Books in Signature Lives series

Madame Chiang Kai-shek was a powerful figure in Chinese politics. As wife of the Nationalist leader, she helped modernize China through the New Life Movement of the 1930s. She was educated in the United States and developed a unique understanding of American culture. She used this background to win U.S. support for the Nationalists in their struggles against Japan and the communists. Her diplomatic skills won her many admirers, but others criticized her obvious wealth at a time when most Chinese suffered from great poverty.

From 1900 to the present day, humanity and the world have undergone major changes. Drastic shifts in theories and practice tested the standards of personal freedoms and religious conventions as well as science, technology, and industry. The new mind-set of the modern world includes a focus on humanitarianism and the belief that a global economy has made the world a more connected place. Leadership and power were Indira Gandhi’s birthright. She was raised in a world of politics amid the struggle for independence. It was her destiny to lead India, but it would not be easy. She would sacrifice her personal life for her nation. She believed that all people could live together. But religious and cultural battles in her own region put her beliefs to the test. She loved her country, and she loved its people. She was Mother India.

In the early 20th century, Africa was largely controlled by European powers, and blacks around the world suffered discrimination. Jamaican-born Marcus Garvey feared the extinction of the black race unless his people took control of their own destinies. He felt he was fated to show the way and lead his people to better times. As founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, Garvey developed a worldwide following that numbered in the millions. Often controversial, Garvey never strayed from his message, that black people needed to reclaim Africa and return their race to the greatness of their ancestors.