Want to know what books Jeremy Greenstock recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Jeremy Greenstock's favorite book recommendations of all time.
1
The end of the Cold War triggered a historic shift in world politics, and nowhere was this more keenly felt than in the United Nations. This is an insider’s account of that turbulent period.
Lord Hannay, who, as Britain’s representative to the UN, sat in the Security Council from the time of Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait until the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia (1990-1995), gives a first hand view of events as they unfolded. Just weeks after George H.W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev’s historic handshake, the UN was being asked to repel the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, to wind up a... more The end of the Cold War triggered a historic shift in world politics, and nowhere was this more keenly felt than in the United Nations. This is an insider’s account of that turbulent period.
Lord Hannay, who, as Britain’s representative to the UN, sat in the Security Council from the time of Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait until the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia (1990-1995), gives a first hand view of events as they unfolded. Just weeks after George H.W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev’s historic handshake, the UN was being asked to repel the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, to wind up a string of Third World proxy wars, and to find a solution to the challenges of environmental degradation and climate change. At first, the Five Permanent Members of the Security Council, worked together to an unprecedented extent, with notable success. But as Hannay shows, little was done to prepare for the problems of state failure--in Somalia, in the former Yugoslavia, in Rwanda and in Afghanistan--which proved beyond the UN’s capacity to handle and which frayed the solidarity of the main powers. Hannay subsequently joined the Secretary General’s High Level Panel, and spearheaded the most ambitious attempt at reform of the organization since it was founded in 1945. He recounts here with insight and candor why this program derailed. New World Disorder is an invaluable source of information for anyone seeking to understand the current structures, dynamics and trends of world politics. It is also a compelling account of one of the great turning points in world history, as seen from inside the eye of the storm less 
Jeremy GreenstockThis is a book about the UN, which is the only diplomatic mission on which I still do a good deal of talking and retirement diplomacy. I chose this to give the general reader an idea of what the UN is like after the Cold War. David Hannay stopped being the UK ambassador to the UN in 1995, but he has remained closely connected to it ever since, both on the issue of Cyprus, and as Chairman of the... (Source)
See more recommendations for this book...
2
The argument between the noisy popular liberal interventionist approach and the more conservative diplomatic approach concentrating on cooperation between other nations has run for two centuries, and is at the heart of heated discussion on both sides of the Atlantic today. Hurd concentrates on personalities and circumstances. He begins with the dramatic antagonism after Waterloo between Canning and Castlereagh—the last occasion on which ministerial colleagues fought a duel. A generation later comes Palmerston vs Aberdeen, from which Palmerston, the noisy interventionist, emerged the victor.... more The argument between the noisy popular liberal interventionist approach and the more conservative diplomatic approach concentrating on cooperation between other nations has run for two centuries, and is at the heart of heated discussion on both sides of the Atlantic today. Hurd concentrates on personalities and circumstances. He begins with the dramatic antagonism after Waterloo between Canning and Castlereagh—the last occasion on which ministerial colleagues fought a duel. A generation later comes Palmerston vs Aberdeen, from which Palmerston, the noisy interventionist, emerged the victor. Salisbury and then Edward Grey wrestled with the same dilemma in the context of imperialism and the European balance of power. Finally Eden and Bevin, from wholly different backgrounds, combined with the Americans to create a post–war compromise, which served its purpose for half a century, but is coming apart today as the old questions resurface in new and savage forms in an era of terrorism and racial conflict. less Jeremy GreenstockThis is a more recent book, and to some extent it’s a continuation of the Kissinger theme. In choosing your weapons he’s referring to the Castlereagh-Canning duel at the beginning of the 19th century, which he uses as a symbol of the duel between principle and realpolitik. Castlereagh is the realpolitik specialist – the Machiavelli, the Metternich, the Kissinger. Canning is the man of principle,... (Source)
See more recommendations for this book...
