The “absorbing . . . charming and persuasive” story of Nobel Peace Prize–winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the world’s best-known prisoner of conscience (Publishers Weekly).

As one senior UN official put it, Burma is a country where “just to turn your head can mean imprisonment or death.” Aung San Suu Kyi is considered to be Burma’s best hope for freedom. Because of her unwavering commitment to nonviolent resistance to the country’s brutal military junta, she has been under house arrest since 1989. Elected prime minister, she was prevented from taking office. Despite failing health, vilification at the hands of the Burmese media, and actual imprisonment in one of the world’s most appalling jails, Suu Kyi has persevered in a campaign of nonviolent protest as unflagging as those of Gandhi, King, and Mandela.
 
Perfect Hostage, the most thorough biography of Suu Kyi to date, tells both the story of the Burmese people and the story of an ordinary person who became a hero.
 
“She’s my hero.” —Bono
 
“In physical stature she is petite and elegant, but in moral stature she is a giant.” —Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 1984 Nobel Peace Prize recipient
 
“It is time for all respectable members of the international community to . . . take active measures to secure the freedom of Aung San Suu Kyi and the Burmese people.” —Sen. John McCain
 
“A marvel . . . Wintle mingles sober history and gossipy chat.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
“Wintle writes with a snarling wit, firm grasp of Burma’s horrors, and penetrating respect for this tenacious and composed prisoner of conscience, detailing her genius for connecting with people, the threats against her life, and her devotion to peace.” —Booklist (starred review)
 

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