A fine book, by a cultured and accomplished gentleman who straddled many worlds in the course of his career in the foreign service. The style is light and witty, the tone self-deprecating and modest, and character portraits of figures great and not-so-great precise and apt. He champions the cause of improved relations with China, as with Pakistan, although he does not spell out how to solve the specific problems of Kashmir or the Sino-Indian border. He makes no bones about his basic loyalty to the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which makes the ending all the more unexpected and impactful: his complete falling out with the Congress leadership in the UPA period, and his removal from the Congress party itself. This bitter end to his career at the hands of erstwhile colleagues in the party perhaps explains his especially harsh assessment of Manmohan Singh as PM, wherein he perhaps fails to take into consideration the very great limitations under which the PM had to steer the nation, with multiple centres of authority and a very rambunctious opposition. On the whole, an excellent book and a pleasure to read. ( )