3
First published in 1917, Satow's Diplomatic Practice has long been hailed as a classic and authoritative text. An indispensable guide for anyone working in or studying the field of diplomacy, this seventh, centenary edition builds on the extensive revision in the sixth edition. The volume provides an enlarged and updated section on the history of diplomacy, including the exponential growth in multilateral diplomacy, and revises comprehensively the practice of diplomacy and the corpus of diplomatic and international law since the end of the Cold War. It traces the substantial... more First published in 1917, Satow's Diplomatic Practice has long been hailed as a classic and authoritative text. An indispensable guide for anyone working in or studying the field of diplomacy, this seventh, centenary edition builds on the extensive revision in the sixth edition. The volume provides an enlarged and updated section on the history of diplomacy, including the exponential growth in multilateral diplomacy, and revises comprehensively the practice of diplomacy and the corpus of diplomatic and international law since the end of the Cold War. It traces the substantial expansion in numbers both of sovereign states and international and regional organisations and features detailed chapters on diplomatic privileges and immunities, diplomatic missions, and consular matters, treaty-making and conferences. The volume also examines alternative forms of diplomacy, from the work of NGOs to the use of secret envoys, as well as a study of the interaction with intelligence agencies and commercial security firms. It also discusses the impact of international terrorism and other violent non-state actors on the life and work of a diplomat. Finally, in recognition of the speed of changes in the field over the last ten years, this seventh edition examines the developments and challenges of modern diplomacy through new chapters on human rights and public/digital diplomacy by experts in their respective fields.
less Jeremy GreenstockSatow’s was re-edited last year by Sir Ivor Roberts, the president of Trinity College, Oxford. It is the only book that explains both what diplomacy is and how it is organised across the world, with the UK at the centre. It’s a thick book, and it’s full of details and documents about all the world organisations – but it is an extremely interesting account of how diplomacy works and what its... (Source)
See more recommendations for this book...
4
This is the Story of The American Military Adventure in Iraq. The Heart of the story Fiasco has to tell, which has never been told before, is that of a Military occupation whose leaders failed to see a blooming insurgency for what it was and as a result lead their soldiers in such a way that the insurgency became inevitable. more This is the Story of The American Military Adventure in Iraq. The Heart of the story Fiasco has to tell, which has never been told before, is that of a Military occupation whose leaders failed to see a blooming insurgency for what it was and as a result lead their soldiers in such a way that the insurgency became inevitable. less 
Patrick CockburnWhen you read about Iraq, you need to know that it is a country more divided than almost anywhere else in the world. (Source)
Jeremy GreenstockRicks writes fluently and eloquently. His book shows what the Americans thought about Iraq, and what they thought the Iraqis thought. (Source)
See more recommendations for this book...
5
A brilliant, sweeping history of diplomacy that includes personal stories from the noted former Secretary of State, including his stunning reopening of relations with China.
The seminal work on foreign policy and the art of diplomacy.
Moving from a sweeping overview of history to blow-by-blow accounts of his negotiations with world leaders, Henry Kissinger describes how the art of diplomacy has created the world in which we live, and how America’s approach to foreign affairs has always differed vastly from that of other nations.
Brilliant, controversial, and... more A brilliant, sweeping history of diplomacy that includes personal stories from the noted former Secretary of State, including his stunning reopening of relations with China.
The seminal work on foreign policy and the art of diplomacy.
Moving from a sweeping overview of history to blow-by-blow accounts of his negotiations with world leaders, Henry Kissinger describes how the art of diplomacy has created the world in which we live, and how America’s approach to foreign affairs has always differed vastly from that of other nations.
Brilliant, controversial, and profoundly incisive, Diplomacy stands as the culmination of a lifetime of diplomatic service and scholarship. It is vital reading for anyone concerned with the forces that have shaped our world today and will impact upon it tomorrow. less 
Bogdan SavoneaKissinger's "Diplomacy", Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations" and Machiavelli's "The Prince". They pretty much shaped the first part of my life, defined my University choice and career path up until my late 20s. (Source)
Jeremy GreenstockThe importance of Kissinger’s book is that it is fundamentally about power. It’s amazing how seldom people – newspapers, blogs, speeches – talk about power, but power is the raw thing at the heart of every political unit. Kissinger is a great figure of 20th-century diplomacy and therefore it is about his experience; you’re looking at diplomacy through the eyes of a great exponent of the... (Source)
Jonathan PowellKissinger said that the original American idealism was a mistake. He remains the grand old man of foreign policy. (Source)
See more recommendations for this book...
Don't have time to read Jeremy Greenstock's favorite books? Read Shortform summaries.
Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:
- Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
- Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
- Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
