British Diplomacy

About British Diplomacy: Foreign Secretaries Reflect

New Paperback Edition

In 2003 the London School of Economics and Political Science arranged a series of important lectures given by five politicians who once held the position of Foreign Secretary. These lectures were originally compiled together in 2007 for the hardback edition of this book.

Edited by Graham Ziegner of the LSE, British Diplomacy also contains an introduction by Professor William Wallace and a conclusion, updated for the paperback edition, by Professor Christopher Hill and Tim Oliver, on New Labour’s foreign policy between 1997 and 2010.

The contributors provide a unique insight into the thoughts and actions of the holders of one of the most difficult and challenging posts within British government, highlighting the problems faced during their time as Foreign Secretary, and giving a personal account of how these were tackled.

The book covers four decades from the 1970s to the 2000s, a period which included major events such as Britain’s membership of the European Union and the ongoing debate: the Falklands War; the end of the Cold War and the break up of the Soviet Union; the first Gulf War; conflict in the Balkans; and the proliferation of international terrorism.

The book provides an exciting overview of how the many challenges to British diplomacy have been addressed in the past and what lessons can be learnt by current policy makers.

Contributions from five top politicians and foreign secretaries, Lords Owen, Carrington, Howe, Hurd and Sir Malcolm Rifkind

Many of the problems covered in the 1970s to 1990s are with us today – war and conflict and the proliferation of international terrorism

Essays from London School of Economics, including a look at the foreign policy of the New Labour period.

The Author

Graham Ziegner

Grahan Ziegner is an international relations graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science and holds a Master’s degree from St Antony’s College, Oxford. He currently works for the House of Commons in Brussels.