'Blair was pretty determined to go all the way with President Bush not because he's hanging on to this relationship for dear life, but because he truly believed that Saddam Hussein was an offence to the integrity of the UN.' Christopher Meyer was Ambassador to the United States from 1997 to 2003, during which time he was an eyewitness to and participant in the events following 9/11 and the preparations for the Iraq war. Never before has there been such a riveting and candid memoir of life behind the diplomatic scenes. Meyer's is an honest account of what he saw, what he heard and how he felt. The cast list of characters who feature here includes Margaret Thatcher, Bob Hope, the Clintons, Steven Spielberg, Condoleeza Rice, Alastair Campbell and Jack Straw. The book reveals close encounters with Tony Blair, Robin Cook and Peter Mandelson; KGB honey traps in Russia; a major row with Bill Clinton; inside stories on Number 10 and the Foreign Office; and of course life behind the scenes with Blair and George W. Bush.
It was clear that the Prime Minister's office and not the Foreign Office would control relations with Washington, and Meyer shows in close up how he helped facilitate the 'special relationship'. For anyone whose definition of a diplomat is someone sent abroad to lie for their country, Christopher Meyer's memoir is the perfect rejoinder. It will also be hailed as one of the most important political memoirs of the decade.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
'a marvellously entertaining and readable book.' -- Andrew Gilligan THE EVENING STANDARD 'The chapters on 9/11 and on the Iraq War are totally absorbing and often quite moving.' -- Cal McCrystal THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 'the book is of great value to anyone interested in diplomacy and foreign policy.' -- Bruce Anderson THE INDEPENDENT 'the delicious portraiture, razor-sharp character assessments and the sharing of undiplomatic discretions, are all beautifully, and often comically, presented.' -- James Cusick THE SUNDAY HERALD 'he provides some captivating insights into modern diplomacy and American life.' -- Siobhan Murphy Metro 'He tells a juicy tale.' -- Simon Jenkins SUNDAY TIMES 'this is an important book about what it was like to be Britain's most senior and lustrous ambassador at a time when the prime minister enjoyed a direct line to the White House for which there are few precedents.' -- Martin Kettle THE GUARDIAN 'For all his colourful and funny stories, the enduring value of his picture of the Blain years is the way Meyer shows this Government steadily ripping up the rules.' -- Simon Edge DAILY EXPRESS 'an entertaining and informative read.' -- Sean Donlon THE IRISH TIMES 'a masterpiece of elegance which places the steletto between New Labour's shoulder blades with panache.' -- Clive Aslet COUNTRY LIFE 'informative and enjoyable.' -- Maurice Hayes IRISH INDEPENDENT 'a gem of a book.' DUBLIN EVENING HERALD
Sprache
Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Maße
Höhe: 234 mm
Breite: 156 mm
Dicke: 35 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-297-85114-1 (9780297851141)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Sir Christopher Meyer was Ambassador to the United States from 1997 until 2003, and before that he was Press Secretary to John Major. He is now Chairman of the Press Complaints Commission.
