John J. Eddy

In September 2013, at my own request, after 47 years overall of association with the U.S. Department of State, I withdrew from the Department's on-call list for inspecting embassies and consulates around the world. I'd traveled to dozens of foreign countries to make sure that embassies and consulates were representing the United States in the best possible way. The book I wrote has benefitted from this continuous pragmatic exposure to U.S. foreign policy.

My book covers nearly half a century of observations about U.S. diplomacy, its failings and its surprising victories. Some anecdotes are merely funny, but many others, I believe, are uplifting.

A subordinate officer of mine crossed the turbulent Martinique Channel in a rowboat in the dead of night to rescue stranded U.S. citizens successfully after a revolution on the island of Dominica. The officer did not consider his mortal risk worth reporting.

Americans who are disheartened about the occasional failings of their government, or finding few bright spots on the horizon internationally, may find cause for renewed hope in this book.