Witty, engaging and interesting

I went for this one as I’m a sucker for anything related to Trump and his erratic thruthlessness. That part of this book is unsurprising and won’t tell you much you don’t already know, but there’s so much more to this book.
There are some great stories and insights in here and Darroch comes across as a charming and interesting character. I really enjoyed this one. Highly recommended.

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Well-Informed, Straightforward and Honest

An obviously well-informed and in-depth look at the circumstances surrounding Kim Darroch’s resignation as UK Ambassador to the United States taking in the UK Brexit referendum and Trump's US election victory. A straightforward and honest account of the life of a British diplomat.

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On Her Majesty’s Not So Secret Service

The only bad thing I can muster against this book is just how annoyingly charming the author is. One expects that a diplomat will be skilled in getting on with people. One even tolerates the suave tones in which Lord Darroch narrates the book. They are purpose-built to have all a-quiver that section of the potential US readership who think that Downton Abbey is a quality drama. Interspersed throughout are moments of character, wit and intellect. All in all Lord Darroch comes across as A Very Decent Chap. Don’t let that fool you for an instant though. The whole raison d’etre of all diplomats, regardless of origin, is to have you take them into your confidence, to build relationships in their host country. With the sheer affability on display here, Lord Darroch was no doubt excellent at his job, his indiscretions in casting aspersions at the Trump administration to one side. Let’s face it, there’s no one alive on this side of the pond who doesn’t think Trump is a disgraceful human being, never mind as a president, so no one can hold that against His Excellency Mr Darroch..

Behind that affability is the Senior Civil Service ruthlessness however. You can see it in the little flashes where Lord Darroch comments on the UK government’s economic policy during his tenure in Washington, and praises the inbred wannabe aristocrats implementing it, thereby impoverishing their fellow countrymen, not to mention Lord Darroch’s fellow civil servants, with a hundred thousand jobs torched and pay frozen for all, including those low paid workers in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. But George Brutus Osborne is an honourable man. In one sense, given that Lord Darroch no doubt had his book cleared by the FCO prior to publication, and that he had been paid off in the form of a life peerage, also prior to publication, this ultra-affability shouldn’t be surprising. Who has he to pick a bone with, after all? Life in Cornwall on the pension denied half a million of his junior civil service colleagues must be grand. One notes, though, that such trivial matters are never mentioned. Did he even notice, as successive governments spat on their public servants? Or was he just keen to get in with those in power? A talent that no doubt served him well as a diplomat.

It would be churlish, however, to hold that against a book that I thoroughly enjoyed, which is witty and warm and gives an insight into the workaholic life of a very senior servant of HMG in a very public and delicate role.

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1 person found this helpful

Fascinating

Fascinating behind the scenes look at recent events. Kim delivers an even handed account of his interactions with many of the key players on both sides of the pond.

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Dispatches from our man in Washington

Kim Darroch was the UK ambassador to the US for almost four years, resigning in December 2019 following a high profile leak of documents in which he was reported to be critical of President Trump. For such a senior diplomat, these memoirs are surprisingly candid about Mr Darroch's time in Washington and, just as interesting, how he got there. Of Scottish heritage, his family owned the croft from which George Orwell famously wrote 1984 but his childhood was spent mostly in Nairobi Kenya before returning to the UK and a modest academic record resulting in the young Darroch driving fork lift trucks in a factory. There have been several "sliding doors" moments in Mr Darroch's life, the first of which is when he decided to take the exams to join the Civil Service where he excelled and after a number of interesting posts in the Diplomatic Corps that took him to Prague after the collapse of the Soviet Union and then to work on the Channel Tunnel project and time in Brussels as the UK Permanent Representative to the EU. I had always imagined that diplomats have little say into where in the world they are posted but it appears that this is only partly true. When asked where he wanted to go next, Kim Darroch jumped at the chance to be UK Ambassador to in Washington, partly, we hear, due to his love of classic Southern rock from the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The story is told through the author's plummy vowels and clipped diction and it is fair to say that Mr Darroch's time as Ambassador could not have straggled a more interesting time in US (and UK) politics. It is certainly not just dealing with lost passports and hosting trade talks, we hear that the Ambassador is expected to be seen in Washington and be the lynch-pin between the US and UK. This is a challenging job at any time, but add the complications caused by the chaotic Trump presidency with its revolving door Apprentice style leadership and eventual impeachment and the turmoil in the UK resulting from Brexit "the stupidest decision any country has ever made" in the UK the consequences of which Mr Darroch was consistently asked to explain and this was a perfect storm the likes of which cannot imagine any ambassador will ever encounter again. Eventually, Mr Darroch had to leave his position in Washington as he too became victim of one of the President's tantrums. He is now free as a bird. And this bird you cannot change.

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4 people found this helpful

Relevance renewed.

Darroch is a diplomat and so he pulls his punches to an extent. The book has become topical again as the possibility of Trump being reelected approaches. Heaven forfend! Ambassadors know so much but with Trump in power they can’t even tell their own government- even if everyone else knows it. PS it’s sad he can’t pronounce his own surname properly!!

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Revealing insights

Interesting recollections and insights from a decent enough cove but the fact as a narrator his tongue needs loudly removing from the roof of his mouth every 10 words or so is very offputting.

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The prose , the honesty and the humility

a remarkable , well written and offers significant and reasoned insights into recent transatlantic relationships ! Highly recommended

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Fascinating. Brilliant

Glad that Darroch narrated the book himself.

It helped that I shared every opinion he expressed.

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Very enjoyable

Packed with wisdom, insight and humour. Kim walks us through the political turbulence with unique perspectives and insight.

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