Read My Pins (Google eBook)

Madeleine Albright

HarperCollins, Sep 29, 2009 - Biography & Autobiography - 176 pages

Before long, and without intending it, I found that jewelry had become part of my personal diplomatic arsenal. Former president George H. W. Bush had been known for saying "Read my lips." I began urging colleagues and reporters to "Read my pins."

It would never have happened if not for Saddam Hussein. When U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Madeleine Albright criticized the dictator, his poet in residence responded by calling her "an unparalleled serpent." Shortly thereafter, while preparing to meet with Iraqi officials, Albright pondered: What to wear? She decided to make a diplomatic statement by choosing a snake pin. Although her method of communication was new, her message was as old as the American Revolution—Don't Tread on Me.

From that day forward, pins became part of Albright's diplomatic signature. International leaders were pleased to see her with a shimmering sun on her jacket or a cheerful ladybug; less so with a crab or a menacing wasp. Albright used pins to emphasize the importance of a negotiation, signify high hopes, protest the absence of progress, and show pride in representing America, among other purposes.

Part illustrated memoir, part social history, Read My Pins provides an intimate look at Albright's life through the brooches she wore. Her collection is both international and democratic—dime-store pins share pride of place with designer creations and family heirlooms. Included are the antique eagle purchased to celebrate Albright's appointment as secretary of state, the zebra pin she wore when meeting Nelson Mandela, and the Valentine's Day heart forged by Albright's five-year-old daughter. Read My Pins features more than 200 photographs, along with compelling and often humorous stories about jewelry, global politics, and the life of one of America's most accomplished and fascinating diplomats.

What people are saying

Review: Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box

User Review  - Alice - Goodreads

This book is such a great read. Interesting that I say this, considering that it is 161 pages of mostly pictures. Call me of the magazine-reading whiz-bang generation, but I appreciated that I could ...

Review: Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box

User Review  - Wilson - Goodreads

A delightful tale about a wonderful woman's expression of self, country, dignity and grace

Contents

• Introduction: 10
• Wings: 37
• Body Language: 77
• It Would Be an Honor: 119
• Pindex: 164
• Photography Credits: 173

About the author

Madeleine Albright served as America's sixty-fourth Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001. Her distinguished career also includes positions on Capitol Hill, the National Security Council, and as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. She is a resident of Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Read My Pins
• Author: Madeleine Albright
• Publisher: HarperCollins, 2009
• ISBN: 0061938491, 9780061938498
• Length: 176 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / General