Behind the Embassy Door: Canada, Clinton, and Quebec

From the moment he became U.S. ambassador to Canada in 1993, James J. Blanchard was determined to make a difference. He succeeded – to hte benefit of both countries.

Behind the Embassy Door is an insider’s view of politics and diplomacy at one of the most crucial periods in the history of U.S.-Canada relations. The North American Free Trade Agreement, negotiated against a background of fierce controversy, was agreed to but not yet ratified and a newly elected Liberal government had promised to renegotiate the deal. At the same time, the separatist government in Quebec was pushing the country to the brink of dissolution with a referendum on sovereignty. This book gives fascinating insight into the role of the U.S. ambassador at a time when seemingly minor remarks and gestures could prove decisive.

This is an extraordinary account of how international relations are conducted at the highest level. It is also a candid account of the everyday life of an ambassador abroad. Blanchard takes us behind the scenes with a number of Canadian and American politicians and public figures, from Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to President Clinton, and many of their senior cabinet members and advisers.

Blanchard describes the coast-to-coast trip across Canada that he undertook shortly after his arrival. And he tells about visits to Ottawa by the president, Vice-President Gore, Madeleine Albright, and many others. He recalls how the president’s mother charmed a thousand women and how Hillary Clinton skated on the famed Rideau Canal.

This book offers an unprecedented and frequently surprising look at the intimate everyday workings of a relationship that is unique among nations.