Atlantic Books to publish Christine Lagarde’s autobiography

Atlantic Books will publish the long-awaited memoir by Christine Lagarde.

Drummond Moir, Atlantic’s Managing Director, acquired World English Rights from Piper Verlag. Rights have also been sold in the France and Italy. Written with acclaimed journalist Marc Hujer, the book will be published in hardback, trade paperback, ebook and audio on 28^th January 2027.

Christine Lagarde has always been first: France’s first Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, the first woman to lead the International Monetary Fund, the first President of the European Central Bank.

Now, for the first time, she tells the story of her own life: her childhood in Le Havre, a mother who gave everything for her children and left nothing to chance, the setbacks that made her stronger, and the great crises of the global economy.

Alongside her own voice, the book features those who have been closest to her: her brothers Luc and Olivier Lallouette, her favourite cousin, and prominent figures such as Hillary Clinton, Nicolas Sarkozy, former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, rock star and activist Bono, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg.

From Christine Lagarde:

“This is one of the reasons why I wrote this book: I don’t want any of these young women to believe that you can only succeed if you are born into the right family, in the right place, with the right name. I want them to know the unvarnished truth of a rebellious little girl from a modest, middle-class background who took many risks, both calculated and spontaneous, and nevertheless ended up in the most coveted positions in politics, finance and international life.”

From Drummond Moir:

“LADY FIRST is the autobiography of a woman who has not only witnessed history, but shaped it in a decisive way. For Christine Lagarde has always been a true pioneer: the first woman to chair a major international law firm, first female G7 finance minister, first female IMF managing director, and first female president of the European Central Bank. She’s been featured 12 times in Forbes’ list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list, and is regularly cited as one of the most influential women in the world. We could not be prouder to be publishing her singular story.’