American Ambassadors: The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Diplomats 2014th Edition

by D. Jett (Author)

8 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-1137395665

ISBN-10: 1137395664

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Some of those named as American ambassadors are the product of both a time-honored tradition and a thinly veiled form of corruption. 'American Ambassadors' explains how a person becomes an ambassador, where they go, what they do and why, in today's ever more globalized world, they are more important than ever.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“American Ambassadors is an engaging read for both those who know little to nothing about US foreign diplomacy and those familiar with the process yet intrigued by the nuances of the system. … The book is very well organized and the chapters are arranged so as to be useful to both novices and professionals. … Ambassador Jett has put together a thoroughly enjoyable book. … This is a highly recommended book to anyone interested in the American style of diplomacy!” (Sean Cosden, H-Net Humanities & Social Sciences Online, networks.h-net.org, June, 2017)

About the Author

Dennis Jett is a former American ambassador and current professor at Penn State University's School of International Affairs. His career in the U.S. Foreign Service spanned twenty-eight years and three continents, and his academic expertise focuses on international relations, foreign aid administration, and American foreign policy. Immediately prior to joining Penn State, he was dean of the International Center at the University of Florida for eight years. Jett's previous book, Why American Foreign Policy Fails: Unsafe at Home and Despised Abroad (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008) was called a "bracing read" that analyzes how "American foreign policy has become completely captive to American domestic politics" by Anne-Marie Slaughter, dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. Jett has been interviewed on Jim Lehrer News Hour, CNN, NPR and other national news programs on a range of international issues including peacekeeping, democracy, Peru, Liberia, and terrorism. Additionally, he has written more than eighty opinion pieces for major newspapers including the International Herald Tribune, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and Miami Herald.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Palgrave Macmillan; 2014th edition (June 21, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 297 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1137395664
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1137395665
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.53 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.69 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,054,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,100 in International Diplomacy (Books)
- #2,421 in Political History (Books)
- #2,529 in International Relations (Books)

Customer Reviews:
8 ratings

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Emily

Great book! Very informative.

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2019

Verified Purchase

I always recommend this book to all my friends who are looking to go into the foreign service. Jett provides an in-depth look at theDepartment and facts about the work and life of foreign service officers. He covers everything from pay differentials and hardship posts, to the differences between a political and career ambassador. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking at a career with State.

One person found this helpful

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Daniel Gainor

If You Like Politics Or History, You Will Love This Book

Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2018

Verified Purchase

I did some Googling looking for a good primer on American diplomatic history. I am darn lucky and stumbled across this book. It was exactly what the doctor, or ambassador, ordered. It's both an interesting read and a good analysis of history. It's filled with detail, anecdotes and fun behind-the-scenes stories. Any political reader will have a good time with this book. If I were this lucky every time I was ended up doing research, my life would be a lot simpler.

One person found this helpful

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Kevin

Okay book

Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2021

Verified Purchase

Not bad but to dull for me personally.

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Peter Van Buren

Only Book that Parses Politically-Appointed Ambassadors Outside a Partisan Rubric

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2015

The micro-review of Dennis Jett's American Ambassadors is this: Since 1960, 72 percent of America's ambassadors to Western Europe and the Caribbean have been political appointees, their primary if often only qualification being that they donated obscene amounts of money to the guy who won the presidency. America is the only first world country that hands out ambassadorships as overt prizes of corruption. Many/most of these political ambassadors have done mediocre-to-poor jobs, and no one does much of anything about that, or even seems to care. Likely the only way to reform this sad system is to reform big money politics in America.

Reform to a spoils system so deeply embedded in the way someone gets elected to the White House depends on reform of how someone gets elected to the White House. So if you can't do away with the spoils system, the only alternative left is to better prepare the political appointees. Making Dennis Jett's book required reading for every person up for consideration would be a hell of a start.

6 people found this helpful

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James D. Walsh

If you think you know how Ambassadors get those jobs, think again!

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2015

I found this to be both an insightful and delightful read. The first because it’s the best piece I’ve found to accurately describe the process by which we choose our top diplomats. Who better to do this than someone who has run the gauntlet himself? Twice! Delightful because Ambassador Jett has brought his trenchant brand of humor to his analysis of an arcane selection process. Along the way he has unearthed some of the shenanigans associated with it as well. To wit—a President of doubtful morals himself names a felon to serve as his Ambassador. There’s a story! Jett has a raft of them. If you think you know how Ambassadors get those jobs, think again!
James D. Walsh, Former U.S. Ambassador to Argentina

4 people found this helpful

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Ryan M. Scoville

This is the best resource on U

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2018

This is the best resource on U.S. ambassadorial appointments since Elmer Plischke's 1975 book, United States Diplomats and Their Missions. Jett writes as a real insider, and he reveals details about the appointments process that are difficult to find elsewhere. I view American Ambassadors as a necessary starting point for anyone interested in diplomatic appointments as a topic of academic study.

2 people found this helpful

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American Ambassadors: The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Diplomats 2014th Edition

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