What exactly do U.S. diplomats do, and why?

 
America’s Other Army brings the high-flying world of international diplomacy down to earth and puts a human face on a mysterious profession that has undergone a dramatic transformation since September 11, 2001.

Through the stories of American diplomats, the book explains how their work affects millions of people in the United States and around the world every day, and how it contributes directly to the core U.S. national interests of security and prosperity. It shows a more inclusive American diplomacy that has moved beyond interacting with governments and has engaged with the private sector, civil society and individual citizens.

Having visited more than 50 embassies and interviewed some 600 American diplomats, the author reveals a Foreign Service whose diversity and professional versatility have shattered old perceptions and redefined modern diplomacy. But he also depicts a service not fully equipped to address the complex challenges of the 21st century.

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The ‘other army’ and the author in the media

 

 

 
 
Being a Foreign Service Officer After 9/11

A new book offers a thorough picture of how the Foreign Service has changed since 9/11 — interview with author Nicholas Kralev

“9/11 had a profound impact on American diplomacy and the U.S. Foreign Service, both conceptually and practically, in terms of what diplomats do every day. The most significant shift in how Washington thought about the role of diplomacy came in the realization that it’s directly linked to national security — and more importantly, to homeland security. Until then, diplomacy’s mission was seen mostly as protecting and promoting U.S. interests abroad, but not as protecting the homeland and the security of Americans at home…”

 
Sink or Swim

Why doesn’t America train its diplomats?

“Why did the State Department send a diplomat without the necessary skills — and more importantly, without any training — to a critical posting in the most volatile region in the world on the eve of the Arab uprisings? Could the U.S. response to those uprisings have been more effective had American diplomats there been better trained?…”

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Meet the corps: The book’s main characters

 

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>> Meet more of the book’s characters here