Your audiobook is waiting…
Career Diplomacy: Life and Work in the US Foreign Service, 2nd Edition
People who bought this also bought...
-
Why Nations Fail
- The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty
- By: Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,579
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,200
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,199
Brilliant and engagingly written, Why Nations Fail answers the question that has stumped the experts for centuries: Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine?
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Pros and Cons of "Why Nations Fail"
- By Joshua Kim on 05-01-12
-
Ghost Wars
- The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
- By: Steve Coll
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 26 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,413
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,239
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,234
The explosive first-hand account of America's secret history in Afghanistan. With the publication of Ghost Wars, Steve Coll became not only a Pulitzer Prize winner, but also the expert on the rise of the Taliban, the emergence of Bin Laden, and the secret efforts by CIA officers and their agents to capture or kill Bin Laden in Afghanistan after 1998.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An Exceptional Accomplishment
- By Joe on 11-08-13
-
The Back Channel
- A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal
- By: William J. Burns
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall, William J. Burns
- Length: 17 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 144
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 130
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 128
Over the course of more than three decades as an American diplomat, William J. Burns played a central role in the most consequential diplomatic episodes of his time - from the bloodless end of the Cold War to the collapse of post-Cold War relations with Putin’s Russia, from post-9/11 tumult in the Middle East to the secret nuclear talks with Iran. In The Back Channel, Burns recounts, with novelistic detail and incisive analysis, some of the seminal moments of his career.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Definitive look at Diplomacy
- By Jean on 07-19-19
-
Outpost
- Life on the Frontlines of American Diplomacy: A Memoir
- By: Christopher R. Hill
- Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
- Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 96
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 86
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 87
An "inside the room" memoir from one of our most distinguished ambassadors who - in a career of service to the country - was sent to some of the most dangerous outposts of American diplomacy. From the wars in the Balkans to the brutality of North Korea to the endless war in Iraq, this is the real life of an American diplomat. Hill was on the front lines in the Balkans at the breakup of Yugoslavia.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating
- By David on 01-26-15
-
Muddy Roads Blue Skies: My Journey to the Foreign Service, from the Rural South to Tanzania and Beyond
- By: Vella Mbenna
- Narrated by: Trei Taylor
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
As a child, Vella Mbenna would lie under the sprawling oak tree in her yard, stare up at the clouds, and dream of exploring the world beyond her rural Georgia hometown. Muddy Roads Blue Skies is Vella's inspiring, deeply personal account of her amazing journey from the backwoods of Georgia to the far reaches of the globe. Part motivational memoir, part how-to success guide, part tribute to the power of dreams, Muddy Roads Blue Skies is a compelling listen filled with self-help wisdom and valuable life lessons.
-
A History of the Twentieth Century
- By: Martin Gilbert
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 29 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 98
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 86
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 86
Martin Gilbert, author of the multivolume biography of Winston Churchill and other brilliant works of history, chronicles world events year by year, from the dawn of aviation to the flourishing technology age, taking us through World War I to the inauguration of Franklin Roosevelt as president of the United States and Hider as chancellor of Germany.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Entertaining. Worth reading.
- By Douglas on 08-20-16
-
Why Nations Fail
- The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty
- By: Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,579
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,200
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,199
Brilliant and engagingly written, Why Nations Fail answers the question that has stumped the experts for centuries: Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine?
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Pros and Cons of "Why Nations Fail"
- By Joshua Kim on 05-01-12
-
Ghost Wars
- The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001
- By: Steve Coll
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 26 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,413
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,239
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,234
The explosive first-hand account of America's secret history in Afghanistan. With the publication of Ghost Wars, Steve Coll became not only a Pulitzer Prize winner, but also the expert on the rise of the Taliban, the emergence of Bin Laden, and the secret efforts by CIA officers and their agents to capture or kill Bin Laden in Afghanistan after 1998.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An Exceptional Accomplishment
- By Joe on 11-08-13
-
The Back Channel
- A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal
- By: William J. Burns
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall, William J. Burns
- Length: 17 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 144
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 130
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 128
Over the course of more than three decades as an American diplomat, William J. Burns played a central role in the most consequential diplomatic episodes of his time - from the bloodless end of the Cold War to the collapse of post-Cold War relations with Putin’s Russia, from post-9/11 tumult in the Middle East to the secret nuclear talks with Iran. In The Back Channel, Burns recounts, with novelistic detail and incisive analysis, some of the seminal moments of his career.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Definitive look at Diplomacy
- By Jean on 07-19-19
-
Outpost
- Life on the Frontlines of American Diplomacy: A Memoir
- By: Christopher R. Hill
- Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
- Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 96
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 86
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 87
An "inside the room" memoir from one of our most distinguished ambassadors who - in a career of service to the country - was sent to some of the most dangerous outposts of American diplomacy. From the wars in the Balkans to the brutality of North Korea to the endless war in Iraq, this is the real life of an American diplomat. Hill was on the front lines in the Balkans at the breakup of Yugoslavia.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating
- By David on 01-26-15
-
Muddy Roads Blue Skies: My Journey to the Foreign Service, from the Rural South to Tanzania and Beyond
- By: Vella Mbenna
- Narrated by: Trei Taylor
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
As a child, Vella Mbenna would lie under the sprawling oak tree in her yard, stare up at the clouds, and dream of exploring the world beyond her rural Georgia hometown. Muddy Roads Blue Skies is Vella's inspiring, deeply personal account of her amazing journey from the backwoods of Georgia to the far reaches of the globe. Part motivational memoir, part how-to success guide, part tribute to the power of dreams, Muddy Roads Blue Skies is a compelling listen filled with self-help wisdom and valuable life lessons.
