewart Author's Note xvi Translator's Note xix Prologue 1 1. The British 'Find' Massoud 3 2. Were We Nearly Shot?: Meeting Massoud 9 3. The Boy Who Loved Playing Soldiers 19 4. The Coup that Failed: Exile in Pakistan 26 5. Bombed by the Russians in the Panjsher 34 6. The Russians Propose a Ceasefire 51 7. Massoud Deals with the Russians 61 8. Marriage and War 85 9. Defeat and Failure: 'Am I Afraid of Death?' 90 10. The Russian Perspective 112 11. A Winter Offensive 117 12. Massoud Takes Farkhar 138 13. Expanding into the North 149 14. The Russians Prepare to Withdraw 162 15. Massoud Captures Kabul 179 16. Under Siege: Massoud in Kabul 189 17. Tea and Rockets with the Taliban 211 18. Mortal Enemies 225 19. Massoud Retreats from Kabul 228 20. A Low Ebb 234 21. 'My Father was Incorruptible' 261 22. Massoud Visits Europe 269 23. How They Killed Massoud 274 24. The Eve of Assassination 290 25. A Final Encounter 299 Epilogue 309 Acknowledgements 315 Select Bibliography 317 Notes 319 Index 341

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Book SynopsisTom King’s personal memoirs range across a life of exceptional activity and interest. Aged nineteen, he found himself commanding a military company against Mau Mau terrorists in Kenya; at thirty he became the youngest ever general manager in a major printing and packaging group, in charge of a factory with a staff of 700 and dealing with nine different trade unions. Elected as an MP in 1970, nine years later he took through the legislation that transformed London’s vast derelict docklands into the thriving business district of Canary Wharf. Subsequently his five Secretary of State roles saw him carrying through the law that gave union members the right to a secret ballot before a strike, then facing IRA terrorism and Unionist opposition when he launched what became the start of the peace process, then watching the fall of the Soviet Union and the Iron Curtain and being responsible for the massive UK deployment to help liberate Kuwait. Told with a sharp recollection of his fifty years in Parliament, Tom King’s memoirs cover a particularly interesting period of history and his part in shaping the events that led up to the world we live in now.

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Book SynopsisThis is an open and frank account of how someone from a railway family in a small East Midlands town went on to become a Cabinet Minister serving in the Ministry of Defence as Britain conducted difficult and demanding operations in Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Iraq. It sets out his political career from his earliest days knocking on doors for the Labour Party through to his becoming a Euro-MP, an MP for eighteen years and a Cabinet Minister for almost ten years. It describes his careers as an academic, lawyer, politician and in international business, as well as his commitment to conservation and protecting the environment.Trade Review“Superbly described and beautifully written , Geoff Hoon crafts an indispensable insiders account of New Labour and the momentous events in which he played such a distinguished and central part” – Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell “Giving a top job in industry to an ex-politician seemed something of a gamble at the time - but Geoff got on really well with both the British employees of AgustaWestland and their Italian counterparts, leading a multi-national sales force that successfully delivered helicopter orders all around the world’ –Graham Cole, Former Managing Director and Chairman of AgustaWestland Helicopters

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Book SynopsisLike No Other Soldier continues the true story told in Fishers of Men of Rob Lewis’s life after he leaves the Force Research Unit (FRU). Staying on in Northern Ireland as a civilian after years of working on undercover missions against terrorists, Rob eventually gains employment in Bristol, undertaking security work, but things don’t work out and Rob ends up living in a squat. After a job offer from an old colleague, Rob heads to London to work in close-protection security for some of Hollywood’s royalty - Tom Cruise, Liam Neeson, Nicole Kidman and Mel Gibson among them - and later becomes involved in the rescue of some very well-connected people from a dangerous religious cult. Rob’s life seems to be getting back on track. But Rob’s work soon becomes more covert, and he ends up being on the wrong side of a police armed response unit whilst undertaking surveillance tasks, and is later arrested as a suspect when the ‘Stevens Enquiry’ building in Belfast - where detectives investigating the alleged collusion between his old unit and Loyalist paramilitaries are based - is set on fire. As Rob becomes involved in ever more shadowy surveillance and private security operations, he attracts further unwanted police attention, this time from the Serious Organised Crime Agency, and he is charged with fraud, found guilty and sentenced to prison at HMP Wandsworth. Can Rob prove his innocence and reclaim his life?

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Book SynopsisAs we move towards an inevitably, increasingly, uncertain future how do we fit into the swirling patterns? Taking its bearings from Tennyson's sunset classic about a king at the end of his odyssey, Hungry Heart Roamingis a poignant, intelligent memoir of a life lived loving words, places and people a life as an odyssey sans pareil. Essayistic, aphoristic, and affirming, the bookmeanders between two ''in-between'' places. On one beach, a young boy with his grandmother, at the turn of the tide, and on another beach, a grandfather with another young boy, when the tide begins to wane. In between it wanders through a lost and perhaps more hopeful Europe. Remembering with affection the ignorant and thoughtless visions of youth, the journey maps the loss of innocence and its replacement, by something that feels like understanding, and acceptance.

