January of 1968 saw two of the most serious incidents to occur on the Korean peninsula since the end of…
Philip Habib — Cursed is the Peacemaker
Philip Habib (February 25, 1920 – May 25, 1992) was a career diplomat known for his work in Vietnam, South Korea and the Middle East.…
The Jonestown Massacre
Jonestown, Guyana was the scene of one of the most harrowing tragedies in American history. On November 18, 1978, at…
Fifty Years in USAID
Back to Memoirs and Occasional Papers Fifty Years in USAID: Stories from the Front Line Published in November 2012 by…
Tie a Yellow Ribbon — The Iran Hostage Crisis as Seen from the Home Front
Penelope (Penne) Laingen is the wife of Bruce Laingen, who had served in Germany, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan before being…
The Architecture of Diplomacy
Back to Diplomats and Diplomacy The Architecture of Diplomacy: Building America’s Embassies “What do we, as a nation, mean to…
Danger Zones
Back to Memoirs and Occasional Papers Danger Zones: A Diplomat’s Fight for America’s Interests “Ambassador Dean comes across in this…
The Limits of Influence
Back to Diplomats and Diplomacy The Limits of Influence: America’s Role in Kashmir “This is a superb history of the…
“Emperor Dead”
Back to Diplomats and Diplomacy “Emperor Dead” and Other Historic American Diplomatic Dispatches No better book could have launched the…
Ellsworth Bunker
Back to Diplomats and Diplomacy Ellsworth Bunker: Global Troubleshooter, Vietnam Hawk “Bunker was one of our country’s great diplomats…[marked by]…