The Education of Anna

Anna Chennault has been one of the most intriguing and influential women in recent American political life. Born and raised in China, wife and widow of General Claire Chennault - the legendary World War II hero and leader of the Flying Tigers - and friend of presidents and statesmen to this day, her story is one of growth, survival and extraordinary achievement. By itself, that story would make for a fascinating book, with portraits of the powerful and near powerful, conversations in the meeting rooms and dining rooms of Washington, and a unique view of some of the events that have transfigured recent history. But the story of Mrs. Chennault's life is larger and richer than that. The Author offers an intimate view of family life in the pre-war China of bound feet and veneration of elders. She describes her own rebellion against tradition and her radical choice to live a 20th-century Western lifestyle. A former journalist and war correspondent, she recreates with disquieting accuracy the horrors of massacre and famine. But she also tells one of the great love stories of the time in her meeting and ultimately marrying Gen. Chennault. When the war was over, they founded a prominent airline together and were actively involved in the civil war against the Communists. Chennault's sudden death left Anna jobless with two children, in the Washington of the early 50s. She began the second extraordinary phase of her "education" in adversity, becoming a moving force in supporting the alliance with Nationalist China, a successful business woman in her own right and an active figure in Republican politics. Rich with gossip about the famous and the infamous, this vibrant autobiography reveals, among other things, her dealings with President Nixon, her role in the Vietnam peace negotiations, and in the 1976 election. Mrs. Chennault concludes with a perceptive picture of Washington political life and her views on the momentous implications of America's new relationship with Peking.