Popular Books Written By Politicians

There are many politicians who are expert in governing the country and simultaneously they are also great authors. From Winston Churchill to Indira Gandhi, politicians have penned the integral and important moments of their life. Here is the list of popular books written by politicians.

Indira Gandhi: My Truth by Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was a central figure of the Indian National Congress and former Prime Minister of India. She was the first and to date only, female Prime Minister of India. My Truth by Indira Gandhi is based on interviews and other source material that is rare. The book is the story of Indira Gandhi’s life in her own words. The book was first published in India and France in 1980 when she was out of power. It also contains vivid passages of her memories of her grandfather and the days spent in Allahabad. Including the heroes of her childhood, the books she admired, of Jawaharlal encouraging her to take to physical activities, of holidays in the hills, a dream like childhood suddenly altered as her father dived into the freedom movement.

The book also talks about the death of Kamala Nehru,  Jawaharlal Nehru’s coming in and out of jail; Indira Gandhi’s varied education; travels with her father; studying at Oxford; her marriage to Feroze and an increasing involvement in public life, first as her father’s hostess and then more and more in her own right. Indira Gandhi’s My Truth gives its readers a unique vantage view of a central character that affected the lives of millions and shaped the destiny of India. This book is one of the popular books written by politicians.

Discovery Of India by Jawaharlal Nehru

The Discovery of India is a book by Jawaharlal Nehru who was the first Prime Minister of India. The Discovery Of India follows the ancient history, and the last years of the British Rule over India. In the book Nehru uses his knowledge of the Upanishads, Vedas, and textbooks on ancient history to tell the readers about the development of India from the Indus Valley Civilization, and the changes in socio-political scenario every foreign invader brought. When Nehru was jailed for his participation in the Quit India Movement along with other Indian leaders he used the time to write down his thoughts and knowledge about India’s history. The book is one of the popular books written by politicians. It provides an extensive view of Indian history, philosophy and culture, from the eyes of an Indian fighting for the independence of his country.

Dreams From My Father: A Story Of Race And Inheritance by Barack Obama

Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race And Inheritance by former President of the United States Barack Obama was published in 1995. The book is a captivating memoir of the son of a black African father and a white American mother, who is searching for a workable meaning to his life as a black American. The story starts in New York, where Barack Obama learns that his father has been killed in a car accident. His father’s death inspires Obama’s an emotional journey which begins in a small town in Kansas, from where he retraces the migration of his mother’s family to Hawaii, and then to Kenya, where he meets the African side of his family, where he comes to know about the bitter truth of his father’s life, and at last reconciles his divided inheritance.

My Early Life by Winston Churchill

My Early Life by Winston Churchill is also one of the popular books written by politicians. Winston Churchill was the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He was the Prime Minister during the Second World War and again from 1951 to 1955. Churchill was a visionary, statesman, and historian, and the most articulate spokesman against Nazi Germany. It is his autobiography from his birth in 1874 to around 1902. In his autobiography ‘My Early Life’, Winston Churchill recounts his childhood, his education, his years as a war correspondent in South Africa during the Boer War, and his first time in politics as a member of Parliament. ‘My Early Life’ gives its readers an insights into the shaping of a great leader of the twentieth century.

Profiles In Courage by John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States from 1961 until his assassination 1963. In his book ‘Profiles In Courage’ Kennedy wrote about eight historical unsung heroes and profiles of their acts of integrity against the opposition. The heroes he talks about come from different junctures in America’s history. They include John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Thomas Hart Benton, and Robert A. Taft. The book is a moving, powerful, portrait of the invincible national spirit and the celebration of the most noble of human virtues. The book was published in 1956 and John F. Kennedy won the Pulitzer Prize for the book.

Midnight Diaries by Boris Yeltsin

Boris Yeltsin was the first President of Russia from 1991 to 1999. He was also the first democratically elected leader of Russia and the first ever to resign voluntarily. In his book ‘Midnight Diaries’ he looks back at his tumultuous years in office and the changes and challenges in his country. Boris Yeltsin writes a personal account of the struggles and disruptions in Russia over the last several years. The book addresses subjects such as the impact of the coup of 1991; the process of decision-making about Chechnya; Yeltsin’s relationships with world leaders including Bill Clinton, Helmut Kohl, Jacques Chirac, Zhao Zemin, and Tony Blair; the real story behind the string of prime ministers he hired and then dismissed; the Russian economy and allegations of corruption; his health; and his decision to retire from the presidency. The book was published in 2000.

Conversations With Myself by Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was the former President of South Africa. He served as the President from 1994 to 1999. Conversation With Myself is a powerful memoir by Nelson Mandela. This memoir is a comprehensive collection of diary entries, notes and letters that he wrote during his 27 years of incarceration. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for standing up against the South African government and speaking out against the human rights violations that were being committed against black South Africans. The book was originally published in October 2010. Conversations With Myself by Nelson Mandela is inspirational and one of the popular books written by politicians.

Wings Of Fire by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. Wings Of Fire is an autobiography by Abdul Kalam, published in 1999. In the book Abdul Kalam tells his story of rise from non-recognition and his personal and professional struggles, as well as the story of Agni, Prithvi, Akash, Trishul and Nag-missiles that have become household names in India and that have raised the nation to the level of a missile power of international reckoning. The books is the story of independent India’s struggle for technological self-sufficiency and politics both domestic and international, and of science.

Back To Work by Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. In his book ‘Back To Work’ Bill Clinton gives us his views on the challenges faced in the United States and why government matters. He presents his ideas on restoring economic growth, job creation, financial responsibility, resolving the mortgage crisis, and pursuing a strategy to get the nation “back in the future business.” He also explains how America got into the economic crisis, and offers specific recommendations on how the nation can put people back to work, increase bank lending and corporate investment, double the exports, restore the manufacturing base, and create new businesses. The book was published in 2011.

The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris is the 49th Vice President of the United States. She is the first female Vice President, the first African-American and first Asian-American Vice President in the history of the United States. Vice President Kamala Harris in her book ‘The Truths We hold’ speaks about her upbringing. The book follows Harris as she became a prosecutor, a deputy district attorney, then she quickly established herself as one of the most innovative change agents in American law enforcement.

She progressed to become the elected District Attorney for San Francisco, and then the chief law enforcement officer of the state of California as a whole. In the book she talks about her hallmarks such as applying a holistic, data-driven approach to many of California’s issues. She tells her readers that being smart means learning the truths that can make us better as a community, and supporting those truths with all our might.

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