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Protocol Prose Book Club - May 2023
Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT
Category: Member Exclusive Events

The Protocol Prose Book Club will gather to discuss Diplomatic Gifts: A History in Fifty Presents by Ambassador Paul Brummell.

About the Book 

Gifts have been part of international relations since ancient times. They can serve as tokens of friendship, apology or authority; as taunts, bribes, boasts or tricks. They can also go wrong: Mali's 2013 gift of a camel to French President Francois Hollande was reported to have ended up in a tagine.

Exploring fifty diplomatic gifts given through the ages, Brummell explains the great complexity of this political art--an exercise in brand-building for the giver, via an item that must suit the recipient's own interests and character. Byzantine emperors sent fragments of the True Cross to fellow Christian rulers around Europe; Kings Louis XV and XVI of France used Sevres porcelain, while the Ottoman sultans favoured robes of honour. In some cases, recipients have made no secret of the gift they would want. The Amarna Letters, dating to around 1350 BCE, record a communication from Hittite Prince Zita to the Egyptian Pharaoh, offering sixteen men--and hinting rather heavily that he would like some gold in return.

From the Trojan Horse to Cleopatra's Needle to the Statue of Liberty, this rich history offers a new take on both the curious detail and the grand spectacle of global politics. (Adapted from Amazon)

Upon its release in 2022, the Wall Street Journal review described the author of this “jaunty and instructive book” this way:

Mr. Brummell is a British ambassador, currently the queen’s man in Latvia (hardly a sinecure after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine). He has served as the British envoy in such places as Barbados, Romania and Turkmenistan and combines a bubbling passion for arcane history with a polished proficiency in the diplomatic arts. His book, arranged chronologically, takes the reader through an enchanting—and occasionally puzzling—range of gifts made by one nation (or its ruler) to another, starting with a gift of two gold-plated statues, made in 1353 B.C. by Egypt’s pharaoh to a king in Mesopotamia.

 

The work has been described as “Enchanting. A delight from beginning to end.” and “A gem of a book.”

We are delighted that the author will join us in conversation to discuss his writing at this members-only program.

About the Author

Paul Brummell is a British career diplomat, and currently the UK ambassador to Latvia. His previous postings as ambassador were to Romania, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. He has also served as the UK’s High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, and is the author or co-author or three travel guides.

 

Purchase the book on Amazon. 

The Protocol Prose Book Club is an exclusive benefit for PDI-POA members. If you are interested in participating in the book club or other members-only events, we invite you to consider joining PDI-POA!
Register to attend the May Protocol Prose Book Club meeting

Contact: [email protected]