
American Ambassadors
A Guide for Aspiring Diplomats and Foreign Service Officers
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Narrated by:
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Joe Barrett
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By:
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Dennis C. Jett
About this listen
If you ever wondered who becomes an American ambassador and why, this is the book for you. It describes how Foreign Service officers become ambassadors by rising up through the ranks, and why they typically make up about 70 percent of the total number of ambassadors. It also covers where the other 30 percent come from - the political appointees who get the job because they helped elect the president by supporting him as a campaign contributor, a political ally, or a personal friend. It explains why, despite being illegal and a threat to national security, selling the title of ambassador remains a common practice that is also unique to the United States. It considers why some suggestions for reform are misguided, what might be done, and why who the president is matters so much in determining how well the United States will be represented abroad.
This updated and revised edition of Jett’s classic book not only provides a timely overview of American ambassadorship for Foreign Service Officers, aspiring diplomats, and interested citizens, but also calls for much-needed reform, describing the dire implications of failing to change our ambassadorial appointments process for the future of American diplomatic practice and foreign policy.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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What listeners say about American Ambassadors
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- Antonia
- 12-12-24
Interesting but written in a nauseating left-leaning view
Like many of its contemporary books on political issues this volume is dripping with ostentatious anti-conservative and anti-Trump rhetoric. The author begins his (unnecessary) preface to the send edition by defending his attempt at an objective view and then launching into a predictably inaccurate diatribe on the evils of Donald Trump. The rest is actually quite informative if you don’t mind the consistent obsequious references to democrats and the bitter denunciation of any conservative characters involved.
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- Hero
- 03-13-25
More about anti trump than Ambassadors
The author is totally unprofessional and uses the book as an anti trump platform. I’m a middle of the road conservative but was totally turn offended by his unprofessionalism.
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- Tamara R Rowe
- 03-15-24
Excellent
Good well done detailed informative that is all I have to say thank you for book and work of all your colleagues
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