DIPLOMAT: The Worm of International Diplomacy

by Eric Clark ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1974

The nether world of diplomacy is commonly viewed as a large dining hall in which stuffy gentlemen in striped pants, cocktails in hand, mingle to the strains of protocol. There is, Clark asserts, some truth to the image, but the old school of diplomacy is dying. Modern communications have diminished the diplomat's autonomy; international economic interdependence has fostered the growth of the trade specialist; the communist representative -- convinced that the state can do no wrong -- dispenses with ""bourgeois niceties""; the American diplomat generates ""down home"" earthiness; the U.S. State Department has recently demonstrated some iconoclastic feminism; and egalitarian recruiting has undercut the aura of aristocracy (although the political appointee remains -- the U.S. ambassador to London ""can fairly be said to have bought his post""). Clark outlines the life of the career foreign service officer: lobbying for certain posts; reacting to an assignment at home; handling diplomatic immunity and duty-free goods. The job can place considerable strain on his wife and family. Clark occasionally chides the vestigial formalities such as calling cards and seating plans, suggesting that, after all, diplomats are nothing more than ""glorified journalists."" His portrayal of espionage, propaganda, and posts behind the Iron Curtain and at the U.N. is dispassionate and objective. An unusually informative and balanced book.

Pub Date: May 1, 1974

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Taplinger

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1974

Categories: NONFICTION