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Fiona Hill
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There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century Kindle Edition

by Fiona Hill (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,921 ratings
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"This book has a miraculous quality.... As a memoir this is hard to put down; if you are seeking a better American future you should pick it up.”—Timothy Snyder, New York Times best-selling author of On Tyranny

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | A celebrated foreign policy expert and key impeachment witness reveals how declining opportunity has set America on the grim path of modern Russia—and draws on her personal journey out of poverty, as well as her unique perspectives as an historian and policy maker, to show how we can return hope to our forgotten places.

Fiona Hill grew up in a world of terminal decay. The last of the local mines had closed, businesses were shuttering, and despair was etched in the faces around her. Her father urged her to get out of their blighted corner of northern England: “There is nothing for you here, pet,” he said.  

 The coal-miner’s daughter managed to go further than he ever could have dreamed. She studied in Moscow and at Harvard, became an American citizen, and served three U.S. Presidents. But in the heartlands of both Russia and the United States, she saw troubling reflections of her hometown and similar populist impulses. By the time she offered her brave testimony in the first impeachment inquiry of President Trump, Hill knew that the desperation of forgotten people was driving American politics over the brink—and that we were running out of time to save ourselves from Russia’s fate. In this powerful, deeply personal account, she shares what she has learned, and shows why expanding opportunity is the only long-term hope for our democracy.

“Of every book written by anybody associated with the Trump administration, in any way, [this] is absolutely the one to read.”—Rachel Maddow  

A New York Times Bestseller | A Washington Post Bestseller | A Washington Post Notable Book of the Year | A Financial Times Best Book of the Year

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  5. Publication date
    October 5, 2021
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Valuable and riveting . . . Hill’s personal, professional and political lives form a coherent whole so that each part illuminates the other . . . a memoir that will give pleasure to readers today — and will be an important document for historians of the future.”
—Financial Times

“This book has a miraculous quality. Fiona Hill has transformed her own predicaments in the Trump administration into a prescription for a better America. Known as an outstanding expert on Russia and an exemplary public servant, she reveals herself here as a wise observer and a beautiful writer. As a memoir this is hard to put down; if you are seeking a better American future you should pick it up.”
—Timothy Snyder, Yale University, New York Times best-selling author of On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

“[An] ambitious, immensely compelling memoir, Hill interweaves her interesting life story with events and issues she has continued to observe during her career . . . The author persuasively argues that America may be heading in a similar direction to Russia unless we address the crucial challenges facing much of the country, specifically regarding education, health care, and job opportunities. Drawing insightful parallels between Trump and Putin, she unpacks how the threat of populism can quickly undermine democracy . . . A shrewd, absorbing memoir that casts a sharp eye on America's future while offering feasible solutions for change.”
—Kirkus Reviews, *starred* review

"In this captivating chronicle of her improbable life, Fiona Hill takes us from a Northern England of idled coal mines and deindustrialization to Trump’s Oval Office, demonstrating how individual biography can illuminate far broader issues of world affairs. Her book represents a stern and essential warning about the global threats to democracy and their root causes in a worldwide crisis of opportunity."
—Drew Gilpin Faust, President Emerita and Arthur Kingsley Porter University Professor, Harvard University

“A sobering analysis of the toxic environment Trump and his aides created and how it continues to threaten democracy’s very existence.”
—Booklist, *starred* review

“Fiona Hill knows all too well the threats posed by Russia and the Trump administration, but this well-written, analytically sophisticated autobiography is focused on an even more dangerous crisis: the vast and growing opportunity gap in the United States and much of the rest of the world. Her personal story of upward mobility from the distressed coal fields of northern England to the White House is, as she knows, ‘a fluke.’ That is precisely what makes this remarkable book must reading for anyone concerned about our country’s future.”
—Robert D. Putnam, Professor of Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School, and New York Times best-selling author of Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis and The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again

