Living Diplomatically: A Life in the U.S. Foreign Service

by William N. Dale

Overview

In this book, the author passes on to another generation an impression of what it was like to live and work abroad as a U.S. foreign service officer during the years following World War II. The first two episodes show how and why the author went into the Foreign Service, beginning with his youth in Upstate New York and on through to World War II. The allied victory, the subsequent Cold War, and the realization of American power form the background of the twenty-three episodes through which the author and his family lived in many different countries. The posts involved included Copenhagen, Ottawa, London, Ankara, Tel Aviv, Bangui in central Africa, and, of course, Washington, D.C. The book describes diplomatic life in wartime, primitive conditions, and unusual first world situations. It traces the author's career right up to retirement. Dale describes the humorous and stressful sides of life abroad, as well as in the working world he encountered. He hopes others will find it useful and perhaps amusing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761840077
Publisher:	Hamilton Books
Publication date:	03/25/2008
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	76
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	3 Months

About the Author

William N. Dale was born on February 7, 1919 in Washington, D.C. He graduated from Harvard College summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1940, and obtained a Masters Degree from Harvard University in public administration. After wartime duty in the Navy, he joined the U.S, foreign service, serving, among other posts, on the National Security Council staff, the Policy Planning Council, as counselor of embassy in Ankara, deputy chief of mission in Tel Aviv, and as ambassador in the Central African Republic.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Near the Beginning: 1920s
Chapter 3 Sexual Harassment: 1944
Chapter 4 What is a Bidet: 1946
Chapter 5 The Party: 1947
Chapter 6 Refugees and Ruins: 1947
Chapter 7 The Size of a Fish: 1948
Chapter 8 The Print Plant by Air: 1949
Chapter 9 A Missed Opportunity: 1950
Chapter 10 Running for President: 1951-2
Chapter 11 The Teasing Room: 1953
Chapter 12 My Romance with Lady Astor: 1955
Chapter 13 My Almost Dance with the Queen: 1956
Chapter 14 The Gargoyle: 1957
Chapter 15 The Briefing Book Fails: 1957
Chapter 16 Nixon in London: 1959
Chapter 17 When a Bee is not a Bee: 1962
Chapter 18 Children: 1960-64
Chapter 19 An Embassy in Wartime—The Six Day War: 1967
Chapter 20 Moshe Dayan: 1964-68
Chapter 21 Gefilte Fish: 1965
Chapter 22 Life in Bokassaland: 1973-75
Chapter 23 Pygmies: 1973
Chapter 24 The Inadvertent Cannibals: 1975
Chapter 25 A Backward Glance at the Central African Republic: 1973-7
Chapter 26 Retirement: 1975