-
A History of the Twentieth Century
- By: Martin Gilbert
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 29 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 98
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 86
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 86
Martin Gilbert, author of the multivolume biography of Winston Churchill and other brilliant works of history, chronicles world events year by year, from the dawn of aviation to the flourishing technology age, taking us through World War I to the inauguration of Franklin Roosevelt as president of the United States and Hider as chancellor of Germany.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Entertaining. Worth reading.
- By Douglas on 08-20-16
-
World Order
- By: Henry Kissinger
- Narrated by: Nicholas Hormann
- Length: 14 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 997
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 871
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 867
Henry Kissinger has traveled the world, advised presidents, and been a close observer and participant in the central foreign policy events of our era. Now he offers his analysis of the twenty first century's ultimate challenge: how to build a shared international order in a world of divergent historic perspectives, violent conflict, proliferating technology, and ideological extremism.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
More retrospective than future oriented
- By Scott on 10-23-14
-
War on Peace
- The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence
- By: Ronan Farrow
- Narrated by: Ronan Farrow
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,560
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,401
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,394
American diplomacy is under siege. Offices across the State Department sit empty while abroad, the military-industrial complex has assumed the work once undertaken by peacemakers. We're becoming a nation that shoots first and asks questions later. In an astonishing account ranging from Washington, DC, to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and North Korea in the years since 9/11, acclaimed journalist and former diplomat Ronan Farrow illuminates one of the most consequential and poorly understood changes in American history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Gifted Author
- By JAL on 05-06-18
-
From Colony to Superpower
- US Foreign Relations Since 1776
- By: George C. Herring
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 40 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 229
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 188
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 186
This prize-winning and critically acclaimed history uses foreign relations as the lens through which to tell the story of America's dramatic rise from 13 disparate colonies huddled along the Atlantic coast to the world's greatest superpower.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The Rise and Stall of the American Empire
- By Doug on 06-13-12
-
Our Man
- Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century
- By: George Packer
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 20 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 204
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 190
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 189
Richard Holbrooke was brilliant, utterly self-absorbed, and possessed of almost inhuman energy and appetites. Admired and detested, he was the force behind the Dayton Accords that ended the Balkan wars, America's greatest diplomatic achievement in the post-Cold War era. His power lay in an utter belief in himself and his idea of a muscular, generous foreign policy. From his days as a young adviser in Vietnam to his last efforts to end the war in Afghanistan, Holbrooke embodied the postwar American impulse to take the lead on the global stage.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A riveting story about an imperfect diplomat
- By Chencheno111 on 06-24-19
-
Civilization
- The West and the Rest
- By: Niall Ferguson
- Narrated by: Niall Ferguson
- Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,910
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,641
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,625
The rise to global predominance of Western civilization is the single most important historical phenomenon of the past five hundred years. All over the world, an astonishing proportion of people now work for Western-style companies, study at Western-style universities, vote for Western-style governments, take Western medicines, wear Western clothes, and even work Western hours. Yet six hundred years ago the petty kingdoms of Western Europe seemed unlikely to achieve much more than perpetual internecine warfare. It was Ming China or Ottoman Turkey that had the look of world civilizations.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Thoughtful analysis of the ascendancy of the West.
