Description
Book SynopsisCarne Ross was a diplomat on the front line of today’s most pressing issues, from Israel/Palestine to Afghanistan and Iraq, over which he resigned from the British Foreign Office. He was trained to see the world through a prism of states and interests, but the reality of his negotiations revealed very different -- more complex, and more human -- forces at play. 'Independent Diplomat' exposes this fundamental weakness of institutional diplomacy: exclusion of those most affected by its outcomes, whether at the UN, the EU or within national foreign ministries. Illustrated with vivid episodes from his career -- from New York to Kabul -- Ross offers a refreshing critique of contemporary diplomacy and of how to put it right.
Trade ReviewIn 'Independent Diplomat', Carne Ross has little patience with the qualified admiration and curiosity with which ambassadors have traditionally been regarded. He tells the story of the disillusionment and rebirth--also in diplomacy--of a fifteen-year veteran of one of the most internationally respected diplomatic establishments, the British Foreign Service. * New York Review of Books *
A stunning insight in to the surreal world of British diplomacy. * The Guardian *
This is a rare and honest book about real-life diplomacy, reported from the coal-face. -- George Soros
A fascinating new book. ... much more interesting than the average diplomat's memoir. * Financial Times *
[Ross] exposes the absurdity, the ignorance and indifference of international bureaucracies, quietly and with clear-sighted accuracy. -- Rory Stewart, author, 'The Places in Between' and 'The Prince of the Marshes'
Carne Ross's book fills a significant need in the literature on the theory and practice of contemporary diplomacy. There have been numbers of valuable critical works on issues in contemporary diplomacy, but a limiting factor has been that they speak from the 'outside', as it were, offering analytical observations rather than recording experiences and using them as a basis for a more richly-informed critique. 'Independent Diplomat' promises to lift the veil from practices and institutions which of their nature have been shrouded in secrecy, if not exactly in mystery. -- Professor William Maley, AM, Director, Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy, Australian National University
