Living the Cold War: Memoirs of a British Diplomat

by Christopher Mallaby, Peter Hennessy (Foreword)

The centrepiece of this memoir by Sir Christopher Mallaby, former British Ambassador in Germany and France, is the unification of Germany in 1990, the culmination of years of work by Sir Christopher and his colleagues. He held different views from the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. He saw unification as the key to ending the Cold War with a peaceful victory for the West and the liberation of millions in eastern and central Europe from Soviet control. She disliked the Germans and opposed unification.

Christopher Mallaby writes vividly of many other people, places and events. He and his wife were a young couple in Moscow during the Cuba crisis, and knew they might be destroyed by American nuclear weapons. He explains why Khrushchev took such a huge risk and why he yielded to President Kennedy.

'Living the Cold War' describes the work of diplomats and leaders on many other fronts, from dealing with the threat of the Soviet Union to Britain’s attempt to persuade Argentina to withdraw peacefully from the Falklands. The author brings different experiences alive, including the KGB’s harassment of diplomats in Moscow and the fascination of his time as Ambassador in France. In doing so, he shows what diplomats can really achieve. He mixes amusing incidents with an insider's insights on crucial world events.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 19, 2017

Reviews

[Mancman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited by the prospect of this book. The memoirs of the British Ambassador to Germany when the Berlin Wall fell? Our man in Moscow at the height of the Cold War?
Such great material to work with.
But, the writing is dull, the anecdotes delivered with no panache. I understand the need to walk a certain diplomatic line here, but I waded through this book, instead of romping.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some real nuggets in here, but they’re sparse.

[Robert Pimm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sir Christopher Mallaby is a legendary diplomat who has lived through - and contributed to the resolution of - many of the great crises of the 20thC. I can thoroughly recommend his memoir to anyone interested in finding out more about the reunification of Germany or the development and resolution of the Cold War.

[C. M. Kosemen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, erudite, personable, and witty memoirs of service in Russia, Germany, and France. Touches on personal anecdotes as well as international politics. Ends with a prescient warning about Russia.