Diplomatic Gifts: A History in Fifty Presents

by Paul Brummell

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 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.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

476 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Degenerate Chemist · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Diplomatic Gifts" is a history book written by a diplomat that discusses gift giving and its importance to diplomacy. The book is a bit like eating a handful of different flavored jelly belly's. Its fine, but you'd be better eating them on bean at a time. Brummell discusses 50 instances of diplomatic giving in the space of 300ish pages. That didn't leave much room for analysis or discussion.

This book is an interesting pop history and well worth the time it takes to read. If nothing else I enjoyed the perspective Brummell brought to the topic.

[Lais · Rating 4 out of 5]

Se nota que teve uma pesquisa muito grande pra fazer esse livro, e ele mostra situações de presentes diplomáticos que vão desde animais vivos até roupas/diamantes ao longo dos séculos. De forma geral, gostei muito de entender mais a diplomacia em suas formas antigas e mais novas, entretanto achei que nos períodos mais atuais ele focou muito nos mesmos países do norte (EUA e afins) deixando de lado outras nações que poderiam ter sido citadas. Porém, mesmo assim achei um bom livro, mesmo sendo meio monotono e lento de leitura.

[Rev · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up.

I found a lot of the information in this book absolutely fascinating, and I would definitely like to have it for reference. However, I do wish that the author had perhaps pared down the number of gifts that were covered so that each gift that was covered could be covered in more detail. The political happenings that surrounded each gift were mentioned, briefly, but not enough for my personal tastes. Just something to keep in mind.

[Simon Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating trip through history. Highly recommended.