Embassies Under Siege: Personal Accounts by Diplomats on the Front Line (Institute for the Study of Diplomacy) [Hardcover]

Joseph G. Sullivan (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In nine superb essays in this fascinating book-recounting grave incidents at our embassies in Uganda, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, San Salvador, Kuwait, Liberia, and Somalia-resourceful diplomats provide numerous suggestions on how to improve security for State Department employees abroad. They painstakingly recount tragedies that befell them and the many obstacles they had to overcome both during and after each incident. In several instances, they also relate how indigenous employees paid heavily for their association with U.S. interests. In response to several tragic events, the State Department embarked on a massive construction effort to turn U.S. embassies into fortresses for increasingly cautious diplomats. Although the essays here do not purport to answer why American embassies are under siege or why there is growing anti-Americanism abroad, these questions are also important. Still, this book is an excellent way to better understand the daily dangers in the lives of U.S. Foreign Service officers. Recommended.
Joseph A. Kechichian, Rand Corp., Santa Monica, Cal.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 180 pages
• Publisher: Brassey's US (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574880225
• ISBN-13: 978-1574880229
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,429,834 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why Diplomacy is the First Line of Defense, March 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Embassies Under Siege: Personal Accounts by Diplomats on the Front Line (Institute for the Study of Diplomacy) (Hardcover)

"Embassies Under Siege" tells the story of some of the greatest tragedies and dramas of modern diplomacy. Told by Americans who experienced shattering events, these first-hand accounts speak of courage, terror, and blunders as ordinary foreign service officers attempt to cope with extraordinary circumstances. The immediacy of the writing, brevity of the chapters, and the harrowing reality of the assassinations, bombings and hostage-takings make this a quick read. Yet you will ponder the lessons of "Embassies Under Siege" long after you've finished the book. A must-read for anyone interested in foreign affairs and the challenges of diplomacy in developing countries.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Eye Opener, April 18, 2002

By 

John G. Hilliard (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Embassies Under Siege: Personal Accounts by Diplomats on the Front Line (Institute for the Study of Diplomacy) (Hardcover)

The premises of this book are that during the late 70" and 80's budget cuts decreased the amount of money the State Department could spend on the embassy program. The cuts they chose to make were to the site security forces and the actual compound security equipment. The book also gives the reader a nice little run down of all the attaches they have faced over the past 25 years.

The most interesting parts of the book were the known safety issues that were brought up by embassy staff, but could not be corrected due to funding problems. Then to correlate these safety issues with the events that have taken place or the past few years, it is chilling to see the mistakes that were made. Overall this is an interesting book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Dark Side of International Diplomacy, December 31, 2003

By 

Christopher A. McNeely (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Embassies Under Siege: Personal Accounts by Diplomats on the Front Line (Institute for the Study of Diplomacy) (Hardcover)

Having served in a security role as a Marine Security Guard with the Department of State, I found this book fasinating! It really shows in detail the circumstances surrounding several different situations that occured at embassies throughout the world. It also shows our Diplomats at their finest. The Department of State is not usually looked upon as a "macho" agency in the US Government. This book also shows the close relationship between the US Marine Corps and the Department of State. A very good book for aspiring Diplomats to read concerning the other side of Diplomacy!!!