Attaché Case: Backstage at the Embassy

by Todd Pierce, Wyatt Doyle (editor)

"The Kitchen Confidential of the State Department."



You've seen them on the news, looking competent and concerned in their navy suits. They're in Beijing, Riyadh, Nairobi, Geneva, and of course Washington, DC. They look uneasy on camera. When they speak (which is as little as possible), it's with caution, hemmed in by protocol and the fear of causing an incident.

These are the diplomats.



Opening up a famously tight-lipped profession, State Department veteran Todd Pierce takes you backstage at the embassy, sharing what it's like to serve as a working-level diplomat.

Funny, revealing, pointed, and deeply human, Attaché Case tells what it feels like to represent the celebrity country-the US-a place everyone thinks they know and has an opinion about.

Kindle Edition

Published December 2, 2024

Reviews

[Chrissann Nickel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was given to me by a friend (thanks, Rachel!) who knows the author, otherwise it likely would not have crossed my path (though I’m glad it did).

This book is like a salacious gossip session with a former diplomat. I openly cackled many times, and found a lot of the details fascinating about a job I’ve never really known much about until now.

If you enjoyed The Diplomat on Netflix, this is a fun companion read.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and couldn't put it down. The author's ability to weave between personal and professional anecdotes and history was effective and seamless. I learned a great deal about the inter-workings of the State Dept. and appreciated the juicy behind the scenes anecdotes. But there were also deeply meaningful relationships that the author developed in the many countries he lived in during a fascinating career. The book at times made me laugh out loud and other times made me deeply reflect on America's role and influence in the world.