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Book SynopsisThe Few Who Flew is an evocative memoir written by one of the last young men to train as a RAF pilot, gaining his 'Wings' in April 1957 just days before the end of National Service. Michael Morris as he was then (he is now Lord Naseby) was selected to do his flying training in Canada alongside fellow British and NATO pilots from seven different countries. Initial training was on Harvards at Moose Jaw in the Prairies and then jet flying on the world's best trainer at the time, the T-33 Canadair Silver Star. The Few Who Flew reflects Michael's inherent love of all aspects of aviation. The last three chapters cover 'Churchill's Secret Airfield', RAF Tempsford, Bedfordshire near Michael's home; his views on the future of aviation in a low carbon world, and then finishing with some provocative thoughts of a one-year 'Service to the Nation ' for all young school leavers.

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Book SynopsisA Black Cat Abroad is the untold WWII story of a 'Terrier' nicknamed 'Oscar': R.E.H. Hadingham (1915-2004), CBE, MC & Bar TD, better known as 'Buzzer', who was later chairman of Slazenger's and then the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon. Beginning with his work in London and Territorial Army training, it describes life in Wimbledon under the cloud of impending war. On 29th July 1939, Buzzer was commissioned into 167 Brigade, 67th (East Surrey) Anti-Tank Regiment R.A. T.A., the 'Black Cats'. Three years later he embarked from Liverpool, carrying a sun-helmet, destination unknown. Momentous challenges followed, not least a 3-year separation from his family. Here are fresh aspects of an epic 3,000-mile journey from Iraq to action in North Africa, before conflicts in Italy: Salerno, Anzio, and the lesser-known 'Monte Cassino of the Adriatic': Gemmano. Leading toward the 80th Anniversary of the Italian Campaign (1943-1945), relevant historic anecdotes and key operational recollections reveal a young, energetic 303 Anti-Tank Battery Commander's personal perspectives, and the first officer in his Territorial Regiment to receive a batt le honour. This remarkable, first-hand account by the 'poet of Wimbledon' is intended as a special tribute to all brave men who served in the 'Black Cats' - and as a commemoration of the fallen.

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Book Synopsis"My earliest recollection of Colkirk was, I think, the Diamond Jubilee of good Queen Victoria in 1897 ... " Alfred Absolon's memoir is a unique window into life in rural Norfolk before the Great War and a story full of his family's farming heritage. He grows up on his aunt's farm in the village of Colkirk. This is a place where folklore is as real as the seasons and the harvest is gathered by men and horses. The threshing machine is powered by a steam engine, and the village is home to traditional craftsmen who practice a fading way of life. This is an authentic and unforgettable first-person account of life in a Norfolk village at the turn of the century (1897-1929)

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Book Synopsis"Darling the hour has almost arrived. We leave tonight ... I am feeling it very much but I must not weaken. I must be brave. I think that will be the best attitude to take for us all" Harold Bishop is called up to the army in 1941, aged 39. He leaves behind his wife Joan, his children and his livelihood as butler of the grand Cardoness House. What follows is a tender and revealing collection of letters home. Despite the restrictions of the censors, Harold describes his time in a training barracks in Edinburgh, his health and clothes, and his eventual deployment to North Africa. His letters also reveal glimpses of Joan's experiences, making this a valuable social history and a record of a soldier's service. A tender and revealing collection that shares the life and cares of a soldier and his family during WWII

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Book SynopsisTHE ALL-TIME KOREAN CLASSIC OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD, +100 REPRINTS Reflections from Prison is the collected letters and essays written by renowned Korean thinker Shin Young-Bok during his 20 years and 20 days as a political prisoner on a life tariff under Korea's military dictatorships. His time in prison symbolizes Korea's long period of suffering before becoming the flower of Asian democracy. The letters range from postcards, to tiny characters squeezed onto his daily ration of two sheets of toilet paper. When they were discovered by his friends and published in the Peace Newspaper, the peaceful message born out of the most painful times resonated in many hearts aching for freedom across the country. A year after its first newspaper appearance, he was released under a special pardon and his letters were published as a book in 1988. It has since sold over a million copies and become a Korean classic. The writings themselves are not overtly political since all the letters went through censorships Yet he does not hide the harshness of prison life at the rock bottom of society. They provide a window onto his personal suffering during imprisonment a life sentence, and how he pulled from it crystal-clear reflections on Korean society, history, and human relationships; finding beauty and hope in adversity. Common themes include his observations of nature, prison life , human relationships, Korean & Chinese ancient philosophical literature, poetry, calligraphy, self-cultivation, and history. Since its publication in 1987, a year before Shin's release, Reflections from Prison, has been a steady-seller in Korea. Now well-settled as a Korean classic, it still enjoys its status as a book of healing, insight, teaching and changing people through its inspiration and wisdom. With this translation, we share with readers abroad the precious experience of illumination and awakening that millions of Korean readers have enjoyed.Trade Review"The thinker I admire the most" - Moon Jae-In, President of South Korea "A thinker, a voice of his times, an opponent of mindless intrusive bureaucracy, of the rigidity of capitalism and of social inequalities" - Roger Richardson

