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Not Quite the Diplomat
2005 book by Chris Patten From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Not Quite the Diplomat: Home Truths About World Affairs is a book by British politician and former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten. The book was published by Penguin Books in September 2005. The book serves as a pseudo successor to Patten's previous book, East and West. Not Quite the Diplomat was later rewritten for the American market under the title of Cousins and Strangers: America, Britain, and Europe in a New Century.
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Background
Patten was the last person to serve as Governor of Hong Kong and later became the European Commissioner for External Relations.[1]
Not Quite the Diplomat serves as an informal successor to Patten's previous book, East and West.[2]
Synopsis
In the book, Patten attempts to provide insights into the world of diplomacy and discusses the position of a unified Europe in relation to the United States and emerging powers such as India and China.[3] The book is critical of the foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration.[2]
Release
Not Quite the Diplomat: Home Truths About World Affairs was released by Penguin Books in September 2005.[4]
A revised version of the book for American audiences was produced titled, Cousins and Strangers: America, Britain, and Europe in a New Century. The book was centered around American politics as opposed to British ones.[5]
Critical reception
Writing for The Independent, Denis MacShane criticized the book for its various omissionsincluding British support for Apartheid and the alleged interference in the 1992 United States presidential election.[6] Writing for The Observer, Ian Black noted that Patten's best work was on topics unrelated to Britain.[3] Writing for The Guardian, Martin Jacques praised the book, labeling its stances as refreshing writing, "if only his outlook informed the present government's foreign policy".[5]
References
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