康多莉扎•赖斯 (Condoleezza Rice)

1954年生于美国伯明翰，19岁时获得丹佛大学政治学学士学位，26岁时获得政治学博士学位。1981年，精通四门语言的赖斯成为斯坦福大学的助教，专攻苏联的军事事务。

1989年，赖斯出任乔治•布什总统时期的国家安全委员会苏联事务特别助理，开始了从政生涯，并很快成为乔治•布什总统和夫人的私人朋友。４年期满卸任后，赖斯回到斯坦福大学，随后出任斯坦福大学教务长，成为该校历史上最年轻的教务长，也是该校第一位黑人教务长。

在布什家族的邀请下，1999年赖斯辞去斯坦福大学的教职，出任乔治•沃克•布什的首席对外政策顾问，为布什竞选总统出谋划策。2000年布什当选总统后，赖斯担任国家安全顾问，是总统班子的核心人物，长期负责协调美国国务院和国防部之间的关系。2005年１月，赖斯出任国务卿，成为美国历史上的第一位黑人女国务卿。在这八年期间，赖斯在“9•11”恐怖袭击、阿富汗战争、伊拉克战争、巴以和谈、朝鲜六方会谈等国际热点事件的处理中，展示了超群的外交才能和强硬的鹰派作风。在美国《福布斯》杂志评选的2004年、2005年连续两届“世界最有影响力的女性”中，赖斯均位居榜首。

赖斯在任期间，前后多次访问中国，并在2008年走访了汶川大地震灾区。

From one of the world’s most admired women, this is former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s compelling story of eight years serving at the highest levels of government. In her position as America’s chief diplomat, Rice traveled almost continuously around the globe, seeking common ground among sometimes bitter enemies, forging agreement on divisive issues, and compiling a remarkable record of achievement.

A native of Birmingham, Alabama who overcame the racism of the Civil Rights era to become a brilliant academic and expert on foreign affairs, Rice distinguished herself as an advisor to George W. Bush during the 2000 presidential campaign. Once Bush was elected, she served as his chief adviser on national-security issues – a job whose duties included harmonizing the relationship between the Secretaries of State and Defense. It was a role that deepened her bond with the President and ultimately made her one of his closest confidantes.

With the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Rice found herself at the center of the Administration’s intense efforts to keep America safe. Here, Rice describes the events of that harrowing day – and the tumultuous days after. No day was ever the same. Additionally, Rice also reveals new details of the debates that led to the war in Afghanistan and then Iraq.

The eyes of the nation were once again focused on Rice in 2004 when she appeared before the 9-11 Commission to answer tough questions regarding the country’s preparedness for – and immediate response to – the 9-11 attacks. Her responses, it was generally conceded, would shape the nation’s perception of the Administration’s competence during the crisis. Rice conveys just how pressure-filled that appearance was and her surprised gratitude when, in succeeding days, she was broadly saluted for her grace and forthrightness.

From that point forward, Rice was aggressively sought after by the media and regarded by some as the Administration’s most effective champion.

In 2005 Rice was entrusted with even more responsibility when she was charged with helping to shape and carry forward the President’s foreign policy as Secretary of State. As such, she proved herself a deft crafter of tactics and negotiation aimed to contain or reduce the threat posed by America’s enemies. Here, she reveals the behind-the-scenes maneuvers that kept the world’s relationships with Iran, North Korea and Libya from collapsing into chaos. She also talks about her role as a crisis manager, showing that at any hour -- and at a moment’s notice -- she was willing to bring all parties to the bargaining table anywhere in the world.

No Higher Honor takes the reader into secret negotiating rooms where the fates of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Lebanon often hung in the balance, and it draws back the curtain on how frighteningly close all-out war loomed in clashes involving Pakistan-India and Russia-Georgia, and in East Africa.

Surprisingly candid in her appraisals of various Administration colleagues and the hundreds of foreign leaders with whom she dealt, Rice also offers here keen insight into how history actually proceeds. In No Higher Honor , she delivers a master class in statecraft -- but always in a way that reveals her essential warmth and humility, and her deep reverence for the ideals on which America was founded.