Description: This study examines US diplomatic relations with Australia and New Zealand during the Cold War. The author emphasizes the role of lower-ranking diplomats in policy formation and examines the impact of recruitment and deployment practices of the diplomatic corps, as well as the...
Review Quotes:
"Making extensive use of previously-ignored oral histories, Anthony Barker has written a perceptive and fascinating account of the attitudes and experiences of American diplomats and their spouses in Australasia. Probing beyond the formal, elite processes of foreign policy decision-making, Barker uses personal histories to cast new light on diplomatic and political history. Written in an engaging and accessible style, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the United States-Australasian relationship." --Chris Dixon, Macquarie University
"Give us the gift of seeing ourselves as others see us--a very important intelligence task, and Anthony J. Barker does us a service in trawling the oral and private written assessments of American diplomats in Australia. Barker explores the shifting power relations between Australia and the United States, demonstrating how Australia was very much an unequal ally in the 1930s and 1940s but became more important to the United States in the 1960s with the introduction of joint facilities. Barker has made an important contribution to debates about this diplomatic relationship, and his insights will be useful to scholars and politicians alike." --Kim Beazley, Governor of Western Australia, served as Ambassador of Australia to the United States from 2010 to 2016 "Anthony J. Barker is to be congratulated for his innovative approach based on 324 interviews conducted by the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training of foreign service officers and their spouses who served in the antipodes to explore trans-Pacific relations.... US Diplomats and Their Spouses During the Cold War: Americans Looking Down on Australia and New Zealand will be consulted by historians and political scientists for years to come." --Pacific Historical Review "This is an exceptional piece of work detailing the impact of American diplomats and their spouses on the trilateral relationship between the United States, Australia, and New Zealand." --H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online