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Colin Powell's Reflections On His Legacy In Memoir "It Worked For Me' : NPR's Book of the Day When Colin Powell died on October 18 at the age of 84 from COVID-19 complications, he left behind a long, decorated career in Washington and the U.S. Army. He spent much of his life in the military, eventually rising to the rank of four-star general, and went on to become the first Black Secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs. But, as he discussed in a 2012 interview with NPR's Robert Siegel about his memoir It Worked For Me, Powell's reputation was tarnished when he used faulty evidence to push for the Iraq War: "I'll never leave it behind."

NPR's Book of the Day

How Colin Powell Wanted The World To Remember Him

How Colin Powell Wanted The World To Remember Him

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the cover of It Worked For Me by Colin Powell
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Harper
the cover of It Worked For Me by Colin Powell
Harper

When Colin Powell died on October 18 at the age of 84 from COVID-19 complications, he left behind a long, decorated career in Washington and the U.S. Army. He spent much of his life in the military, eventually rising to the rank of four-star general, and went on to become the first Black Secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs. But, as he discussed in a 2012 interview with NPR's Robert Siegel about his memoir It Worked For Me, Powell's reputation was tarnished when he used faulty evidence to push for the Iraq War: "I'll never leave it behind."

Want to learn more?

Find out where you can buy It Worked For Me, in addition to Powell's other books.

Read about Powell's legacy as the first Black Secretary of State and chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

Listen to the original interview with NPR's Robert Siegel.