WACHH BoOK CLUB

The Book Club is the newest addition to the World Affairs Council of Hilton Head (WACHH) program offerings. The Book Club presents an opportunity for us all to learn more broadly and deeply about both world affairs and domestic politics, to engage in stimulating discussions, and to make new friendships.

The Book Club is free and open to WACHH members and the public, but advance registration is required. Registration for each book club discussion will open one month in advance and is limited to 35 participants.

The Book Club meets the second Thursday of each month from 4:30 to 6:00 pm at The Island Rec Center Board Room, 20 Wilborn Rd, Hilton Head Island (next to the High school).

Download the WACHH Book Club Flyer for more information (PDF)

October 13, 2022

Twilight of Democracy
by Anne Applebaum

Named BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by the Washington Post and the Financial Times

In Twilight of Democracy, Anne Applebaum, an award-winning historian, explains the lure of nationalism and autocracy. She contends that political systems with radically simple beliefs are inherently appealing, especially when they benefit the loyal to the exclusion of everyone else. Despotic leaders do not rule alone; they rely on political allies, bureaucrats, and media figures to pave their way and support their rule. Registration is open now.
REGISTER NOW

November 10, 2022

On Corruption in America: What’s at Stake
by Sarah Chayes

“If you want to save America, this might just be the most important book to read now." — Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains

Sarah Chayes writes in her new book that the United States is showing signs similar to some of the most corrupt countries in the world. Corruption, she argues, is an operating system of sophisticated networks in which government officials, key private-sector interests, and out-and-out criminals interweave. Chayes reveals how corrupt systems are organized, how they enable bad actors to bend the rules so their crimes are covered legally, how they overtly determine the shape of our government, and how they affect all levels of society, especially when the corruption is overlooked and downplayed by the rich and well-educated. Note: Sarah Chayes will speak on December 3 for the Distinguished Speaker Series.

Registration opens one month in advance. More information here.

December 8, 2022

Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy
by Henry Kissinger

"An extraordinary book by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.’ In Leadership he presents a fascinating set of historical case studies and political biographies that blend the dance and the dancer, seamlessly.” —James Stavridis, The Wall Street Journal
In Leadership, a New York Times best seller, Kissinger analyzes the lives of six extraordinary leaders through the distinctive strategies of statecraft they embodied. These leaders and their strategies include: Konrad Adenauer’s “strategy of humility” in Germany; Charles de Gaulle’s “strategy of will” in France; Richard Nixon’s “strategy of equilibrium” in the United States; Anwar Sadat’s “strategy of transcendence” in the Middle East; Lee Kuan Yew’s “strategy of excellence” in Singapore; and Margaret Thatcher’s “strategy of conviction” in Great Britain.

Registration opens one month in advance. More information here.

Past Book Club Selections

September 9, 2021: The Room Where it Happened: A White House Memoir by John Bolton

October 14, 2021: The New Map: Energy, Climate And The Clash Of Nations by Daniel Yergin

November 11, 2021: After the Fall: Being American in the World We’ve Made by Ben Rhodes

December 9, 2021: War: How Conflict Changed Us by Margaret MacMillan

January 13, 2022: How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt

February 10, 2022: Black Wave by Kim Ghattas

March 10, 2022: Us vs Them: The Failure of Globalism by Ian Bremmer

April 14, 2022: The Perfect Weapon: War, Sabotage and Fear in the Cyber Age by David E. Sanger

May 12, 2022: Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump by Joseph S. Nye, Jr.

June 9, 2022: The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy

July 14, 2022: The Peace Makers by Bruce W. Jentleson

August 2022: The Chancellor by Kati Marton

September 2022: Lessons from the Edge: A Memoir by Marie Yovanovitch