“Fiona Hill is what the miners of County Durham called a 'clever lass' whose talents took her from England to Putin’s Russia and to the Trump White House. She has lived through the social and economic disintegration of England, Russia, and America, and has the close-up experience to draw new parallels between Putin and Trump. She was a waitress who was expected to accept being groped in the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St Andrews and was mistaken for a typist in the Oval Office during Trump’s call with Putin—what else could the only woman be, and what matter if she was the only Russian speaker present? A candid, insightful, and disturbing story.”
—Sir Angus Deaton, Nobel Prize winner and co-author of the New York Times best-selling Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism

"Lucid . . . a forceful argument for investing in education to lower the barriers to opportunity . . . Readers will come for the insider details about Trump, but stay for the keen analysis."
—Publishers Weekly

“A masterful book with remarkable depth and breadth. Fiona Hill covers everything from deindustrialization to U.S.-Russia relations to the chaos of working in the Trump White House to the challenges still facing women at the highest levels of their professions. What holds together these related but diverse topics is her riveting, momentous biography, as well as her underlying argument about the dangers of persistent disadvantage and lack of opportunity: despair ravaging societies, populism and authoritarianism undermining democracies, and lost generations and dying places. Hill raises a stark warning about these threats, and yet she is full of ideas about how to heal our dangerous divides. She ends the book with a wonderful guide to how people from all walks of life—from CEOs to teachers—can contribute to solving this problem, a manifesto filled with good ideas, realistic proposals, and a healthy dose of Fiona’s seemingly endless energy. There Is Nothing for You Here is a wonderful and compelling read that interweaves its author’s amazing personal journey with deep analysis of some of the most urgent issues facing capitalism, democracy, and international diplomacy today. It is a rare and remarkable combination.”
—Carol Graham, Leo Pasvolsky Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution and College Park Professor, University of Maryland School of Public Polic

About the Author

FIONA HILL is a senior fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings. She recently served as deputy assistant to the president and senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council from 2017 to 2019. From 2006 to 2009, she served as national intelligence officer for Russia and Eurasia at The National Intelligence Council. She has researched and published extensively on issues related to Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, regional conflicts, energy, and strategic issues and is co-author of ''Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin'' and ''The Siberian Curse: How Communist Planners Left Russia Out in the Cold.'' She holds a master’s in Soviet studies and a doctorate in history from Harvard University and a master’s in Russian and modern history from St. Andrews University in Scotland, and has pursued studies at Moscow’s Maurice Thorez Institute of Foreign Languages. Hill is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and lives in the Washington, DC, area.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08NWT7LZ7
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mariner Books (October 5, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 5, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3714 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 443 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0063269082
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,921 ratings

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Fiona Hill

Fiona Hill

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Fiona Hill is the Robert Bosch Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Studies Program at The Brookings Institution. From 2017-2019 she was on leave from Brookings and served as the Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Europe and Russia at the US National Security Council. From 2006-2009, she was the National Intelligence Officer for Russia and Eurasia at the National Intelligence Council. Prior to joining Brookings, she was director of strategic planning at The Eurasia Foundation in Washington, DC, and held a number of positions directing technical assistance and research projects at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Hill holds an A.M. in Soviet Studies and Ph.D. in History from Harvard University; an M.A. degree in Russian and Modern History from St. Andrews University in Scotland; and has pursued studies at Moscow's Maurice Thorez Institute of Foreign Languages. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
2,921 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