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Book SynopsisNam Sense is the memoir of a combat squad leader in the 101st Airborne Division. Arthur Wiknik was drafted by the army in 1969 at the age of nineteen, promoted to sergeant ‘without ever setting foot in a combat zone’, and sent to Vietnam. He was flown north to Camp Evans, a mixed-unit outpost near Phong Dien, only a few miles from Laos. Wiknik was then thrown straight into the action: he was the first man in his unit to reach the top of Hamburger Hill during one of the last offensives launched by US forces, and later discovered a weapons cache that prevented a sneak attack on his advance fire support base. Between the sporadic episodes of combat he mingled with the locals and defrauded an unwitting US supplier to provide his platoon with a year of good food. This book offers a perfect blend of candour and humour – and it spares nothing and no one in its attempt to convey what really happened during this unpopular war. Nam Sense is not about heroism, mental breakdowns and haunting flashbacks: the GIs Wiknik lived and fought with during his year-long tour were there to do their duty, support their comrades and get home alive. ‘The soldiers I knew’, explains the author, ‘demonstrated courage, principle, kindness, and friendship – all the elements found in other wars Americans have proudly fought in.’ About the AuthorARTHUR WIKNIK was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1968, selected to be trained as an Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) and went to war in Vietnam.Trade ReviewThis memoir has it all. Its powerful prose sears into the reader the pathos of war-the loneliness, hopelessness, fear, anger, loathing of oneself and ones' enemy-while generating laughs, a better understanding of the Vietnam veteran, and a sense of pride in our armed forces. * AdvanceBookReviews.com *Nam Sense is written in an accessible and ironic style, whether describing whores or horrors, it provides an unflinching look at a year in the life of a Grunt in Vietnam. * Military History of the West *

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Book SynopsisAn amazing story of survival against all odds and a great achievement for the writer who was a teenager during World War 2, 1939-1945. This is the personal story of a family torn apart, always on the run from country to country, hiding, hoping not to be discovered and praying to survive. Lili Rebecca Kahan grew up trying to stay alive and helping others do the same. She survived dangers as a member of the underground in Budapest, often thanks to her knowledge of languages including German. There, under the Germans noses, she also helped other Jews by giving them new identities in order to escape death. Today, when survivors are leaving this world, she wants to honor the silent command of those who perished -- remember and never forget. We, the last survivors, have a solemn obligation to testify, in the name of the dead and the living, that what we endured was a gruesome reality but also a permanent warning to mankind of horrors that might still lie ahead. Former president of France Nicolas Sarkozy so aptly put it when he said, The tragedy of the Holocaust should be etched onto our consciousness as it is onto our hearts.

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Book Synopsis#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER What Melania wants, Melania gets.The former director of special events at Vogue and producer of nine legendary Met Galas, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff met Melania Knauss in 2003 and had a front row seat to the transformation of Donald Trump’s then girlfriend from a rough-cut gem to a precious diamond. As their friendship deepened over lunches at Manhattan hot spots, black-tie parties, and giggle sessions in the penthouse at Trump Tower, Wolkoff watched the newest Mrs. Trump raise her son, Barron, and manage her highly scrutinized marriage. After Trump won the 2016 election, Wolkoff was recruited to help produce the 58th Presidential Inaugu­ration and to become the First Lady’s trusted advisor. Melania put Wolkoff in charge of hiring her staff, organizing her events, helping her write speeches, and creating her debut initiatives. Then it all fell apart when she was made the scapegoat for inauguration finance irregularities. Melania could have defended her innocent friend and confidant, but she stood by her man, knowing full well who was really to blame. The betrayal nearly destroyed Wolkoff. In this candid and emotional memoir, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff takes you into Trump Tower and the White House to tell the funny, thrilling, and heartbreaking story of her intimate friendship with one of the most famous women in the world, a woman few people truly understand. How did Melania react to the Access Hollywood tape and her husband’s affair with Stormy Daniels? Does she get along well with Ivanka? Why did she wear that jacket with “I really don’t care, do u?” printed on the back? Is Melania happy being First Lady? And what really happened with the inauguration’s funding of $107 million? Wolkoff has some ideas...

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