- By Patrick on 05-25-13
-
China Goes Global
- The Partial Power
- By: David Shambaugh
- Narrated by: Mark Ashby
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 46
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 38
Most global citizens are well aware of the explosive growth of the Chinese economy. Indeed, China has famously become the "workshop of the world." Yet, while China watchers have shed much light on the country's internal dynamics - China's politics, its vast social changes, and its economic development - few have focused on how this increasingly powerful nation has become more active and assertive throughout the world.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Good summary of China's recent developements
- By Ernest on 12-29-13
-
Backstabbing for Beginners
- My Crash Course in International Diplomacy
- By: Michael Soussan
- Narrated by: Maxwell Hamilton
- Length: 14 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 23
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19
The year is 1997. Michael Soussan, a fresh-faced young graduate, takes up a new job at the UN's Oil-for-Food program, the largest humanitarian operation in the organization's history. His mission is to help Iraqi civilians survive the devastating impact of economic sanctions that were imposed following the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. As a gaffe-prone novice in a world of sensitive taboos, Soussan struggles to negotiate the paranoia of his boss and the inner workings of one of the world's notoriously complex bureaucracies.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Eye-opener history made entertaining
- By Shelly Dee on 12-20-16
-
A World in Disarray
- American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order
- By: Richard Haass
- Narrated by: Dan Woren, Richard Haass
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 508
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 440
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 438
Things fall apart; the center cannot hold. The rules, policies, and institutions that have guided the world since World War II have largely run their course. Respect for sovereignty alone cannot uphold order in an age defined by global challenges from terrorism and the spread of nuclear weapons to climate change and cyberspace. Meanwhile, great power rivalry is returning. Weak states pose problems just as confounding as strong ones.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
An interesting summary of the "Establishment" POV
- By Jasmeen Malhotra on 04-24-17
-
Foreign Policy at the Periphery
- The Shifting Margins of US International Relations Since World War II
- By: Bevan Sewell, David Ekbladh, Maria Ryan, and others
- Narrated by: Gary Roelofs
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2
As American interests assumed global proportions after 1945, policy makers were faced with the challenge of prioritizing various regions and determining the extent to which the United States was prepared to defend and support them. Superpowers and developing nations soon became inextricably linked and decolonizing states such as Vietnam, India, and Egypt assumed a central role in the ideological struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union.
-
On Grand Strategy
- By: John Lewis Gaddis
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 600
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 522
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 516
For over 20 years, a select group of Yale undergraduates has been admitted into the year-long "Grand Strategy" seminar team-taught by John Lewis Gaddis and Paul Kennedy. Its purpose: to provide a grounding in strategic decision-making in the face of crisis to prepare future American leaders for important work. Now, John Lewis Gaddis has transposed the experience of that course into a wonderfully succinct, lucid and inspirational book, a view from the commanding heights of statesmanship across the landscape of world history from the ancient Greeks to Lincoln, and beyond.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Interesting, but fails to offer real lessons.
- By Zack on 07-04-18
-
Directorate S
- The C.I.A. and America's Secret Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan
- By: Steve Coll
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 28 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 850
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 764
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 757
Resuming the narrative of his Pulitzer Prize-winning Ghost Wars, best-selling author Steve Coll tells for the first time the epic and enthralling story of America's intelligence, military, and diplomatic efforts to defeat Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan since 9/11.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
All the detail you could want
- By Louis Macareo on 03-06-18
-
Prisoners of Geography
- Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World
- By: Tim Marshall
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 988
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 899
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 892
Maps have a mysterious hold over us. Whether ancient, crumbling parchments or generated by Google, maps tell us things we want to know, not only about our current location or where we are going but about the world in general. And yet, when it comes to geo-politics, much of what we are told is generated by analysts and other experts who have neglected to refer to a map of the place in question.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
It's a Book about Maps! Please provide the Maps!
- By Sherry on 06-19-17
Publisher's Summary
Career Diplomacy - now in its second edition - is an insider's guide that examines the foreign service as an institution, a profession, and a career. Harry W. Kopp and Charles A. Gillespie, both of whom had long and distinguished careers in the foreign service, provide a full and well-rounded picture of the organization, its place in history, its strengths and weaknesses, and its role in American foreign affairs. Based on their own experiences and through interviews with over 100 current and former foreign service officers and specialists, the authors lay out what to expect in a foreign service career, from the entrance exam through midcareer and into the senior service - how the service works on paper, and in practice.
The second edition addresses major changes that have occurred since 2007: the controversial effort to build an expeditionary foreign service to lead the work of stabilization and reconstruction in fragile states; deepening cooperation with the U.S. military and the changing role of the service in Iraq and Afghanistan; the ongoing surge in foreign service recruitment and hiring at the Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development; and the growing integration of USAID's budget and mission with those of the Department of State.
The book is published by Georgetown University Press.
Critic Reviews
More from the same
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars55
-
4 Stars42
-
3 Stars12
-
2 Stars1
-
1 Stars2
Performance
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars49
-
4 Stars30
-
3 Stars13
-
2 Stars1
-
1 Stars2
Story
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars44
-
4 Stars30
-
3 Stars14
-
2 Stars1
-
1 Stars2
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Johnny
- 03-08-15
Wonderful read for those interested in the FS
Great comprehensive book on the U.S. foreign service. The book reveals powerful insight into a complicated organization and offers great perspective.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Timothy W Story
- 06-01-17
A Great Overview of Foreign Service
This book gave great insight into many of the aspects of foreign service. Though interesting, some parts become a little boring. The speaker's tone abd pace helped a lot with these portions.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful