French
DeutschNot Quite the Diplomat
 | |
| Author | Chris Patten |
|---|---|
| Subject | World politics |
| Publisher | Penguin Books |
Publication date | September 2005 |
| ISBN | 0-7139-9855-5 |
| OCLC | 60668040 |
| Followed by | Cousins and Strangers: America, Britain, and Europe in a New Century |
Not Quite the Diplomat: Home Truths About World Affairs is a book by British politician and former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten. The book was published by Penguin Books in September 2005. The book serves as a pseudo successor to Patten's previous book, East and West. Not Quite the Diplomat was later rewritten for the American market under the title of Cousins and Strangers: America, Britain, and Europe in a New Century.
Background
[edit]Patten was the last person to serve as Governor of Hong Kong and later became the European Commissioner for External Relations.[1]
Not Quite the Diplomat serves as an informal successor to Patten's previous book, East and West.[2]
Synopsis
[edit]In the book, Patten attempts to provide insights into the world of diplomacy and discusses the position of a unified Europe in relation to the United States and emerging powers such as India and China.[3] The book is critical of the foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration.[2]
Release
[edit]Not Quite the Diplomat: Home Truths About World Affairs was released by Penguin Books in September 2005.[4]
A revised version of the book for American audiences was produced titled, Cousins and Strangers: America, Britain, and Europe in a New Century. The book was centered around American politics as opposed to British ones.[5]
Critical reception
[edit]Writing for The Independent, Denis MacShane criticized the book for its various omissionsincluding British support for Apartheid and the alleged interference in the 1992 United States presidential election.[6] Writing for The Observer, Ian Black noted that Patten's best work was on topics unrelated to Britain.[3] Writing for The Guardian, Martin Jacques praised the book, labeling its stances as refreshing writing, "if only his outlook informed the present government's foreign policy".[5]
References
[edit]- ^ "Christopher Francis Patten". American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ^ a b Jacques, Martin (8 October 2005). "Review: Not Quite the Diplomat by Chris Patten". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ a b Black, Ian (15 October 2005). "One from the heart". The Observer. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "Not Quite the Diplomat". Penguin Books. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ a b Howorth, Jolyon (1 December 2006). "Cousins and Strangers: America, Britain and Europe in a New Century by Chris Patten". Political Science Quarterly. 121 (4): 708–709. doi:10.1002/j.1538-165X.2006.tb01555.x. ISSN 0032-3195.
- ^ MacShane, Denis (22 September 2005). "Not Quite the Diplomat, by Chris Patten". The Independent. Retrieved 21 November 2024.