Diplomat: The World of International Diplomacy

Based on extensive interviews with leading diplomats throughout the world, this absorbing account of today's foreign service covers all its major facets - the growth of the diplomatic corps of several countries into spiraling bureaucratic organizations, the different roles of representatives of major powers and new nations, and the complex problems of espionage and counter-espionage which constantly confront foreign embassies. Discussing the effects of the Cold War on traditional diplomacy, the author stresses the marked rise in the use of press attachés to the major missions and the development of large propaganda machines as an integral part of both American and Russian diplomacy. Revealing glimpses of diplomatic life explore the continuing social whirl which engulfs many in this charmed circle while examining the delicate role assigned to the diplomatic wife and her family. Intrigue, scandal, and occasional lapses from social propriety add color to the narrative.