You've seen them on the news, looking competent and concerned in their navy suits. They're in Beijing, Riyadh, Nairobi, Geneva, and of course Washington, DC. They look uneasy on camera. When they speak (which is as little as possible), it's with caution, hemmed in by protocol and the fear of causing an incident.
These are the diplomats.
With Attaché Case, Todd Pierce, who spent more than 25 years at the State Department, traces his postings around the world, and tells what goes on backstage at the embassy. There are clashes over policy, media faux pas, and a visit to a Turkish prison. In Greece, Albania, Ghana, Turkey, Myanmar, and Switzerland, there is the error-prone translation of one country for another. There is public diplomacy, illustrated by Tom of Finland.
Find out what a working-level diplomat does every day, and what happens, come evening, at receptions. (Do they really serve Ferrero Rocher chocolates?) What does the US have in common with celebrities? How does the dance between reporters and flacks work, exactly? And what on earth is a minister extraordinary and plenipotentiary?
THIS IS HOW YOUR DIPLOMACY GETS MADE.
