Ambassadors at Sea: the High and Low Adventures of a Diplomat [Hardcover]

Henry E. Catto Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1998

In 1969, Henry Catto was selling insurance in San Antonio, Texas. Just 20 years later, he presented his credentials as ambassador to the Court of St. James's to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, at Buckingham Palace. In this engaging memoir, he retraces his journey from Texas outsider to Washington insider, providing a fascinating look at the glamour, day-to-day work, and even occasional danger that come with being a high-level representative of the United States government. Catto's posts brought him into contact with the world's most powerful leaders and left him with a wealth of stories, which he recounts amusingly in these pages. He was the official host for Queen Elizabeth's visit to America during the Bicentennial year - and one of Jose-Napoleon Duarte's protectors after his failed 1972 coup attempt in El Salvador. Catto accompanied Richard Nixon on his historic trip to Russia, sparred with Bill Moyers and the producers of "60 Minutes" as Caspar Weinberger's spokesman at the Pentagon, and hosted George Bush's planning meeting with Margaret Thatcher at the beginning of the Persian Gulf War.

Editorial Reviews

Review

When it comes to foreign affairs, Henry E. Catto Jr. may not have seen it all, but he's come close--and seen most of the world, besides. For more than two decades, Catto served Republican presidents in a succession of lofty posts in which he was an on-the-scene observer of historic events. . . . Catto has now written Ambassadors at Sea, a delightful memoir with humorous reflections on the inevitable mishaps and errors that plague dealings with folks from different cultures. . . . Indeed, there is something for everyone in Catto's memoir. Lovers of the capital's lavish social scene will find ample accounts of elegant Georgetown dinners along with details of White House entertaining. (San Antonio Express-News 19981108)

Review

Henry Catto served our country with integrity in a variety of important posts. Here Ambassador Catto, sometimes with humor, sometimes with pathos, takes us on a public service journey that should engage all who are interested in what it is like to unselfishly serve. In a wonderfully unpretentious way, Mr. Catto brings alive our embassy in the UK, the U.S. Information Service, and so much else. This citizen ambassador, this true friend of mine, has written a fascinating book. (George H. W. Bush ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 428 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; 1 edition (1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 029271212X
• ISBN-13: 978-0292712126
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,689,398 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ambassadors at Sea; a footnote to history., July 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ambassadors at Sea: the High and Low Adventures of a Diplomat (Hardcover)

Ambassadors at Sea by Ambassador Henry Catto is an informative look through the back door and into the closets of world leaders. By recounting his experience on a very personal level, you live with the author among those on the international stage whose personas are usually submerged into and behind their official facades. Ambassadors at Sea is thus a footnote to history, and will appeal to those who wish to delve deeper than the news releases and headline portraits of those who shaped the world during a very crucial period of our history.

Jesse H.Oppenheimer San Antonio, Texas

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is both fun to read and informative., June 2, 1999

By 

[e-mail] Sue Oppenheimer (San Antonioi,Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ambassadors at Sea: the High and Low Adventures of a Diplomat (Hardcover)

"Ambassadors at Sea" by Henry Catto is an informative, and at the same time,delightful book. Ambassador Catto has recounted his experiences as ambassador first to El Salvador and later to Great Britain, as Chief of Protocol, as head of the United States Information Agency, Ambassador to the European Office of the United Nations,and spokeperson for the Pentagon under Secretary of Defense,Cap Weinberger.There are wonderful anecdotes about all the Presidents he served under:Reagan,Bush, Nixon, and Ford, as well as interesting asides about Nancy Reagan, Henry Kissinger, Margaret Thatcher, and countless foreign dignitaries.Catto expresses his reactions to the famous and the fatuous in an honest and self-deprecating way. For example:he refers to a conversation with Nancy Reagan at a dinner party by commenting,"To say she was hard to talk to would be a gross understatement",or on President Nixon;"I never heard anyone accuse him of having a sense of humor".These bits of information make for fun reading., This book is both educational and enjoyable. What more can you ask!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS BOOK SHOULD BE MADE INTO A MOVIE!, March 1, 1999

By 

Frances Marie Scura - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ambassadors at Sea: the High and Low Adventures of a Diplomat (Hardcover)

This Ambassador has written a beautiful and witty book. It is a joyous romp through a glamorous career in which he finds himself in the "sea" of the world's great and powerful and enjoys every minute of it. Ambassador Catto worked in important positions under several administrations from the 60's to the 90's, including appointments in the Departments of State and Defense, US Ambassador to the UN (Geneva), Great Britain and El Salvador, as well as Chief of Protocol, and Head of US. Information Service and League of Pan American States. His perceptions give depth and breadth to the history and newsmakers of the past four decades, and shine light through keyholes of the rich and powerful. Ambassador Catto's view is so optimistic and good natured, you can't help but feel the past 50 years have been great after all. American Ambassadors have a reputation for being big financial contributors to presidential campaigns but not necessarily knowledgeable of languages, world history or foreign affairs, or sensitive, compassionate and tactful. Ambassador Catto, however breaks the stereotype and is uniquely qualified. As a knowledgeable businessman he was able to promote American business interests abroad, and being fluent in French and Spanish and a lover of people, and art and literature of other cultures, he was always comfortable in any society. His book is written with unfailing generosity of spirit, humbly giving credit for his successes throughout the book to his brilliant wife and others, including his good friend, President George Bush. He manages to be humorous, poignant and poetic all at the same time. I think his book should be made into a movie with Bill Murray starring as the lovable roving chief of protocol and ambassador. It wouldn't be Saturday Night Live, but it would be lively.