What do you think?
Rate this book
The Embassy: A Story of War and Diplomacy
In a distant war, in a city under siege, U.S. Ambassador John W. Blaney faced a terrible choice: abandon the mission or risk the lives of his team to give diplomacy a last chance...
In 2003, Liberia was one of the most dangerous and isolated countries in the world. President Charles Taylor, a feared warlord, presided over a fractured state and countless unruly militiamen and child soldiers as two rebel armies marched to depose him. When an international court indicted Taylor for war crimes, the rebels attacked the capital and months of vicious fighting ensued.
With Washington split on how to respond and pressure mounting to shutter the chancery once and for all, the Ambassador kept the flag flying. The U.S. embassy served as a rallying point for international efforts to save Liberia. West African peacekeepers backed by U.S. forces prepared to deploy, but a final, merciless attack by the rebels left the capital split and Taylor's forces dug in for a last, blood-soaked stand. With no margin for error, the Ambassador and his team made three forays across the front lines in a desperate bid to broker a local ceasefire that would lift the siege, stop the killing, and give space for peace to take root.
The Embassy is a graphic, cinematic retelling of the harrowing climax of the Liberian civil war and the U.S. and West African role in ending it. Through interviews with the Ambassador and key members of the country team, as well as with peacekeepers, U.S. troops, relief workers, foreign correspondents, senior Liberian officials and rebel leaders, Dante Paradiso reconstructs the violence and chaos of those times to create an enduring portrait of a U.S. embassy under fire and the kind of daring frontline diplomacy that can change the fate of a nation.
The views expressed in this book are the author's own and not necessarily those of the United States Department of State or the United States Government.
In 2003, Liberia was one of the most dangerous and isolated countries in the world. President Charles Taylor, a feared warlord, presided over a fractured state and countless unruly militiamen and child soldiers as two rebel armies marched to depose him. When an international court indicted Taylor for war crimes, the rebels attacked the capital and months of vicious fighting ensued.
With Washington split on how to respond and pressure mounting to shutter the chancery once and for all, the Ambassador kept the flag flying. The U.S. embassy served as a rallying point for international efforts to save Liberia. West African peacekeepers backed by U.S. forces prepared to deploy, but a final, merciless attack by the rebels left the capital split and Taylor's forces dug in for a last, blood-soaked stand. With no margin for error, the Ambassador and his team made three forays across the front lines in a desperate bid to broker a local ceasefire that would lift the siege, stop the killing, and give space for peace to take root.
The Embassy is a graphic, cinematic retelling of the harrowing climax of the Liberian civil war and the U.S. and West African role in ending it. Through interviews with the Ambassador and key members of the country team, as well as with peacekeepers, U.S. troops, relief workers, foreign correspondents, senior Liberian officials and rebel leaders, Dante Paradiso reconstructs the violence and chaos of those times to create an enduring portrait of a U.S. embassy under fire and the kind of daring frontline diplomacy that can change the fate of a nation.
The views expressed in this book are the author's own and not necessarily those of the United States Department of State or the United States Government.
- GenresAfricaHistoryNonfiction
376 pages, Hardcover
Published November 21, 2016
12 people are currently reading
376 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 28, 2016
This book tells the unique story of U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, John Blaney, and the difficult decision he made to stay in Liberia during a civil war in 2003. Every other embassy closed and sent their employees home. Ambassador Blaney chose to stay under extremely difficult circumstances and help bring the three factions together to negotiate. It reads like a mystery, but is all true. As author Dante Paradiso said in the book, "...along the way, there were many cliff hanging points where the path to peace could have been jettisoned." You learn about the inner workings of an embassy and learn that diplomacy on the ground can make a huge difference. I would encourage everyone to read this book!
January 24, 2017
An Awe Inspiring Account
You've heard of Mark Bowden and maybe Sebastian Junger, great writers who have managed to capture the essence of historical events. Dante Paradiso has written a book that burns with the same fluid prose that helps you feel as if you are an eyewitness.
