Author : 錢其琛
What is it about : The official journals of the one of the top diplomats in China - 錢其琛 , detailing his years of service and the dramatic upheavals he witnessed and took part, during the Cold War, the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Handover of Hong Kong and Macau as well as his dealings with political giants such as Mandela and Castro. The journals covered his career over a span of almost forty years as well as containing a few lectures he presented after he retired, covering topics which were of importance then and still very much the flavor even today - globalization, wars in the Middle East and China's role in the world.
Some thoughts after having read the book : Having read the book, one would immediately and without doubt, be awed by the size of task, the un-predictability, the re-occurrence of strikingly similar events taking on new forms, patterns and players, the patience, wisdom and vision required to solve historical tight knots, the clarity of objectives to be achieved, of international diplomacy at the highest levels. It was of much interest in gaining a view from the top (the book) and relate to those people who were in the position to guide the (mis)fortunes of international relationships with the actual events that happened. One thing for sure, it was no easy job to travel over a hundred countries and still be in command of one's brief each time a diplomat faced another President, another Prime Minister, another Foreign Secretary; considering in those days, it took 4 changes of flight just to get from Beijing to Cairo !
Would I recommend this book to you : Do not take this book to the beach or ride the Metro, the book required seriousness, focus and insight while still being very readable. Recommended to anyone interested in international relationships or wishing to embark on a career as a diplomat.
