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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)
June 9, 2022
The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine
by Serhii Plokhy“[An] admirable new history. . . In his elegant and careful exposition of Ukraine’s past, Mr. Plokhy also provided some signposts to the future.”— Economist
As Ukraine is embroiled in an ongoing struggle with Russia to preserve its territorial integrity and political independence, celebrated historian Serhii Plokhy explains that today’s crisis is a case of history repeating itself. Ukraine has been shaped by empires that exploited the nation as a strategic gateway between East and West—from the Romans and Ottomans to the Third Reich and the Soviet Union. In The Gates of Europe, Plokhy examines Ukraine’s search for its identity through the lives of major Ukrainian historical figures, from its heroes to its conquerors.
July 14, 2022
The Peacemakers: Leadership Lessons from Twentieth-Century Statesmanship
by Brue W. Jentleson“The Peacemakers is a book badly needed for our time, reminding us all that the choices made by individual leaders can transform our world." ― Anne-Marie Slaughter, president and CEO, New America, and State Department policy planning director
Great twentieth century leaders – from all continents of the world -- played vital roles in making our world a fairer, safer and more peaceful place. How did they do it? What lessons can be drawn for our future global agenda? Bruce W. Jentleson shows how these leaders of a variety of types―national, international, institutional, sociopolitical, nongovernmental ― rewrote the zero-sum scripts they were handed and successfully made breakthroughs on issues long thought intractable. Jentleson tells us who each leader was as an individual, why they made the choices they did, how they pursued their goals, and what they were (and weren’t) able to achieve.
Registration will open a month in advance.
The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel
by Kati Marton“This is the best English-language biography of her rise from a tough and traditional family, through her career as a physical chemist in communist East Germany, to her current renown.” —Foreign Affairs
In The Chancellor, acclaimed biographer Kati Marton sets out to pierce the mystery of Merkel’s unlikely ascent from an unassuming research chemist in soviet controlled East Germany to become one of the most important political leaders of our time. With unparalleled access to the chancellor’s inner circle and a trove of records, Marton teases out the unique political genius that had been the secret to Merkel’s success. No modern leader so ably confronted Russian aggression, enacted daring social policies, and calmly unified an entire continent in an era when countries are becoming more divided. Famously private, Angela Merkel emerges as a role model for anyone interested in gaining and keeping power while staying true to one’s moral convictions.
Registration will open a month in advance.
Lessons from the Edge: A Memoir
by Marie Yovanovitch“Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch has written a timely and authoritative account of U.S. policy towards the former Soviet Union. This book is essential reading for current policymakers, aspiring diplomats, and anyone who cares about America’s role in the world.” -- Madeleine K. Albright, former US Secretary of State
Throughout her career with the State Department, Marie Yovanovitch witnessed the corrosive effect of corruption, injustice and instability. As Ambassador to Ukraine, she saw how President Vladimir Putin adeptly exploited corrupt leaders in neighboring countries and undermined their developing democracies. Nowhere was Putin’s aggression clearer than in Ukraine. Her diplomatic career came crashing down when she was targeted by a smear campaign and abruptly recalled from her post in Kyiv, Ukraine. She has reclaimed her own narrative, first with her lauded congressional testimony during the first impeachment inquiry of Donald Trump, and now with this powerful memoir: the dramatic saga of one woman’s role at the vanguard of American foreign policy during a time of upheaval, for herself and for our country.
Registration will open a month in advance.
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: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East 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.
World Affairs Council of Hilton HeadPO Box 22523
Hilton Head Island, SC 29925 843-384-6758 | execdirector@wachh.org |