The book tells the story of Liberia and how the US Embassy helped to stave off the massacre of thousands and helped to bring a peaceful end to a civil war. It almost sounds too good to be true yet the story is told in a carefully detailed way.
I rarely give a book 5 stars but I enjoyed it that much and I think others will too.
You've heard of Mark Bowden and maybe Sebastian Junger, great writers who have managed to capture the essence of historical events. Dante Paradiso has written a book that burns with the same fluid prose that helps you feel as if you are an eyewitness.
The book tells the story of Liberia and how the US Embassy helped to stave off the massacre of thousands and helped to bring a peaceful end to a civil war. It almost sounds too good to be true yet the story is told in a carefully detailed way.
I rarely give a book 5 stars but I enjoyed it that much and I think others will too.
June 6, 2018
A friend who knows the author recommended this book. Our men’s book group read it. I now know a lot more of what an embassy does, especially if located in a country that has internal conflict. If you are interested in learning some of that then this book is for you.
March 5, 2017
This is a great story of the power of diplomacy. At a time when our president proposes to abandon soft power, this is an important story of how an ambassador used his thorough knowledge of a situation to save lives and help put a country on a better track. It is also a lesson in expertise. "Common sense," used without any specific knowledge, is very dangerous. It leads to assumptions that are just plain wrong.
Dante Paradiso tells the inside story of the Embassy in Liberia in the early 2000s as rebels surrounded the capital and a dictator held onto power. With the thorough knowledge and research needed for this true story, he also managed to paint a more poetic vision of the country, with rich imagery and a talent for visual connections that made it a fun read.
Dante Paradiso tells the inside story of the Embassy in Liberia in the early 2000s as rebels surrounded the capital and a dictator held onto power. With the thorough knowledge and research needed for this true story, he also managed to paint a more poetic vision of the country, with rich imagery and a talent for visual connections that made it a fun read.
January 12, 2018
Enthralling
I must admit I expected this book to read like a history or politics assignment. I was wrong, the book was exceptionally written and engaging. This book gives great hope for those that believe in the power of diplomacy and celebrates the great risks our civil servants take every day all over the world to bring peace and democracy. You will not regret picking up this book.
I must admit I expected this book to read like a history or politics assignment. I was wrong, the book was exceptionally written and engaging. This book gives great hope for those that believe in the power of diplomacy and celebrates the great risks our civil servants take every day all over the world to bring peace and democracy. You will not regret picking up this book.
September 16, 2017
Personal account of American diplomatic heroism
Was able to spend time in Liberia on security reform of their armed forces. Wish this book was out before I went. Compelling storytelling and meticulously researched. I would recommend this to anyone interested in embassy roles or Liberian history.
Was able to spend time in Liberia on security reform of their armed forces. Wish this book was out before I went. Compelling storytelling and meticulously researched. I would recommend this to anyone interested in embassy roles or Liberian history.
October 9, 2018
A triumph of diplomacy, In a time and place where America had more international credit and credibility to rely on than we can now imagine. The story is written with full and engaging detail, and the stakes in the Ambassador’s principled gamble make for a high tension showdown. The characters seem true to life, and the conditions are truly revolting and vivid enough to see and smell the war for what it is.
March 24, 2019
Written by a Foreign Service Officer who served as a Political Officer in Embassy Monrovia during the end of the Liberian civil war, this detailed account covers the events surrounding the last few months of Charles Taylor's presidency. A fascinating and eye-opening description of how our Embassy was involved. Even if you have no interest in Liberia, reading this book would be a great way to learn about the more expeditionary aspects of diplomacy.
April 5, 2019
Excellent read. Extremely well-written, Paradiso manages to explain the art of diplomacy while still keeping you interested in the story.
December 23, 2023
A great book to read following the read of Sugar Beach.
June 23, 2024
A fascinating look at diplomacy in a war…the book reads like a novel, and is informative and entertaining (maybe a little verbose)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews