because i didn't want to write a book about germany politics, i wanted to capture the woman. and this astonishishing german east bloc scientist who broke through the all-male german culture and got herself elected four times chancellor, i wanted to know how did she do that, because she has so few visible performance skills or rhetorical skills. so the mystery was, how? >> so what is the secret of her success? at one level i had to assume that there's a level of political skill, but also ruthlessness because she comes to power taking down the man who mentored her, helmut kohl, the chancellor of germany. >> absolutely. it's a combination of -- first of all, she's brilliant. she has a photographic memory. and, yes, when necessary she can be ruthless, as a lot of male