Peace Makers uncovers the hidden world of British diplomacy during the Second World War. Far from the quiet corridors of Whitehall, it was a stage for patriots and public servants, but also for charmers, chancers, eccentrics, and adventurers. Drawing on fresh research and vivid storytelling, the book reveals the extraordinary, often untold stories of the diplomats who shaped the war-and the world that followed.
More than a chronicle of strategy and statecraft, this is a deeply human story. Under the pressures of war, the Foreign Office began to change. Prejudices crumbled, especially around the role of women, and the wartime service paved the way for the more open, representative diplomacy of the post-war years. These accounts of persuasion, influence, and resilience remain as relevant today as they were in the 1940s. Firmly grounded in history but written for a wide readership, Peace Makers will appeal to readers of Max Hastings, Antony Beevor, and Ben Macintyre, as well as anyone interested in the hidden dramas of the war and the people who shaped the modern Foreign Office.
Peace Makers is profoundly relevant today because it shows how diplomacy, human ingenuity, and resilience can shape the course of history-even under extreme pressure. In an era of global uncertainty, where international cooperation is more crucial than ever, the book's stories of persuasion, negotiation, and breaking down barriers offer timeless lessons. By highlighting the courage and creativity of diplomats, including the pioneering roles of women in the Foreign Office, it reminds us that progress often comes from those willing to challenge conventions. Far from being a distant historical account, Peace Makers illuminates the skills, values, and adaptability that remain essential for navigating the complex world we face now.
Chapters include:
1 Witness to disaster: the Paris Embassy and the fall of France
2 The price of peace for our time: the build-up to war
3 Adapting to survive: the war comes to Whitehall
4 Breaking down the barriers: women in the Foreign Office
5 Persuasion and propaganda: three women of the world
6 Being met together: the Atlantic Charter and the outlines of a new international order
7 Cheerful energy: eight months of lockdown in Tokyo
8 Keeping Spain neutral: diplomats and spies in wartime Madrid
9 Running risks in Rome: Francis d'Arcy Osborne's four years in the Vatican
10 A walk in the Russian woods: Archibald Clark Kerr and the courting of Stalin
11 Shaping a better world: Gladwyn Jebb and the United Nations plan
12 Picking up the pieces: de Gaulle, Churchill and the making of an ally
13 Risking a false prospectus: Yalta and the limits of diplomacy
14 The last hard yards: from San Francisco to Potsdam
15 Winning the peace: the Foreign Office and the post-war world
Peter Ricketts was a British diplomat for more than forty years and rose to be the Permanent Under Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service. He was also the UK's first National Security Adviser, and Ambassador to France. He is now a member of the House of Lords, the Chairman of the Franco-British Council and Vice Chairman of the Royal United Services Institute. He is much in demand as a commentator on foreign affairs, appearing regularly on the BBC, Sky News, Times Radio and LBC. He has written for the FT, the Times and the New Statesman. His first book, Hard Choices: the making and unmaking of global Britain, was published in 2021.
A fascinating and highly readable account of how the Foreign Office helped turned wartime victory into postwar peace, full of vivid quotes from the men and women - yes, lots of women - who served their country in little-known ways.
Prof. David Reynolds, Cambridge University
This wonderfully written book by Peter Ricketts about the war service of so many dedicated men and women in the British Foreign Office places them at long last wh
