Diplomatic Tradecraft

by Nicholas Kralev (Editor)

Overview

As universities and governments seek to prepare the next generation of diplomats to manage international affairs, they finally have a teaching tool focusing on the practical knowledge and skills that in the past could be learned only on the job. Edited by Nicholas Kralev, founder of the Washington International Diplomatic Academy, Diplomatic Tradecraft brings together 18 career ambassadors with decades of experience to lift the curtain on a mysterious but vital profession, and to pass on the insights and abilities they gained to those who will succeed them. Beginning with an overview of diplomatic institutions and protocols, the text considers the key attributes of diplomatic communication and negotiation, as well as core specializations including economic, consular and public diplomacy. With compelling narratives, case studies and exercise scenarios, the chapters on various aspects of diplomatic practice form a cohesive and comprehensive volume, written in an accessible and engaging style.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781009100410
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/28/2024
Pages:	414
Product dimensions:	7.01(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

Nicholas Kralev is the founding executive director of the Washington International Diplomatic Academy, an independent organization that provides practical professional training in diplomacy. A former Financial Times and Washington Times correspondent specializing in diplomacy and foreign affairs, he covered and accompanied US Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell and Madeleine Albright on their travels around the world. He is the author of America's Other Army: The US Foreign Service and 21st-Century Diplomacy (2012) and holds a master's degree in public policy from Harvard's Kennedy School.

Table of Contents

Foreword: What is Diplomatic Tradecraft? Nicholas Kralev; 1. The Diplomatic Landscape Nicholas Kralev; 2. Diplomacy as an Instrument of Statecraft Chas W. Freeman; 3. Key Diplomacy Skills David Lindwall and Chas W. Freeman; 4. The Interagency Foreign Policy Process Daniel Fried and John Tefft; 5. How Does an Embassy Work? Charles Ray and Janice Jacobs; 6. Political Tradecraft Eunice Reddick and Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley; 7. Economic Tradecraft and Commercial Diplomacy Lisa Kubiske; 8. Diplomatic Reporting and Communication Douglas Silliman and Eunice Reddick; 9. Public Diplomacy Bruce Wharton and Nicole Finnemann; 10. Consular Affairs and Crisis Management Janice Jacobs and James Zumwalt; 11. Diplomatic Protocol, Privileges and Immunities Eunice Reddick; 12. Multilateral Diplomacy Jeffrey DeLaurentis and Tressa Rae Finerty; 13. Health and Science Diplomacy Jimmy Kolker; 14. Cyber Diplomacy Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar; 15. Diplomatic Negotiation Thomas R. Pickering and Nicholas Kralev; Afterword Nicholas Kralev; Glossary of Terms; Acronyms; Index.

Editorial Reviews

‘Editor Nicholas Kralev has assembled a group of superbly qualified former practitioners to relate from personal experience manifold perspectives of diplomatic conduct and practice. They offer us the kind of ground truth about diplomacy that cannot be found in Ivory Towers. Avery practical guide for those interested in better understanding the workings of our profession.’ John Negroponte, former U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former Deputy Secretary of State

‘Nicholas Kralev has devoted much of his career to improving and developing the practice of diplomacy, and to understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. Foreign Service and our national security agencies. As founder of the Washington International Diplomatic Academy, he brings aspiring and practicing diplomats from our country and around the world to Washington and introduces them to some of the most accomplished and inspiring members of the diplomatic profession. In this superb book, Kralev brings together perspectives and recommendations from some of the greatest diplomatic leaders and thinkers that our country has produced. Read this book to understand how our country got to where it currently stands in the world, and what it needs to do to restore and revive its influence and leadership in a rapidly changing global environment.’ Eric S. Rubin, former U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria

‘Kralev has done more than anyone else to understand what diplomats, and American diplomats in particular, actually do. It is a world quite apart from the abstract removes of international relations theorists. In this volume he draws on a team of outstanding veteran diplomats. Topic by topic they not only review the character of the work; they share lifetimes of insights about how to do it. There is no better introduction currently in print. It deserves to become a standard text for would-be professionals, starting with America’s own trainees.’ Philip Zelikow, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University

‘It’s not simply that we have more armed conflict in today’s world. It’s also that these fights involve so many governments, each with its idiosyncratic political culture and its unique set of interests. This is why the world so badly needs more thoughtful and expertly trained diplomats, and why Nicholas Kralev’s Diplomatic Tradecraft is such a valuable addition to their education and ongoing work.’ Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group

‘I wish that I’d had Diplomatic Tradecraft to assign in my course on modern diplomacy. Nicholas Kralev’s comprehensive and lively textbook by leading American diplomats is a much needed addition to the literature on the making of US foreign policy. The book should be required reading for all aspiring US Foreign Service Officers, as well as required reading in university courses on international relations and American foreign policy. It is the best reality-based study of diplomacy that I’ve read.’ Derek Shearer, former U.S. Ambassador to Finland and Director, McKinnon Center for Global Affairs, Occidental College

‘Diplomatic Tradecraft by Nicholas Kralev presents an illuminating inside look at all aspects of diplomatic service through a student-centric approach. The knowledge and wisdom of 18 career ambassadors embedded in this volume, provide a comprehensive and engaging experiential learning environment for readers to develop skills necessary for future diplomatic service and for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.’ Baktybek Abdrisaev, former Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the U.S. and Canada and Lecturer of Political Science, Utah Valley University

‘Diplomatic Tradecraft is an elegantly-written, thorough introduction to diplomacy in practice. Timely and lucid, free of jargon, and salted with memorable and revealing anecdotes, it is a pleasure to read. The authors have taken a complex and tangled profession and made its essentials clear, digestible, and memorable. They have also taken the trouble to give budding diplomats concrete and actionable career advice. This book will be invaluable to academics trying to help our students begin careers in a profession almost as confusing to us as to them. Every graduate and undergraduate student intending to pursue a diplomatic career should be pointed to these pages.’ Richard Jordan, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Baylor University

‘An indispensable tool, Diplomatic Tradecraft encourages bright, eager-to-learn minds to enter the diplomatic field. It helps to develop complex skills in new generations of Foreign Service officers and facilitates understanding of a profession that is too often hidden behind clichés, stereotypes or misconceptions.’ Cristina Gallach, former U.N. Undersecretary General and former Deputy Foreign Minister of Spain

From the Publisher