Sacred Honor: A Biography of Colin Powell
by By Roth, David
Category: Political Science , General

From the Persian Gulf to Washington's corridors of power, General Colin Powell has been one of the most visible, respected, and popular military leaders of his time and a peerless role model for African-Americans. Yet, surprisingly the man behind the uniform has remained virtually unknown to the public.Now, on the eve of Powell's retirement from the armed forces, Sacred Honor presents the complete inside story of Colin Powell, from his early days in Harlem to his leadership of American troops in Operation Desert Storm to his involvement in Somalian relief efforts. It also takes a revealing look at Powell's future ambitions, including his possible political aspirations.A press aide to Colin Powell following the Gulf War, David Roth has been granted unique personal access to the general and his inner circle. Combining his own close-up perspective with extensive research, one-of-a-kind interviews with Powell's family and-colleagues - including Presidents Reagan and Bush - and reflections on Powell's speeches and writings, Roth gets behind Colin Powell's public persona in a way no previous biographer has.In addition to this unique biographical portrait, Sacred Honor provides an inspiring testament to the roles that courage, perseverance, and faith play in overcoming personal hardship. The son of Jamaican immigrants, Colin Powell grew up in the tenements of New York. But through determination and an unwavering sense of personal duty, he persevered in school and became an ROTC student at City College of New York. From there, he began to develop into the soldier that George Bush would one day name Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Bush's primary reason for the appointment: "Because of his character."Renowned for his bravery, goodwill, and unquestionable moral integrity, Colin Powell is both a model soldier and the embodiment of all that is good about America. In Sacred Honor, this larger-than-life figure steps out of the headlines and becomes a living, breathing American hero.