Christopher R. Hill

I received a copy of this book via a GoodReads Giveaway.

Ambassador Hill's autobiography is a refreshing foray into some of the most difficult diplomatic quagmires America experienced in the past 30 years. Hill could have bombarded the reader with a litany of names, dates, and accomplishments...but instead takes considerable effort to simplify and humanize even the most alien of situations. Reading of his encounters with historical figures ranging from Kim Jung Il and Slobodan Milosevic to Mother Theresa is enlightening in a different way than generally experienced, where Hill discusses the individual style, relationships, wants, and habits that he personally experienced with each of these individuals. Hill also has a wonderful method of describing the geography and environments of which he experiences - for a reader that has never been to Mongolia or North Korea, this may have been the most fascinating element of 'Outpost.'

As far as diplomatic works go, Outpost is particularly easy to read, and engaging to the point that it is difficult to put down. While ending on something of a slightly pessimistic note (although perhaps deservedly so), 'Outpost' is a work that anyone interested in a career at the State Department should read. You won't find this branch of diplomatic history told in a more compelling or human capacity elsewhere.

5/5… (plus d'informations)