Arts of Power: Statecraft and Diplomacy (Cross-Cultural Negotiation Books) [Paperback]

Chas. W. Freeman Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Series: Cross-Cultural Negotiation Books | Publication Date: July 1, 1997

In this comprehensive treatment, distinguished diplomat Chas Freeman describes the fundamental principles of the art of statecraft and the craft of diplomacy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Freeman has written a beautiful treatise on the tools of diplomacy." -- Foreign Service Journal

"Seminal because it goes to the heart of diplomacy and international negotiations and necessary because it provides an essential update to the few existing classical works on the subject. A thought-provoking manual for the professional diplomat as well as a guidebook for the student of diplomacy--or even the casual reader interested in current international topics." -- Parameters

About the Author

Chas. W. Freeman, Jr., has been a career officer in the U.S. Foreign Service, ambassador to Saudi Arabia during the Persian Gulf War, and assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. He was a fellow at the United States Institute of Peace in 1994-95 and is the author of Arts of Power: Statecraft and Diplomacy (USIP Press) and Diplomat's Dictionary (USIP Press).

Product Details

• Paperback: 174 pages
• Publisher: United States Institute of Peace (July 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1878379658
• ISBN-13: 978-1878379658
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,561 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, Practical Handbook on Statecraft, July 5, 2000

By 

James Schoonmaker (Centreville, Virginia USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Arts of Power: Statecraft and Diplomacy (Cross-Cultural Negotiation Books) (Paperback)

Although this book contains only 140 pages of text, Freeman has managed to pack a lot of useful information into it. Its focus is on the practical application of statecraft. To quote Freeman, "statecraft is concerned with the application of the power of the state to other states and peoples. Diplomacy applies this power by persuasive appeals short of war." In other words, diplomacy is but one tool of statecraft. What makes this book rare is that the author is a career foreign service officer, in a bureau where the preservation of peace at any cost is often paramount. It is unusual at best to hear anyone from the Department of State to discuss the usefulness of the application of force or intelligence to international relations.
Arts of Power falls somewhere between the books of international theory and those social psychology books which are full of common-sense, yet contradictory aphorisms-- and it succeeds where the others fail. With a few exceptions, no decent practical guide to the application of statecraft has been written in centuries. Freeman has corrected this error, and in spades.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dry but useful, June 3, 2002

By 

"pdomin" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arts of Power: Statecraft and Diplomacy (Cross-Cultural Negotiation Books) (Paperback)

Very interesting, but really a dictionary that assumes alot of foreign policy knowlege. I bought this is the hopes that it would be a great intro to foreign policy book and was dissappointed. Nonetheless, it will make a good reference book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and concise introduction to Diplomacy, September 30, 2006

By 

Luis Mansilla Miranda (Viña del Mar, Chile) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Arts of Power: Statecraft and Diplomacy (Cross-Cultural Negotiation Books) (Paperback)

This book is a excellent introduction for people into diplomacy and statecraft. In its brief pages, you learn all the definitions, such as the functions of a embassy or a consulate, the way to conduct state relations, the skills for diplomacy, a topic about Intelligence and much more.

Now I understand why sometimes an ambassador is call for consultation!