Some of the finest political analysis in the world –– the classified reporting cables sent from U.S. embassies to Washington––never reaches the public eye. Now Ray Smith has filled this gap in the literature on diplomacy with The Craft of Political Analysis for Diplomats (Potomac Books, 2011). Smith explains how to write for one’s intended audience, how to make best use of the intellectual and analytical tools of the trade, what happens when the analyst’s views differ from government policy, and why political analysis risks becoming irrelevant, even though it remains urgently needed.

Using declassified cables he presents two case studies: first, four highly restricted Embassy Moscow cables on events surrounding the collapse of the Soviet Union; and second, two cables on the Arab-Israeli conflict that received the State Department’s highest award for political analysis. Smith provides a guide to understanding the work behind the scenes that produces embassy reporting. He offers a practitioner’s view of what is required to do good diplomatic political analysis. In the process he exemplifies the professionalism the best diplomats employ in serving their country.