Benazir Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto (1953-2007) was the first female leader of a Muslim state in history and, at thirty-five, one of the youngest world leaders of her day. Bhutto is the subject of the brief biography, Benazir Bhutto: From Prison to Prime Minister, and so is easily the most important person in the book. Bhutto grew up in a privileged Pakistani family. Her father was a major force in Pakistan politics, serving both as the foreign minister and commerce minister before becoming Prime Minister. Bhutto's family was well-off enough to ensure that she went to the prestigious Radcliffe College at age sixteen and then to Oxford to earn two degrees. Bhutto was also trained by her father to be a professional politician.

Bhutto is in many ways an inspiring character. She was initially a shy, bright girl facing severe culture shock in the United States, but she quickly blossomed...