parker
5.0 out of 5 stars Fiona Hill
Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2024
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A well written recounting of Ms. Hill's circuitous path from rural England to the power centers of DC. Worth the read.
One person found this helpful
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M. Bowman
5.0 out of 5 stars FANTASTIC Book!!
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2024
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I can remember watching the author testify before Congress on TV and thinking "this woman really GETS IT." And she does. This book tells her story - from her background in industrial Northern England to working in the halls of power in the Trump Administration. Her assessment of Trump's presidency is the most honest, level-headed, accurate description of his four years in office -- and gives us many, many good reasons he should never be given four more years. One of the best books on politics I've ever read!
3 people found this helpful
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Tuscanwino
4.0 out of 5 stars Poor Brit reaches Oval Office and whines about disadvantage of being a female with an accent
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2022
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Having read the versions of Trump’s final years in office in the memoirs of Ambassador Yovanovitch and Lt. Colonel Vindman, I looked forward to Fiona Hill’s input. The first half of the book leads up to her time in the Trump era limelight—very, very slowly. Certainly, there is interest in her origins in the Northeast of England, and in factors leading to her decision to come to the U.S. for higher education at Harvard. She also, however, presents a narrative that is more appropriate to an historical treatise (albeit very biased). This continues in the second half, Ms. Hill telling us what we have been reading in the papers but nothing about her role (if any). Most annoying, in the first half, is her constant reference to the inequalities felt by the female sex. What is she whining about? She got to the Oval Office, after all, having been born a relatively poor coal-miner’s daughter in another country. [Vindman does his share of whining, too. Not so Yovanovich, who takes it like a man.] Then there’s the continuing nonsense about how her north-country rural accent puts her at a disadvantage. Sorry, lady, but it is entirely possible to not only modify an accent but to lose it altogether if you have a mind to. [I lived in London for three years and after a few months could speak Brit whenever I wanted to.] The book is heavy on reiteration of yesterday’s news, whining about underprivilege, and Trump-bashing (I like that part). It will be a good read for my great-granddaughter when she gets a lot older (she’s 10).
11 people found this helpful
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Sarah Younes
5.0 out of 5 stars MUST READ - a witty, poignant, and insightful page turner
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2021
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I couldn't put the book down -- sacrificed a few nights of good sleep to get an extra hour or two in reading this!

Given Fiona Hill's role in Trump's WH, I expected this book to be very focused on her time there. While she does cover that, equally compelling are the engrossing stories of growing up in a very poor coal-miners town in the UK. For someone so clearly BRILLIANT and successful, this book is incredibly accessible, vulnerable, thought-provoking, and at times laugh-out-loud funny (see the story of walking into a broom closet, and many others). She truly has a talent for story-telling, all the more remarkable given how much she seems committed to doing her job well vs. soliciting attention and praise.

When she does delve into her time at the White House, Fiona manages to provide scathing commentary on the failures of the Trump admin without a hint of partisanship. What could have easily been a "gotcha" tell-all is instead a thoughtful, actionable look at what is going wrong in our country, why, and what to do about it. Her ability to draw parallels between the US, UK, and Russia were really interesting, and actually inspiring to learn that some of the challenges we're facing in this country are not unique to us.

