In the post-Cold War world, the old power-structures have disappeared, and this book attempts to discover who today's diplomats really are, what they are trying to accomplish, and whether they succeed. Exploring the secret world of international diplomacy, with its daily dramas and achievements, the book incorporates personal portraits of some of the key personnel in the British Foreign Office. Readers can witness private discussions between states, and working relationships between elected government ministers and their civil servants. Ruth Dudley Edwards is an award-winning author of both fiction and non-fiction who has worked in the civil service. Her previous books include Harold Macmillan: A Life In Pictures, An Atlas of Irish History and Victor Gollancz: A Biography.