Camaraderie on the World Stage: Dear Barack Traces Extraordinary Political Alliance
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United by a belief that democracy could uplift the world, former U.S. President Barack Obama and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel formed a friendship that transcended their disparate political views, connecting in a way that enabled them to navigate their countries through some of the most challenging events of the 21st century. While most political pundits knew about the partnership these two created, few knew the full story — until now.
“Their relationship was by no means linear,” said author and activist Claudia Clark. “They had their differences. The important thing is that despite their differences, they came out on top. They came out stronger because they had enough respect for one another.”
In Clark’s new book, Dear Barack: The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel, she gives readers an inside look at one of the great political friendships of the modern world, as told through key moments that shaped the 21st century.
Obama was a left-leaning Democrat, Merkel a member of Germany’s far-right Christian Democratic Union, yet together, they found a way to help heal the fractures that existed between the U.S. and Europe at that time.
Dear Barack is a thoroughly researched exploration of the parallel trajectories that led to Obama and Merkel meeting on the world stage, and the trials — both personal and political — that they confronted in office. In the leaders’ own words, the book details such events as Merkel’s historic acceptance of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and the 2013 NSA spying scandal, demonstrating the highs and lows of this extraordinary alliance.
A story of camaraderie at a global scale, Dear Barack is a “fit-all” in terms of politics and shows that it is possible for political adversaries to establish bonds of respect — and even friendship — in the service of the free world.
Claudia Clark is an author, speaker and activist focused on social justice and democracy. In 2017, Clark and her husband moved from California to Germany, where she served as the national Get Out the Vote (GOTV) coordinator for the Democrats Abroad Germany chapter from January 2019 to May 2020. Clark has several advanced degrees, with a focus on social work, women’s history and labor relations. She lives in Berlin, where she is conducting research for her next book.
For more information, please visit https://www.claudiaclarkauthor.com.
Dear Barack: The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel Publisher: Disruption Books ISBN-10: 1633310574 ISBN-13: 978-1633310575 Available from Amazon.com, Disruption Books and Claudiaclarkauthor.com
Trish Stevens Monica Daniels Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
Moments That Defined the Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel
(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet or used by any means of social media sharing.)
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Today, former U.S. President Barack Obama and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel are known as two of the world’s most influential leaders, together at the center of some of the biggest controversies and most impressive advancements of the modern world. But while their friendship has been the subject of both scrutiny and admiration, few know the full story. “Their relationship was by no means linear. They had their differences. The important thing is that despite their differences, they came out on top; they came out stronger because they had enough respect for one another,” said political activist and author Claudia Clark during a recent interview. Clark’s new book, Dear Barack: The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel, is a thoroughly researched exploration of the parallel trajectories that led to Obama and Merkel meeting on the world stage, and the trials—both personal and political—that they confronted in office. At times, in the leaders’ own words, the book details such events as Merkel’s historic acceptance of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and the 2013 NSA spying scandal, demonstrating the highs and lows of this extraordinary alliance.
Taking office at the height of the 2008 global recession, Obama was keenly aware of the fractured relationship between the U.S. and Europe, Clark explains in the book. And for her part, Merkel was suspicious of the charismatic newcomer who had captivated her country. Faced with the challenges of globalization, the two often clashed over policy, but—as the first Black president and first female chancellor—they shared a belief that democracy could uplift the world. United by this conviction, they would forge a complicated but inspiring partnership. A story of camaraderie at a global scale, Dear Barack is a “fit-all” in terms of politics and shows that it is possible for political adversaries to establish bonds of respect—and even friendship—in the service of the free world.
Claudia Clark is an author, speaker and activist focused on social justice and democracy. In 2017, Clark and her husband moved from California to Germany, where she served as the national Get Out the Vote (GOTV) coordinator for the Democrats Abroad Germany chapter from January 2019 to May 2020. Clark has several advanced degrees, with a focus on social work, women’s history and labor relations. She currently lives in Berlin, where she is conducting research for her next book which will compare the experiences of the Northern Irish during the height of the IRA conflict with the East Germans during the Cold War.
Dear Barack: The Extraordinary Partnership of Barack Obama and Angela Merkel Publisher: Disruption Books ISBN-10: 1633310574 ISBN-13: 978-1633310575 Available from Amazon.com, Disruption Books and Claudiaclarkauthor.com
Trish Stevens Sydney Wells Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
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Hump Pilot: Courage And Sacrifice High Above The Himalayas Helped The Allies To Victory In WWII
Vienna, VA – In a high-flying narrative flashing between the life of American pilot Ned Thomas and events of World War II, Nedda Thomas recreates her father’s most dangerous missions. Lethal and capricious weather conditions, radio silence and the uncharted terrain of the “roof of the world” meant the pilots put their lives at risk every time they took off. In Hump Pilot (The History Publishing Company), author Nedda Thomas pays homage to the pilots who made it possible for the U.S. to reach victory in the Pacific, interweaving the story of the dashing young pilot who also won the heart of the woman destined to become his wife, the romance that brought her into existence.
Pilots of the Hump, as they called this critical air-supply route over the Himalayas, faced the most hazardous flying and highest fatality rates of any air-war mission in World War II. The airlift was the largest the world has ever known, setting the bar for all others to come, including Berlin and Korea.
Calm, genuine, young and courageous, Ned brings a human dimension to the story of the Hump. The forbidding Himalayas, Sanskrit for House of Snow, tell their own tale of beauty, danger, and military significance. American climber Clayton Kuhles’ recent expeditions into the Himalayas to recover the remains of downed Hump aircraft have helped gain for these lost pilots a new and passionate public.
“The Hump is a larger-than-life epic that deserves to be told,” Thomas says. “And how better than through the eyes of a man who experienced it, my father, Ned Thomas, who brought me up to speed on aircraft and flying in the Pacific Theater.” It is a story of courage and historical significance, told through the life of a brave man who takes our hearts into the sky.
Nedda Thomas is a poet and has worked as magazine editor and published a number of articles about creative and interesting historical figures. Growing up in a military/diplomatic family and living in the U.S., France, and the Far East, all expanded the author’s world view. She holds a master’s degree in human development, and also attended seminary. Family memories help nurture her passion for history; she speaks French and English and lectures on several different topics.
For more information, please visit http://www.HumpPilot.com
Hump Pilot The History Publishing Company Available in fine bookstores and online everywhere $18.95 ISBN 978-1940773094