Whether you consider yourself a politico or not, I promise you'll enjoy this book - it truly is a story for everyone. My only hope is that she publishes another!!
12 people found this helpful
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maija s.
5.0 out of 5 stars A Parallel Life
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2021
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I was born 2 years before Ms Hill and her descriptions of England in the 70s and 80s could almost be mine.. except I started one more rung up the ladder in Southern England and my parents had the money to let me take advantage of the 11+ exam.
Her observations about school and the complete lack of mentoring for women back then is as familiar as a Specials song. I too took the early Oxbridge entry exam with zero tutoring, did appallingly, and was offered an interview. In my case they asked me to take it again after my A levels and come see them again, which I never did, though ended up the first person from my all girls school to apply to do a degree in Engineering, and get accepted.
After graduating, my trajectory went in a more of an alternative direction than Ms Hill, even though, randomly, we both ended up in the US. I work in the trades (back to the blue collar!) and love it. Nowadays a decent wage can be made working with your hands, and perhaps at this moment in time it holds better prospects than for many who go to university. It's a strange world.
In any case, this is an excellent book, wonderfully written, evocative of time and place, and incredibly insightful for our times.
It makes me wish more of our elected officials came from the 'rank and file', from blue collar, from struggle. Perhaps they would be smarter.
13 people found this helpful
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Joseph May
5.0 out of 5 stars Educated and insightful as well as deeply experienced
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2024
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Fiona Hill proves the value of education as well as immigration. Her book shows her to be a selfless patriot and an individual who must have the most interesting conversations. Her deep knowledge and surgical analytic capability are both quite exceptional.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Peter
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written tale by gifted political and policy observer, with fascinating background
Reviewed in Canada on June 14, 2022
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First encountered Fiona Hill when she gave testimony in first Trump impeachment hearings, where she should stood out as an extraordinarily articulate and knowledgeable policy expert, especially on Russian issues. Confident and with a fearless ability to speak truth to power, she epitomized the value of having people willing to present factual analysis as the basis for complex policy decisions. The book is highly readable and engaging, part memoir and part advocacy, detailing how she was able to transcend limits imposed by birth as a coal miner’s daughter in economically depressed England, then using her academic gifts, hard work, and brave self confidence to become an internationally respected policy analyst in senior Washington circles. An excellent read and inspiring to think how much better the world would be with more people like Fiona Hill working behind the scenes to help government function properly, and supporting good decisions based on facts and a sound ethical perspective.
2 people found this helpful
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José Huerta Ibarra
5.0 out of 5 stars Especialidad ignorada
Reviewed in Mexico on November 4, 2021
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Relata con humor los avatares de una persona especializada cuya profesión suele ignorarse en todas partes. Sin embargo, aporta una visión perspicaz que de ser atendida redundaría soluciones originales profundas, completas a problemas políticos, sociales, complejos que demandan consideración de detalles que suelen ser difíciles de percibir. Un libro ameno de una persona profesional cuyas experiencias revelan confrontaciones habituales que suelen vivir quienes se ultraespecializan.
One person found this helpful
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A P A Simm
5.0 out of 5 stars A wake up call
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 16, 2023
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Democracies are more likely to die at the ballot box than by the bullet. Fiona Hills memoir exposes the damage wrought to Democratic systems by a furring up of the arteries of social mobility and a growing detachment between a political establishment that has become increasingly beholden to the dictates of financial and economic interests and consequently unable, or unwilling, to place the needs and long term vitality of society at the forefront of its concerns. She also argues very convincingly that this creates fissures and resentments in societies beset by increasing inequality of opportunity and social deprivation which can be manipulated by authoritarian regimes, which seek to promote division and undermine ordinary people's confidence in democratic governance. As she maintains, educational opportunities are crucial for reigniting hope and tapping the creative potential of young people. This is essential for creating a society at ease with itself, willing to negotiate and compromise over its priorities in a mature way, and one which can confidently rebuff unwanted interference from malign state actors. Altogether, an excellent and heart warming memoir. Highly recommended for those with an interest in forging a better future.
2 people found this helpful
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CAM
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb . . .
Reviewed in the Netherlands on January 14, 2022
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Interesting for its comparison of social conditions in the North-East of England, the US rust belt around Pittsburg, and similar towns in Russia after an industry died quite rapidly and the authories failed to provide new employment possibilities .
The author's experience with the British class system is well documented and and I endorse all that she has written.
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Graeme Webster
4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting and worthwhile read.
Reviewed in Australia on September 9, 2023
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I read this book quite quickly; it is well and coherently written, and the arguments are easy enough to follow. I withheld one star because it does tend to be a little repetitive, but it is a fascinating story about the rise of a young girl from the depths of bone-crushing penury to the top of her chosen profession. Along the way, she is a witness to some of the momentous events of our times, and in the presence of many of the 'great and good'. It is also a testament to the very real and practical assistance she was given by those who were not obliged to give it, which I personally found uplifting, and for which Dr Hill appears to be appropriately grateful.
Finally, Dr Hill makes a clarion call for what I would consider to be one of the most important roles of government - the appropriate provision of opportunity for all members of a society, not just those who have a majority of the chance in life by virtue of accident of birth.
An interesting and worthwhile read.
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